Asian Tsunami
- Thread starter pipme
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Sadly, gents there is gonna be a load of profit made out of this .... What is the bet that many companies carrying out work will be charging profit plus !
Just out of interest (!) Indonesia bought(?) some £600M worth of arms from us in the 90's ... reneged on the repayments, so our Govn is left to pick up the tab on our behalf, of course the 'Prudental Jock' is now saying we'll not only forgo the 'interest on the sum owed' but the actual debt itself ... Ok, no real problem with that, but shareholder's profits are involved too --- So we end up paying them too --- I thought the industry was denationalised ?
How can the 'rev' persue persons owing tax, sometimes to the grave, then their bosses forgo huge amounts of dosh, to, at the best unstable regions in return for armaments.. We may live to regret that deal !! --- Did the Yanks, in our 'special relationship' forgo our War debts ?
There is no solution in throwing money at a problem, especially when it is not your own (money).
P
Just out of interest (!) Indonesia bought(?) some £600M worth of arms from us in the 90's ... reneged on the repayments, so our Govn is left to pick up the tab on our behalf, of course the 'Prudental Jock' is now saying we'll not only forgo the 'interest on the sum owed' but the actual debt itself ... Ok, no real problem with that, but shareholder's profits are involved too --- So we end up paying them too --- I thought the industry was denationalised ?
How can the 'rev' persue persons owing tax, sometimes to the grave, then their bosses forgo huge amounts of dosh, to, at the best unstable regions in return for armaments.. We may live to regret that deal !! --- Did the Yanks, in our 'special relationship' forgo our War debts ?
There is no solution in throwing money at a problem, especially when it is not your own (money).
P
To get an idea of the scale of destruction see these satellite pics there are 14 in total and a before and after button to click.
http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/9.html
http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/9.html
D
david and julie
I didn't think the area was that built up.
Really puts our minor problems into perspective.
Very,very sad situation for all concerned, it is hard to imagine they could ever get over the heavy losses involved.
Really puts our minor problems into perspective.
Very,very sad situation for all concerned, it is hard to imagine they could ever get over the heavy losses involved.
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Yes, it puts our daily grumblings well into perspective..
As was said earlier, people will be profiting from this when the aid is spent with them.
I haven't really paid too much attention to the aid aspect of this, other than starting to get sick of people shaking buckets in my direction at every street corner. However, a colleague tells me that a large fraction of the "aid" has been given in the form of interest-free and low-interest loans. So the "beneficiaries" will be paying it back (unless it gets cancelled as so much debt does).
Now, what has happened out there is an absolutely terrible thing. Tragic doesn't begin to explain it. However, I am cynical about the amount of aid being sent there. The tragedy doesn't come from houses being swept away, it doesn't come from ruined businesses, it comes from loss of life. No amount of money will bring those people back. So, aid will be spent on tangible things, rebuilding houses and infrastructure.
It seems to have become a global competition to see who can be most charitable. But I can imagine how much money would be donated to the UK if our eastern coastline got battered by a North Sea Swell. Unless it was broadcast worldwide on the news 24/7 we would receive s*d all. We would have to bail ourselves out (in both senses of the word!).
One of the real bu**ers is buildings insurance in those countries usually excludes tsunami damage and damage by seawater. So even the few people who bother with insurance there are screwed.
I haven't really paid too much attention to the aid aspect of this, other than starting to get sick of people shaking buckets in my direction at every street corner. However, a colleague tells me that a large fraction of the "aid" has been given in the form of interest-free and low-interest loans. So the "beneficiaries" will be paying it back (unless it gets cancelled as so much debt does).
Now, what has happened out there is an absolutely terrible thing. Tragic doesn't begin to explain it. However, I am cynical about the amount of aid being sent there. The tragedy doesn't come from houses being swept away, it doesn't come from ruined businesses, it comes from loss of life. No amount of money will bring those people back. So, aid will be spent on tangible things, rebuilding houses and infrastructure.
It seems to have become a global competition to see who can be most charitable. But I can imagine how much money would be donated to the UK if our eastern coastline got battered by a North Sea Swell. Unless it was broadcast worldwide on the news 24/7 we would receive s*d all. We would have to bail ourselves out (in both senses of the word!).
One of the real bu**ers is buildings insurance in those countries usually excludes tsunami damage and damage by seawater. So even the few people who bother with insurance there are screwed.
With ref. to the armaments deal --- Welcome to politics !! Indo's £600M debt to UK Govn (us) Was never gonna be repaid, neither was the interest.
So Gordo in typical Scots style, says, 'We will not only forgo the interest, but cancel the loan !!' .... Great, I bet that puts a few dinners on the table .... So G can say, 'Look, we have cancelled the debt !! £600M to the fund !! etc etc' .... Um, how do they spend money they aint got ? How are they better off if they never meant to repay anyway .... Who pocketed the dosh then ? The arms makers .... Better still, who paid for it ? What a bunch of pratts we really are !!
P
So Gordo in typical Scots style, says, 'We will not only forgo the interest, but cancel the loan !!' .... Great, I bet that puts a few dinners on the table .... So G can say, 'Look, we have cancelled the debt !! £600M to the fund !! etc etc' .... Um, how do they spend money they aint got ? How are they better off if they never meant to repay anyway .... Who pocketed the dosh then ? The arms makers .... Better still, who paid for it ? What a bunch of pratts we really are !!
P
The whole realm of international debt is a daft one anyway. On one extreme you have people saying "They shouldn't borrow money then expect us to cancel the debt", on the other extreme you have whinging hippies saying "But it's our fault they needed the bread anyway man, cancel the debt, it's like, heavy!" Then in the middle you have about 90% of the population who really aren't that bothered about the whole thing or feel it is far too complicated to apply stupid blanket statements such as "cancel the debt" to. I would count myself in that 90%!
The only way to make debt cancellation work that I can see is if we make it a global watershed on debt. Cancel all the debts now (including those between first world countries), but any loans taken out from that point on would be repayable in full. You would need to have a world government for that, which could penalise one country for spending money on something silly when it has starving citizens.
Of course, that won't work, at least not for several hundred years anyway.
The only way to make debt cancellation work that I can see is if we make it a global watershed on debt. Cancel all the debts now (including those between first world countries), but any loans taken out from that point on would be repayable in full. You would need to have a world government for that, which could penalise one country for spending money on something silly when it has starving citizens.
Of course, that won't work, at least not for several hundred years anyway.
D
david and julie
Thankyou gentlemen for your very kind and considerate thoughts.
Just about over my jet lag now, so must get thinking about some argumentative or controversial topics.
Just about over my jet lag now, so must get thinking about some argumentative or controversial topics.
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