How will the farmers who don't get any money be able to sustain their business when the farmers who do are able to lower their prices due to the subsidy?
Bill Gates pledges 120 million to boost African, Indian farmers
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Re: Bill Gates pledges 120 million to boost African, Indian farmers
#32How will the farmers who don't get any money be able to sustain their business when the farmers who do are able to lower their prices due to the subsidy?
I don't think there's going to be a problem with the demand-side for food in Africa.
It will be critical with how they structure it. Less aid, more investment.
Re: Bill Gates pledges 120 million to boost African, Indian farmers
#33I used to admire such humanitarian actions, but I've come to question the effectiveness of it. Bill Gates, and many others in the West like him, want to prevent suffering in the world, and I admire that, but I think it might actually create more suffering by creating means for more people to survive and create more offspring who in turn end up being just as poor, suffering just as much, creating an even bigger humani…
What we have now is the product of exactly what you are advocating: doing nothing. So how do you think it will get better?
I understand your point and I don't have a clue as to what will end poverty, I really don't think it's possible. I do know this, you say that the current state is a result of doing nothing, I don't find that to be factual. Billions of dollars (probably trillions) from the Western world has been given to poverty stricken areas, technology has been given and shared, schools built, peace keeping forces have been put in place in some areas, hospitals have been built, and so on.
Re: Bill Gates pledges 120 million to boost African, Indian farmers
#34I don't mean to be an idiot, but at this point all life saving charity should aim to secure a reduction in population growth to offset the lives saved. Being merely a humanitarian is a moral luxury with an environmental cost.
Well, the only (+) way we know to lower population increase is urbanization and increased living standard. So democracy and industrialization are the ways forward on the population bomb. Arguably, Gates' grants works towards that. It will result in better agriculture, in the future leading to mechanization -- which means people moving to cities. (+) Let us leave discussions of e.g. reintroducing the plague to Al Qaed…
Actually I've heard a quite compelling case that the emancipation of women is the single biggest factor in reduced fertility rates in the developed world. Obviously it is a corelate of democracy and development, but the former without the latter may be insufficient.
Re: Bill Gates pledges 120 million to boost African, Indian farmers
#35I don't mean to be an idiot, but at this point all life saving charity should aim to secure a reduction in population growth to offset the lives saved. Being merely a humanitarian is a moral luxury with an environmental cost.
Downvoting? Is there not a valid argument to be had, or a valid position to take.
There is nothing wrong with being humanitarian, (its a bit species-centric), but we need to take a long term view.
Re: Bill Gates pledges 120 million to boost African, Indian farmers
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, the only (+) way we know to lower population increase is urbanization and increased living standard. So democracy and industrialization are the ways forward on the population bomb. Arguably, Gates' grants works towards that. It will result in better agriculture, in the future leading to mechanization -- which means people moving to cities. (+) Let us leave discussions of e.g. reintroducing the plague to Al Qaed…
Actually I've heard a quite compelling case that the emancipation of women is the single biggest factor in reduced fertility rates in the developed world. Obviously it is a corelate of democracy and development, but the former without the latter may be insufficient.
You can of course make a long list of additional preconditions, starting with "good governance".
It isn't relevant to my counter argument that Gates' grants in fact works towards stopping the population growth you feared.