FabSwingers.com forum: £45m Mars

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

India has today launched a probe to Mars which will reach a Martian Orbit in September 2014, with no guarantee od success.

Between November 2012 and 2015 the UK will provide £200m of aid to India, a country that is home to 1 in 3 of the worlds malnourished children. Am I being simplistic here or does sending a probe to a planet of little interest to 99% of the worlds population take precedence over feeding kids?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

That's the crazy world that we live in - if you look around you, you'll see similar contradictions everywhere!

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By *igSuki81Man
over a year ago

Retirement Village

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"That's the crazy world that we live in - if you look around you, you'll see similar contradictions everywhere!"
I watched Russell Brands interview with Jeremy Paxman and the post about Boris Johnson being PM should be replaced with Russell Brand being installed as PM tomorrow. That guy speaks a lot of sense particularly on contradictions like this!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Maybe the reason UK aid will end in 2015 is because the Indian economy is moving in a direction that no longer warrants it?

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Maybe the reason UK aid will end in 2015 is because the Indian economy is moving in a direction that no longer warrants it?"
Its been growing for the last 10 years!

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By *ittle_brat_evie!!Woman
over a year ago

evesham

"Maybe the reason UK aid will end in 2015 is because the Indian economy is moving in a direction that no longer warrants it?Its been growing for the last 10 years!"

Growing but perhaps not at the threshold yet.

Do we not have a space programme or any other programmes that would warrant being cut to prevent children in our country living below our perceived poverty line (which is much higher than other countries I'd imagine)

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

India pretty much gave the finger & laughed at the "meager" amount, anyway.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Without sounding like a donkey, I really don't know why the UK keeps giving aid to countries who can sustain themselves and more importantly spend it on things that are needed more urgently here in the UK.

Although a fact that the UK has more debt than income as a percentage of the deficit, it's actually more than what Greece had, but we are still hanging on.

Mumbai as a city has more millionaires per square mile than any other city in the world, but the problem is the money is held in offshore accounts.

India does have money and a lot of it. I mean a LOT. The problem is the Indian government is not asking for aid, but unfortunately countries like the UK are giving it.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Maybe the reason UK aid will end in 2015 is because the Indian economy is moving in a direction that no longer warrants it?Its been growing for the last 10 years!

Growing but perhaps not at the threshold yet.

The argument here is, without the space programme India would be left behind it contemporaries in terms of technological advancement etc. How many jobs will their space programme bring to its subjects, therefore helping the country build its economy. Not everything is black and White with these situations. To you and I it may seem madness but there may be a tiny glint of method in there too. "
I understand the economic externalities of research and development and welcome funding in these areas to ensure that the fountain effect of a capitalist economy is preserved but I think that some fundamental principles in priorities need to be looked at here.

We have circa 80,000 children living on or below the poverty line in the UK which should be rammed down every politicians throat when the get out of their beds in their second homes every morning. I wear a poppy with enormous pride and those who made the supreme sacrifice (and continue to do so today) would wonder why when we see such political extravagancies that benefit a small minority.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

India will not be left behind in the technological forefront as Evie mentioned, but is pretty much there at the top. Companies like IBM, Microsoft, Pixar all use programmers and software analysts for their work, so the skillset is definitely there.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

A £45 million Mars would feed loads of people!

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"India will not be left behind in the technological forefront as Evie mentioned, but is pretty much there at the top. Companies like IBM, Microsoft, Pixar all use programmers and software analysts for their work, so the skillset is definitely there. "
I know but a programmer is of little importance to a kid who has basic needs?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Absoutely Stylefile.

Waste of money if you ask me.

Could be spent on better things. I mean there are a couple of Rovers already there and have also explored the Martian Atmosphere, so what new could this bring?

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By *exySwing3rsCouple
over a year ago

In Your Hearts

Turn it around it's head and ask the question:

'Why do we give Aid and what do we get out of it?'

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Absoutely Stylefile.

Waste of money if you ask me.

Could be spent on better things. I mean there are a couple of Rovers already there and have also explored the Martian Atmosphere, so what new could this bring?

Martian Spices ?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"with no guarantee od success.

Between November 2012 and 2015 the UK will provide £200m of aid to India"

And the UK will receive vastly more than 200m from this "aid" in trade/industry deals.

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By *ncutgemMan
over a year ago

Bath ish

"with no guarantee od success.

Between November 2012 and 2015 the UK will provide £200m of aid to India

And the UK will receive vastly more than 200m from this "aid" in trade/industry deals."

Its OK we only borrow the money to give india aid !!!!!

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By *yphoon1Man
over a year ago

India has a well established space programme so this is an exciting new chapter in world science. It has a lunar orbiter. It is a natural follow on to explore space when you have rockets developed for military purposes. India is working hand in hand with Russia on 5th generation jet fighter. They know the score, they know their problems. Its not their problem that the UK wants to throw money their way.

We could help cut poverty here if we dumped Trident and the two way over budget aircraft carriers, but we dont. The USA could have built many hospitals and schools instead of funding the Apollo programme but they didnt.

It is a thirst for knowledge that is driving mankind forward and India should be congratulated for helping in this drive.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I thought that Britain was giving aid money to India because of a guilty conscious about past atrocities?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I thought that Britain was giving aid money to India because of a guilty conscious about past atrocities? "

Nah, like most international aid, a lot of it is required to be spent on British products (this gets around governments being banned from giving money to their own companies) and a lot is essentially a bribe for business/favorable trade terms.

Guilt and kindness do not exist in international politics.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

We the people of this country have been ripped off by our own government for years, they take silly amounts of tax from us in every way they can and then what do they do with it...... Send it to other countries so they can send a rocket to outer space...........makes me feel sick

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By *extoysareusCouple
over a year ago

kinky heaven

People look at India and think wtf..

We are no different, America is no different.

Just pick on other people.....

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By *icked weaselCouple
over a year ago

Near Edinburgh..

We Give All This "Aid-Money" - Does it Get Spent on Aid ?? And What is Aid ??

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead

"India has today launched a probe to Mars which will reach a Martian Orbit in September 2014, with no guarantee od success.

that is one way of looking at it.... the other way of looking at it is this is an offshoot of their "military satelite defence" program.... Pakistan on one border... china on another.....

in a way If they are going to spent money on an astronautical program I would rather it was for exploration than anything that could potential spark conflict....

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Those three countries have been at the brink of war for the last 60-odd years - a trip to Mars won't make an iota of difference, except China may want to go a step further - the sun? LoL - it was probably written there!

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

"India has a well established space programme so this is an exciting new chapter in world science. It has a lunar orbiter. It is a natural follow on to explore space when you have rockets developed for military purposes. India is working hand in hand with Russia on 5th generation jet fighter. They know the score, they know their problems. Its not their problem that the UK wants to throw money their way.

It is a thirst for knowledge that is driving mankind forward and India should be congratulated for helping in this drive."

This.

America and Britain could reduce their debts significantly but for the investment in space and arms. Aid to India and other countries is too complex to think it's a straight trade off between the two. Don't forget the recent trade visits to India and China. It looks like we need them more than they need us.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Ain't that the truth, Lickety, in fact some might say that the aid money is a little grovelling for future business - that's very much jeopardised by an ugly past.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I love mars bars

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It's not actually aid we give them, I've forgotten the word god knows why it just went from my head but it orders in compensation for raping and pillaging their land back in the day, we have invaded every country to date bar 22, we pay 'forgot the word' to many countries, reparation - is that the word.......

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