Originally posted by AL!CE
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Should developed countries give aid to developing countries? If yes, why, and what kind of aid? If no, why not?
To get the ball rolling, my take on it is that yes, they should, for a number of reasons. The most important are environmental impact and the international impact that destabilization can have. HOWEVER, I think that it's not exactly an easy solution. There is enough food pumped into Africa to feed a good lot of people, but corruption and conflict keeps that food from ever reaching its intended recipients. I also think that some kinds of aid, while well-intentioned, are bad for local economies. For example, donated clothing often destroys local textile industries, as they can't compete with free clothing, and also because a lot of locals will see the donated "western" clothes as "superior". I do agree with programs aiming to help further education (especially the education of women), health care programs, and charity along these lines. I also think microfinance can be great, though this really needs to be done responsibly, and if possible it should be regulated (though, this is tricky).
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