I personally do not like subsidies, they distort markets and and and, the usual economist provisio's. With one exception. When the question is for sheer survival, then subsidies are not just subsidies but humanitarian aid. This is why I am very jaundiced about the agricultural round of the WTO or the debates about child labour which are very sterile, theoritical and do not apply to real world, extreme poverty situations. But read here and consider the case of subsidies.
But remember, subsidies become relatively expensive too soon too fast. And then the usual problems of only few people getting subsidies, too much of deficit financing, etc. etc. happens.
All this to be taken with a grain of piquant salt!!!
Showing posts with label Malawi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malawi. Show all posts
Sunday, December 2
Friday, August 31
The Madonna, Malawi and the NGO community
When Madonna adopted a Malawi baby, the western media was its usual confused lot, fascinated with celebrity on one hand and on the other, cynically sneering at her for trying to use a baby to improve her image.
But what about the Malawians themselves? what did they think? Here comes a nice review of a book which answers some of these questions. The book also talks about how expatriates and foreign origin citizens (such as from India) are so heavily racist towards the local Malawians and how they are oppressed and discriminated against. Sounds like a great book to me and it goes into my Amazon Wish List!
Some quotes:
For most Malawians, the biggest news story of 2006 was the adoption of the thirteen-month-old baby boy David Banda by the mega pop star Madonna. The adoption caused a storm both in Malawi and outside, but for very different reasons. Most of the views expressed in the mainstream media and on blogs in the West focused on whether Madonna was adopting David for reasons to do with enhancing her own media image; yet in Malawi, the debate was on why human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were opposing the adoption.
As far as comments expressed in the Malawian media and on the street went, human rights NGOs opposing the adoption were doing so for reasons that had little to do with baby David's welfare, and everything to do with the NGOs' own image. Many Malawians saw the NGOs' actions as defending themselves from accusations that all they cared for was for their pockets and prestige, as evidenced by the conspicuous, sudden wealth acquired by NGO activists, from expensive SUVs to mansions in Malawi's big cities.
All this to be taken with a grain of piquant salt!!!
But what about the Malawians themselves? what did they think? Here comes a nice review of a book which answers some of these questions. The book also talks about how expatriates and foreign origin citizens (such as from India) are so heavily racist towards the local Malawians and how they are oppressed and discriminated against. Sounds like a great book to me and it goes into my Amazon Wish List!
Some quotes:
For most Malawians, the biggest news story of 2006 was the adoption of the thirteen-month-old baby boy David Banda by the mega pop star Madonna. The adoption caused a storm both in Malawi and outside, but for very different reasons. Most of the views expressed in the mainstream media and on blogs in the West focused on whether Madonna was adopting David for reasons to do with enhancing her own media image; yet in Malawi, the debate was on why human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were opposing the adoption.
As far as comments expressed in the Malawian media and on the street went, human rights NGOs opposing the adoption were doing so for reasons that had little to do with baby David's welfare, and everything to do with the NGOs' own image. Many Malawians saw the NGOs' actions as defending themselves from accusations that all they cared for was for their pockets and prestige, as evidenced by the conspicuous, sudden wealth acquired by NGO activists, from expensive SUVs to mansions in Malawi's big cities.
All this to be taken with a grain of piquant salt!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)