We are holding African children to ransom for the debts of their grandparents. - Bono.
I have to wonder what the point of third world debt is.
My thoughts are all over the place on this, but really, I think it comes down to us being way too greedy and governments not wanting other nations to have equality.
Equality is such a lofty ideal.
And you know what? I think it would be possible to have if we all stopped pretending that we were really living with it and actually got around to doing it instead... hmph.
We in the Western world and have plenty of money. Our governments can merrily spalsh billions of dollars around on weapons designed to maim and kill, yet they can't or won't do anything to help other people live.
Oh sure, we have give token amounts.
Or we give to token areas. Or things that look nice. Or people who will say thank-you enough to stroke our egos. Or popular causes.
But there would be a greater benefit to people if we just let the debts slide. I mean, some of the debts are so tiny in terms of Western thinking that it's ridiculous to insist that people keep them.
It would allow countries to start with a fresh slate, and perhaps be able to make more of themselves. It might help people to develop better lives.
Of course, then, you have the problem of how this might affect the world's resources with production and consumption and so on.
But something like 3% of the world's populations consumes 80% of all of its resources! How unfair is that? How unethical are we in our every-day consumption of goods and services?!
And we all probably don't even realise it.
*sigh*
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