One Way Ticket wrote:

Not one more cent should be sent to that economic aid sinkhole
known as "Africa"...hundreds of billions have been poured into
Africa in the past 45 years, and conditions there have only
gotten worse...even *more* money is not going to solve any
problems.

Unfortunate but true. Funds to Africa have had limited impact, and
those funds from government sources, with the required bureaucratic red
tape, have made it into the bank accounts of various despots. Recall
that the Iraq 'Food for Oil' UN program was corrupt in its management
and also generally worthless in doing what the program said would be
accomplished.


HOW THE LION BENEFITS FROM THE LITTLE ANIMALS' POVERTY

"One day all the little animals went up to the King of the Jungle and
complained about their poverty, and in particular about the fact that
every time, during the dry season, they had to travel long distances to
drink the precious fluid, and demanded a WATER WELL be built for
them... They cited how the resources that they contributed to the
kingdom were wasted in WARS and EXTRAVAGANT PROJECTS to the tastes of
the King... He, however, replied with all kinds of excuses: the lack of
resources, that it wasn't a matter of him not wanting it, but that it
was a matter of "priorities" --which was one of his favorite words...

Meanwhile, an Owl --who had very good eyes-- had been observing life in
the jungle, and thought this way: "Every time there's a dry season the
little animals must come to the little dirty waterhole where the Lion
waits for them... Had they been well fed and strong, he would have had
to run after them and even risk resistance. And, more importantly, the
little animals are forced to fight the Lion's wars as the quick way out
of poverty..."

And that's how the Owl landed an important --and well paid-- post in
the brand new Astronomy Department created by the King of the Jungle
--to the effect of exploring life in other planets...

Moral: "It is no use fixing our minds on higher things if we ignore
what is going on around us." (Moral of 'The Astronomer,' by Aesop...
http://www.fairytalescollection.com/...Astronomer.htm)