The Chancellor's Plans for Africa

[Bitterandtwisted]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4606197.stm#

I was pleasantly surprised by the level of help pledged by Brown in his speach. I certainly didn't expect 100% debt relief. What is everyone elses views?

[hr]

Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

[Grandpa]

It's a capitalist world.

[hr]

God save The Queen, long live Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Her other Realms and Territories - Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

[Haunted]

Good on him.
And good luck trying to pitch that to the US

[Eliot Wilson]

I think President Bush's doubts and lack of co-operation could limit the real effectiveness of the measures. And I still remain sceptical about the effectiveness of debt relief.

[hr]

Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[puzzled]

Quoting Bitterandtwisted from 13:37, 3rd Jun 2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4606197.stm#

I was pleasantly surprised by the level of help pledged by Brown in his speach. I certainly didn't expect 100% debt relief. What is everyone elses views?

Selling the IMF gold reserves would be a remarkablly stupid thing to do as all it will do is cause a collapse in the price of gold which will be catastrophic for those African countries which are heavily reliant on the export of gold (eg South Africa, Uganda, botswana etc etc)

100% debt relieve might help for 5 mins, but there is nothing that could stop the countries borrowing the money again.

Even if debt is cancelled (which means either robbing the bond holders through default or making western taxpayers pay) and genuinely free trade instituted, the kleptocrats who rule over africa will simply steal any extra money that there is. Sound government and free trade are the only way out for poor nations.

[Gealle]

There was me thinking from the title of the thread that Lang had made so much from the extortionate rates on halls that he was buying the continent of Africa.


God Save the Queen, the Fascist regime...

[Bonnie]

Lang's the Vice- Chancellor.

Sir Kenneth Dover, in the mean time, might take over Africa for different reasons.

Quoting Gealle from 19:20, 3rd Jun 2005
There was me thinking from the title of the thread that Lang had made so much from the extortionate rates on halls that he was buying the continent of Africa.


God Save the Queen, the Fascist regime...

[hr]

I love cheese.

[Gealle]

That's what I get for posting without my dosing up on coffee.