What should the western nations do to help third world countries?

[TB]

What should the western nations do to help third world countries?  How can we help the most?

[KillerPollo]

What should the western nations do to help third world countries?  How can we help the most?

First of all.. Your question is flawed: Western Nations are ALL nations in the Americas, and in Europe. Third world is an outdated and oversimplyfying term that was used on nations that were either neutral or had no involvement in the US world conflicts. In other words were on neither side of the cause.

So Switzerland is a 3rd world country, so is Saudi Arabia, so is Iceland.

[TB]

What should the western nations do to help third world countries?  How can we help the most?

First of all.. Your question is flawed: Western Nations are ALL nations in the Americas, and in Europe. Third world is an outdated and oversimplyfying term that was used on nations that were either neutral or had no involvement in the US world conflicts. In other words were on neither side of the cause.

So Switzerland is a 3rd world country, so is Saudi Arabia, so is Iceland.

First of all you are right. Those terms are outdated. However it is very difficult to find a fitting name in the globalized world today.
Ok, and then let me change the question. What should the we the rich countries, not just the G8, but western Europe, America, Canada, Japan, and the other wealthy nations do to help the poor and underdeveloped countries?

[minionofmidas]

-eliminate our tariffs
-stop pressuring them to abolish theirs
There's more (debt relief, democracy, take care foreign aid goes where it should and not to western companies/ngos, cut down on military aid)
On a small, private person, scale, you can always buy FairTrade products and stuff.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Stop using their sweated labour. Ends up hurting everyone.

[minionofmidas]

If that's your goal, Al, than might I recommend the following...
Abolish airplanes. Abolish motor ships. Abolish motor cars. Just undo the whole transportation revolution. That should do the trick.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

If that's your goal, Al, than might I recommend the following...
Abolish airplanes. Abolish motor ships. Abolish motor cars. Just undo the whole transportation revolution. That should do the trick.

Stopping it full stop won't happen (sadly) but I'd still like it to be cut back significantly (doubt it'll happen any time soon though).

Something else that would be a good idea would be to make the economies of third world countries less reliant on trade with the developed world and more on trade with themselves.

[Richard]

What should the western nations do to help third world countries? How can we help the most?

0.

[Huckleberry Finn]

If that's your goal, Al, than might I recommend the following...
Abolish airplanes. Abolish motor ships. Abolish motor cars. Just undo the whole transportation revolution. That should do the trick.

Damn you Greens are lunatics!

[Huckleberry Finn]

What should the western nations do to help third world countries?  How can we help the most?

First of all.. Your question is flawed: Western Nations are ALL nations in the Americas, and in Europe. Third world is an outdated and oversimplyfying term that was used on nations that were either neutral or had no involvement in the US world conflicts. In other words were on neither side of the cause.

So Switzerland is a 3rd world country, so is Saudi Arabia, so is Iceland.

Iceland has been mamber of NATO since 1948 so it isn't a neutral country at all.

[Huckleberry Finn]

If that's your goal, Al, than might I recommend the following...
Abolish airplanes. Abolish motor ships. Abolish motor cars. Just undo the whole transportation revolution. That should do the trick.

Damn you Greens are lunatics!

Seriously. Old fashion development aid is not the answer. It could help in some things like healthcare and education if we aimed it only to less corrupted and most democratic countries. However only private investments and eliminating of tarifs can bring the definite solution.

[WMS]

Assassinate all the corrupt, repressive local elites running their countries into the ground.
What, me, an aggressive neocon? Perish the thought...

[opebo]

-eliminate our tariffs
-stop pressuring them to abolish theirs

Correct as usual, Lewis Trondheim.  And of course it is absurd to keep trying to squeeze money out of them for those 'debts'.  Similar mentality to that which created the monstrous Bankruptcy Bill domestically.

[minionofmidas]

If that's your goal, Al, than might I recommend the following...
Abolish airplanes. Abolish motor ships. Abolish motor cars. Just undo the whole transportation revolution. That should do the trick.

