Quote:
Originally Posted by peter12
We should just sign free trade agreements with most of the developing world and save our aid dollars for emergencies, like famine.
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The problem is that a lot of the aid that we provide now is aimed at giving developing nations the tools that they need to prevent famine and disease and improve infrastructure so that these places can function better both in times of national emergency and in times of relative calm. If we don't provide them with aid relief, chances are that famines and disease outbreaks are more common and more devastating. That said, I think Ford's points about the current state of the aid industry are really good.
Domestically, I think the collapse of the maritime fishing industry is probably the single biggest cause of social ills (huge unemployment out east, and an influx of migrant workers to central and western canada which our infrastructure isn't equipped to handle), and this is a problem that you can't fix by throwing more money at. And sure, you can buy more hospital beds, but paying doctors and nurses more will not necessarily result in a large increase in the number of health care practitioners.