Dreadful drowning in Lampedusa....

[eighthobstruction]

These poor people just trying to find a way out of poverty and starvation....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24380247

[MrGongGong]

These poor people just trying to find a way out of poverty and starvation....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24380247

Terrible tragedy
some of the responses to it (this is from the Independent of all places ????) are rather predictable and show a total lack of humanity and empathy

such as

"They are all muslim invaders that cause nothing but problems, violence, crime, welfare-fraud in whichever western country is unfortunate enough to have them." ....

and

"They are ILLEGAL ECONOMIC IMIGRANTS. They knew the risks and they took them. This is the fault of the corupt €U "

[amateur51]

A shocking and very sad story.

The lot of would-be migrants from Africa is imperilled by the activities of people traffickers on the one hand, making money out of poverty and human aspiration and desperation, and by the treacherous conditions at sea on the other.

[french frank]

We (never mind the US) spend so much money on pursuing the war effort which could be used humanely to alleviate poverty.

[teamsaint]

We (never mind the US) spend so much money on pursuing the war effort which could be used humanely to alleviate poverty.

So true. And so many other useless activities as well......

[scottycelt]

We (never mind the US) spend so much money on pursuing the war effort which could be used humanely to alleviate poverty.

Top Donors World Aid:

1) USA
2) UK

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governments_by_development_aid

[teamsaint]

Tell the whole story, Scotty.....

http://peoplespoliticsiii.yuku.com/topic/22641#.Uk3BWyR6YpI

http://www.ask.com/answers/297386741/what-percentage-of-world-resources-does-the-u-s-use

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States

[scottycelt]

Tell the whole story, Scotty.....

I merely provided some facts in the interests of political balance, team ...

The USA has by far the largest military budget in the world and yet provides the most economic aid. The UK has the fourth largest military budget in the world and comes second, leading wealthier countries like Germany.

So the inference that large military budgets are at the expense of economic aid to poorer countries simply does not stack up.

That's all.

[MrGongGong]

I merely provided some facts in the interests of political balance, team ...

The USA has by far the largest military budget in the world and yet provides the most economic aid. The UK has the fourth largest military budget in the world and comes second, leading wealthier countries like Germany.

So the inference that large military budgets are at the expense of economic aid to poorer countries simply does not stack up.

That's all.

But what does it matter anyway ?
as you said in the other dungeon thread
there are no causes, no contexts , just things that happen .............. :-(

[teamsaint]

I merely provided some facts in the interests of political balance, team ...

The USA has by far the largest military budget in the world and yet provides the most economic aid. The UK has the fourth largest military budget in the world and comes second, leading wealthier countries like Germany.

So the inference that large military budgets are at the expense of economic aid to poorer countries simply does not stack up.

That's all.

It is surely not balanced just to say that the US provides the most aid, without demonstrating the immensity of its economic power, which incidentally, (well not incidentally at all in fact) it uses in exploitive fashion the world over?

[french frank]

So the inference that large military budgets are at the expense of economic aid to poorer countries simply does not stack up.

I have no control over what people 'infer'. I certainly didn't imply that. Factually, if they spent less on their huge military budgets, they would have more funds available to spend on aid. That is not incompatible with what you said, I think?

[Serial_Apologist]

I have no control over what people 'infer'. I certainly didn't imply that. Factually, if they spent less on their huge military budgets, they would have more funds available to spend on aid. That is not incompatible with what you said, I think?

The problem for most of the countries from which populations are fleeing is that their achievement of national self-determination was partial, not matched by economic self-determination.

[Mr Pee]

It is surely not balanced just to say that the US provides the most aid, without demonstrating the immensity of its economic power, which incidentally, (well not incidentally at all in fact) it uses in exploitive fashion the world over?

Didn't take long, did it?

<yawn> <yawn>

[teamsaint]

Didn't take long, did it?

<yawn> <yawn>

I had a point to make in the discussion, concerning why economic migration happens , and under such dangerous circumstances.

What is your point? you did have a point , didn't you?

or were you just a bit tired ?

[french frank]

The problem for most of the countries from which populations are fleeing is that their achievement of national self-determination was partial, not matched by economic self-determination.

Yes, and aid is not the long-term solution. But the greater the (outside) resources the more possibilities for solving that problem.