Damn you Greens are lunatics!

Er, no. Since that's not my goal - that's just what would have to happen for Al's goal to be realistic.

[minionofmidas]

Assassinate all the corrupt, repressive local elites running their countries into the ground.

Takes two for corruption...the other one being the Western donor government or more commonly private investor. At least be fair and call for your own ruling class's assassination as well.

[Gustaf]

Help to self-help.

Eliminate tarriffs is a good start. Allow them to compete. End the silly focus on democracy and shift to law and order instead (especially property rights) and allow them to prosper a little. Then move towards ameding the social disorder. Ultimately, they probably have to walk the same long road that we in the West did.

[WMS]

Assassinate all the corrupt, repressive local elites running their countries into the ground.

Takes two for corruption...the other one being the Western donor government or more commonly private investor. At least be fair and call for your own ruling class's assassination as well.

Don't tempt me.

[minionofmidas]

Assassinate all the corrupt, repressive local elites running their countries into the ground.

Takes two for corruption...the other one being the Western donor government or more commonly private investor. At least be fair and call for your own ruling class's assassination as well.

Don't tempt me.

Volkswagen actually took a several million dollar bribe from the state government of Andhra Pradesh in exchange for a promise to build a factory there. Not a tax break or subsidy (ie, a legalized bribe), a bribe.

[jaichind]

Abolish all tariffs.  Remove all third world aid and replace them with import subsidies from those economies.

[WMS]

Assassinate all the corrupt, repressive local elites running their countries into the ground.

Takes two for corruption...the other one being the Western donor government or more commonly private investor. At least be fair and call for your own ruling class's assassination as well.

Don't tempt me.

Volkswagen actually took a several million dollar bribe from the state government of Andhra Pradesh in exchange for a promise to build a factory there. Not a tax break or subsidy (ie, a legalized bribe), a bribe.

I've heard that there are (or, at the least, used to be) no legal prohibitions against German companies taking bribes abroad...
I'll get to Chavez when I have time ;-)

[David S]

Cut out the loans and gifts from developed countries to underdeveloped countries. Wealthy philanthropists like Opebo can donate as much of their own money as they want but they should not use the tax dollars of other citizens.

Underdeveloped countries must be willing to help themselves by selling resources to other countries and allowing industrial countries to build plants there. That will help to provide jobs and stimulate the economy, although some people will regard it as exploitation of labor.

[A18]

What should the western nations do to help third world countries? How can we help the most?

Free trade agreements

[minionofmidas]

Assassinate all the corrupt, repressive local elites running their countries into the ground.

Takes two for corruption...the other one being the Western donor government or more commonly private investor. At least be fair and call for your own ruling class's assassination as well.

Don't tempt me.

Volkswagen actually took a several million dollar bribe from the state government of Andhra Pradesh in exchange for a promise to build a factory there. Not a tax break or subsidy (ie, a legalized bribe), a bribe.

I've heard that there are (or, at the least, used to be) no legal prohibitions against German companies taking bribes abroad...

I've heard that too...now, don't ask me if it's true...I haven't heard it in years, might be an urban legend.

[WMS]

Assassinate all the corrupt, repressive local elites running their countries into the ground.

Takes two for corruption...the other one being the Western donor government or more commonly private investor. At least be fair and call for your own ruling class's assassination as well.

Don't tempt me.

Volkswagen actually took a several million dollar bribe from the state government of Andhra Pradesh in exchange for a promise to build a factory there. Not a tax break or subsidy (ie, a legalized bribe), a bribe.

I've heard that there are (or, at the least, used to be) no legal prohibitions against German companies taking bribes abroad...

I've heard that too...now, don't ask me if it's true...I haven't heard it in years, might be an urban legend.

I mostly remember it in conjunction with American companies griping about the unfair advantages the bribes gave their German competitors, although it does pop up now and again.