Tuesday 19 January 2010

RELIEF AID FOR HAITI-WHY AM I GETTING CONFUSED?


The European Union has promised to provide more than 420 million euros (£369m) in aid to help those affected by the devastating earthquake in Haiti. 
The money will deliver both emergency and long-term assistance to the country which was torn apart by the magnitude 7.0 quake.

Now don't please get me wrong.  I think that we individually and nationally should contribute to the Haiti appeal.  Ax I've said I've been to that Island many times on holiday and the suffering and devastation are insufferable.

But here's what I don't understand.  Since the Lisbon Treaty was ratified, we in Britain are now part of the EU one hundred percent.  So if the EU is giving £369m towards the disaster, why is Cyclops in London pledging another £20m.  Now I don't mind if the GREAT LEADER says to the EU, "look we in Britain would also like to contribute something, so we'll chip in a bit more into the pot."  As a net contributor, Britain's share of the EU's assistance will already be a big percentage of the total.

So why isn't Arsewipe going or indeed the EU going to countries like Estonia and saying, "look you're net beneficiaries from the EU,  would you mind chipping in £5m to the pot".  I suppose what I'm trying to say without sounding callous, IS WHY ARE WE CONTRIBUTING TWICE, WHEN we are the last major EU ECONOMY TO COME OUT OF RECESSION?  And why when we are now an integral part of the EU, don't we let them CONTRIBUTE FOR ALL OF US?

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

DL

Here is your answer, in part anyway, from this morning's Times

"Even some of the promised aid was illusory. The European Union pledged €429 million in aid yesterday. All but €40 million was from funding already earmarked for the country, however, and more than €90 million of the first emergency tranche was cash already pledged by individual member states. "

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6993152.ece

It is all powder puff window dressing. Looks like Gordon's Disease is catching.

banned said...

I would not be surprised if "our" £20m is in fact our share of "their" E420m, skinflints.

I just hope it is administered tightly at the lowest level and not used to fund the gangsters who run the place.

Dark Lochnagar said...

Bugger, why should we not be surprised. The Americans seem to be fucking things up as usual, talk about piss ups and breweries. China though as the new world superpower doesn't seem to be contributing much.

Dark Lochnagar said...

Banned, it would appear that it is if you read the times article that Bugger outlines above, particularly the article about Frasnce and the U.S. squabbling. I didn't realise that if you contribute to a certain disaster it has to be spent there even if they no longer have needs and the money could be spent better elsewhere. That's why is better to give to individual charities like MSF.

Stout Heart said...

Chieftan of the Cyber Highlands, you have raised a question that I have often asked in the snug bar of “The Moon Under Water”. To wit, if the Government can give away taxpayers money as charitable donations abroad then they are collecting too much.

If I want my money to go to Charity then I will choose which one and I’ll give you a hint, most of the Charities will be in the UK and won’t be based round ethnic minorities.

It’s scandalous that Thieving Gordon jets of round the world like a po faced Rockerfeller handing out million pound notes as if he had just printed them ...........

Dark Lochnagar said...

Stouters, I agree with that. I think it's important to give probably through a DD to a charity that you believe in that's not just going to spend the donations on salaries. Topping that up from time to time if your conscience is pricked like on 'red nose day' is to my mind the best way of going about it. I think Arsewipe thinks it's coming out his own pocket. That's what happens when you're Chencellor for that long, you think you own it.

voodoo economics said...

And can anyone explain to me why the SNP Governmant are sending an initial £100,000 plus more to follow after consultation ?
So we're paying through the EU, the UK Govt, Scotland govt and through individual contributions.
A quadrupal whammy.

Dark Lochnagar said...

Voodooers, that is because we are a compassionate people who want to help fellow humans when they are in trouble. Not as much as a whammy as the whammy you get when your roof falls on your head!

Anonymous said...

How come we can't aford grit, we can't afford hospitals, schools, police any damn thing you can think of we have a shortage of money to spend on it, the guvvermunt are always cutting back on everything and we can't afford to even send a real army abroad, YET when ever there is an event anywhere else in the world, Bastard Gordon can fork out a few billion let right and centre but we still have people sleeping on the streets and six million unemployed.

Don't Call Me Dave said...

Not all governments are hopless in their response

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX-UmrFAWNw

Anonymous said...

The Government is just looking good by re-announcing existing aid - good publicity and it's free.
I'm more annoyed by us giving Pakistan, India and China aid - that f*cks me right off. They've got more money than us!

Dark Lochnagar said...

Lorenzo, therse shortages only happen in England. That is because we send the numpties down to Westminster to govern th UK and we keep the brainy bastards up here to govern us. Simples!

Dark Lochnagar said...

Lorenzo and the Barnett formula as well. :-)

Dark Lochnagar said...

Fred, aye good for the Israelis. the main blockage as far as I can see is the Americans trying to take the place over. I see they were dropping food and drink by parachute today.. Why weren't they doing that a week ago?

Dark Lochnagar said...

Headson, I have to agree with you there. BTW swear if you want to. Asterix are banned on this blog. Don't let Stout Heart intimidate you. I'll sort him.

Stout Heart said...

Oh DL you are a naughty boy encouraging that nice, intelligent Mr H on Ps to swear. I’m reminded of the Dr Johnson definition of oats – “a grain which in England is generally given to horses but in Scotland supports the people”; I think it is now a swear word – that which is used in England as an expletive but in Scotland (of Dark Lochnagar) as an adjective.

Keep it up HP, swear when you need, it increases the power of the words if you use them sparingly.

DLs just cross because he knows I’m right.

Dark Lochnagar said...

Stouters, there is no point in sticking an asterix in the middle of a swear word when you are thinking it and the reader is reading it as a swear word. "A swear word when used springly brings emphasis to a sentence and shows a maturity of speech". So wrote your national bard, Will Shakespeare.

voodoo said...

A week has now passed and still there's no aid getting through to the majority. Got to be a conspiracy theory about this somewhere.
I mean even the cruise liners are managing to dock and enjoy ice cool drinks on the beach.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/17/cruise-ships-haiti-earthquake

Dark Lochnagar said...

Voodoo, It's a wonder there not running tour buses to view the devastation!