2004-03-16 20:00:07
| #virus from 2004-03-16 20:00:00 (showing messages 1-30) Bookmark the permanent url.
|
20:00:07 | Lucifer | * Lucifer welcomes all to the weekly chat |
20:00:24 | Lucifer | Tonight's topic is "Poverty and Global Inequality" |
20:00:52 | Lucifer | The topic was inspired by an online article I read this morning>> http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2499118 |
20:00:53 | tomo | sounds interesting |
20:01:08 | localroger | * localroger warns there is a rightness of wing to its bent |
20:01:21 | tomo | heh, the economist? |
20:01:23 | Lucifer | I'm curious to know others' opinion of it, the problem and possible solutions |
20:01:36 | Lucifer | Certainly the article is leaning to the right |
20:01:55 | Lucifer | (but it looks pretty straight from my subjective perspective :-) |
20:02:05 | localroger | The article casually dismisses a great deal of common sense, although it makes a few good points. |
20:02:27 | Lucifer | That's exactly what I'm looking for, where does the article stray from the truth and good sense |
20:02:52 | WW | WW (~transgeni@[death to spam].ip68-13-228-248.ok.ok.cox.net) has joined #virus |
20:03:11 | Lucifer | As an aside, I found it quite stimulating to read a left-leaning publication the other day, Adbusters magazine |
20:03:15 | localroger | The article's biggest shortcoming is something that should be dear to all our hearts. It gives no credit to the ability of new technology to form wealth faster than aid programmes could consume it. |
20:03:45 | daraknor | Aid programs are self serving |
20:04:00 | Lucifer | Who benefits from aid programs? |
20:04:17 | tomo | those who get control of the aid, for one |
20:04:21 | daraknor | and the unwritten rule is that if you get a 100 million dollar loan from the IMF to build a hydroelectric dam, then that 100 million goes to US companies |
20:04:27 | WW | Walter Watts of the Royal Society of Bombing Brown People Under Dubious Circumstances Present.... http://www.walterwatts.com/images/webcam.htm |
20:04:31 | localroger | It is focused on the work ethic -- Africa's problems are due to Africa's unwillingness to roll up its sleeves and work. But many of us foresee a future in which machines will create so much wealth so cheaply that nobody would have to work. The Economist wonks are as unable to contemplate that future as monkeys are to solve differential equations. |
20:04:58 | Lucifer | daraknor, I don't think that rule is even unwritten, sometimes it is a quite explicit condition of the loan |
20:05:21 | daraknor | the people who market the "aid" are the only ones served. I liked the use of small $50 loans to create businesses. When the IMF gave funding to Egypt, it gave it as small payments to individuals and new businesses abounded. |
20:05:35 | tomo | ah, microloans |
20:05:43 | daraknor | Lucifer: agreed :/ "unknown or unstated" |
20:05:47 | localroger | The small payments thing is definitely the way to go, otherwise it just ends up fattening the pockets of the rich. |
20:05:58 | tomo | give individuals the ability to invest for themselves |
20:06:11 | WW | is there some proof these "microloans" accomplished their goal? |
20:06:31 | daraknor | Yeah, an experiment in India, but i don't remember who did it |
20:06:33 | tomo | there's plenty of anecdotal evidence, i dunno about any studies |
20:06:34 | daraknor | will google. |