G8 wants tax on airline tickets to help world poor

rk wrote:

[x-posted to rec.travel.europe]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/...p?story=646523



G8 wants tax on airline tickets to help world poor
By Philip Thornton, Economics Correspondent, 13 June 2005

Airline groups have condemned plans by the world's richest countries to
impose
a tax on airline tickets to fund extra money for poor African countries -


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.

Simply let Africa sink or swim on it's own, e.g. let it "Darwinize"
itself...


and
make a gesture towards fighting climate change.


To what effect? The climate is going to change regardless of any human
intervention, it's been continually changing now for billions of years...

Might as well have a tax on shagging to change the orbit of Mercury for all
it's worth. A useless and futile gesture.

--
Best
Greg

On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 05:15:14 GMT, "Gregory Morrow"
gregorymorrowEMERGENCYCANCELLATIONARCHIMEDES@eart hlink.net wrote:


rk wrote:

[x-posted to rec.travel.europe]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/...p?story=646523



G8 wants tax on airline tickets to help world poor
By Philip Thornton, Economics Correspondent, 13 June 2005

Airline groups have condemned plans by the world's richest countries to
impose
a tax on airline tickets to fund extra money for poor African countries -


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.

Simply let Africa sink or swim on it's own, e.g. let it "Darwinize"
itself...

SA and Zimbabwe have produced a fair number of millionaires over the
years. It's those smelly little brown people that throw things at each
other that can't seem to get it together though.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

Deep Foiled Malls wrote:


SA and Zimbabwe have produced a fair number of millionaires over the
years. It's those smelly little brown people that throw things at each
other that can't seem to get it together though.


A lot of money has been pumped into Africa over the years, but it is like a
bottomless pit. While foreign governments send billions of dollars the poor
people remain poor and the political elite vacation in European luxury resorts
and hotels.

Perhaps the best thing to do would be to sop giving the money to the government
and instead, funnel it directly into infrastructure improvement. Send their
armies, corps of engineers or contractors and equipment in to build the projects
and hire a few locals so the money goes directly to the poor instead of
trickling down. It should be accompanied by an arms embargo on the entire
continent. If they cannot feed their people or provide any sort of
infrastructure there should be no money available for arms and ammunition.

"Dave Smith" skrev i meddelandet
...
Deep Foiled Malls wrote:


SA and Zimbabwe have produced a fair number of millionaires over the
years. It's those smelly little brown people that throw things at each
other that can't seem to get it together though.


A lot of money has been pumped into Africa over the years, but it is like
a
bottomless pit. While foreign governments send billions of dollars the
poor
people remain poor and the political elite vacation in European luxury
resorts
and hotels.

Perhaps the best thing to do would be to sop giving the money to the
government
and instead, funnel it directly into infrastructure improvement. Send
their
armies, corps of engineers or contractors and equipment in to build the
projects
and hire a few locals so the money goes directly to the poor instead of
trickling down. It should be accompanied by an arms embargo on the entire
continent. If they cannot feed their people or provide any sort of
infrastructure there should be no money available for arms and ammunition.
------------------------
As I've seen almost the same scene in many African countries: "hard working
women providing responsibility for house and children while the men are
drinking beer sparing the power for the hard work of making children " I've
got the idea that women only should for one or another decade be allowed to
vote and have power. Men excluded until they've learnt better.
Could see an intersting report today on TV, was from Bangla-Desh and about a
small scale organization providing "micro-loan" for women only. They had
made real good progress with their loans used for small business, increased
farming production and other good things.
97% was paid back on time which probably compares well with big business.

Lennart Petersen wrote:

As I've seen almost the same scene in many African countries: "hard
working
women providing responsibility for house and children while the men are
drinking beer sparing the power for the hard work of making children "
I've
got the idea that women only should for one or another decade be allowed
to
vote and have power. Men excluded until they've learnt better.
Could see an intersting report today on TV, was from Bangla-Desh and about
a
small scale organization providing "micro-loan" for women only. They
had
made real good progress with their loans used for small business,
increased
farming production and other good things.


This micro - loan programme is pretty effective, it puts the money in the
hands of those who need it. In the case of these women, a loan of only a
hundred or so dollars/euros can enable them to buy a sewing machine, some
cloth, cooking/agricultural equipment, or whatever so they can immediately
start working from their home in able to improve their lot...

The results are immediate...and these women are able to break the ancient
cycle of dependency...


97% was paid back on time which probably compares well with big business.


Or even better...

--
Best
Greg

"make a gesture towards fighting climate change."

Air travel is a huge contributor to global warming, and it would make a
very significant difference in carbon emissions if short-distance
flights were largely replaced by high-speed trains. Most European
countries shouldn't even have domestic flights.

wrote:

Air travel is a huge contributor to global warming, and it would make a
very significant difference in carbon emissions if short-distance
flights were largely replaced by high-speed trains. Most European
countries shouldn't even have domestic flights.

I suppose that the US could do away with a lot of its domestic flight too.
There are a lot of short hop flights between some of the east coast cities
that are only a few hours drive apart. Washington DC, Baltimore, Boston,
NYC are all within an area smaller than Belgium or Holland but are all well
connected by air.

"I suppose that the US could do away with a lot of its domestic flight
too.
There are a lot of short hop flights between some of the east coast
cities
that are only a few hours drive apart. Washington DC, Baltimore,
Boston,
NYC are all within an area smaller than Belgium or Holland but are all
well
connected by air. "

I agree with that, and also California and the Midwest should have
high-speed rail systems. The problem is that our Republican government
doesn't care about global warming or oil conservation, and won't fund
intercity rail or practical mass transit within cities, so almost all
Americans need a car to get anywhere. The average American uses far
more resources than the average Western European or Japanese, and
transport is the main reason.

In article .com,
wrote:

"I suppose that the US could do away with a lot of its domestic flight
too.
There are a lot of short hop flights between some of the east coast
cities
that are only a few hours drive apart. Washington DC, Baltimore,
Boston,
NYC are all within an area smaller than Belgium or Holland but are all
well
connected by air. "

I agree with that, and also California and the Midwest should have
high-speed rail systems. The problem is that our Republican government
doesn't care about global warming or oil conservation, and won't fund
intercity rail or practical mass transit within cities,

That is because the Federal Government is Constitutionally prohibited
from making such expenses.

jay
Mon Jun 13, 2005




so almost all
Americans need a car to get anywhere. The average American uses far
more resources than the average Western European or Japanese, and
transport is the main reason.

Go Fig wrote:
wrote:
I agree with that, and also California and the Midwest should have
high-speed rail systems. The problem is that our Republican government
doesn't care about global warming or oil conservation, and won't fund
intercity rail or practical mass transit within cities,

That is because the Federal Government is Constitutionally prohibited
from making such expenses.

A fact that will come as no surprise to anyone who remembers the
incarceration and eventual execution of everyone involved with planning and
implementing the interstate highway system.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos from 36 countries on 5 continents: http://travel.u.nu
Latest photos: Queens Day in Amsterdam; the Grand Canyon; Amman, Jordan