no indeed not, we in this country have a luxury of having a "living wage" if we do not earn enough the benefits system top it up for us.

As kicks and I have said, the issue lies with us personally, "we" seem to want to make everything perfect for our own, forget the rest of the world, they're starving, ill, and have no roof over their heads, but we must ensure that we all have free education before we help "build wells". But its not free we pay tax and plenty of it! High earners pay a lot of tax which enables the help that those with lower/no incomes receive. David Cameron has to try and fix the mess the labour party have left us in, no, he has to fix the mess the BANKS left us in Yes, because of the unsustainable rate of lending, if labour hadn't offered such cheap education and such poor screening for benefit fraud it would never have got as bad as it did. we also have to remember that it may also be potentially down to public relations if you want to talk politics, we have to do a certain amount for our international relations, we can't keep all the money we have for ourselves! There is a difference between still giving aid and cutting the help to our 'own' inorder to raise aid given whilst making a further 1 mil more unemployed just the other week But our own can survive with the cuts, others cannot survive without food.
I'm very sorry you had to walk 12 miles, perhaps you should have mentioned to your doctor they might have been able to lay on transport for you. They couldnt However, imagine walking that trip, daily, with no food in your stomach, no shoes, and having to return with a bucket of water on your head oh and to top it all off, you're ill? We should be grateful that isn't our lives and we shouldn't be sour when the government help. So if I get cancer next week I should think myself lucky I'm not having to walk 12 miles a day with water on my head! Thanks very much I would never speak flippantly about cancer, especially seen as a friend of mine is fiercely battling the horrendous disease as we speak. But we are a very lucky society to be able to have detection and treatment and research for the cure of the disease, in the 3rd world none of the above would happen, and yes, imagine being so incredibly poorly and still having to walk, I couldn't even imagine having cancer personally, as I am of the good fortune to have so far in my life been spared, but I most certainly couldn't imagine suffering from the disease and knowing each day would just get harder walking so far to survive and provide for my family.

This is going around in circles, I would be backing down or changing my opinons, no I haven't been to Africa I have many friends who have and I have friends from Africa, who are here studying to become doctors.

Those men you speak of, they had a house to have a coal fire in.

I have already made my views of the British homeless clear- Britain offers a lot to help, up the road from me is a council estate - many many free houses, the homeless need not be homeless for long.

I am aware that in this country we have healthcare for free, I have tablets for free as I live in wales, I have a hospital appointment next week, for free. I am a very lucky girl for living in this country! Our society is very very lucky!

You will probably know there are comparisons made directly between the most least and most deprived quintiles and the all relates to povert etc in this country. So, its ok to reduce someones life expectanccy here because someone has it worse in a third world country.

Clearly youve not looked into the inverse care law yet (or dont hold much regard for it - one of the two)

Aneurin Bevin Had described the NHS service as being medical service at the disposal of the patient, rich and poor alike in accordance of medical need and by no other criteria yet we still have not achieved that. We still have the gap. The postcode lottery. So what chance have we of ridding third world countries of this gap, simply by giving them money or by 'building the odd well'

Although free accessible health care is important, other factors also exist and continue to cause inequalities in health, yet sweden has the death rate similar in all social classes. So why shouldnt the UK use the money that it gets from the tax payer to help that tax payer?

Clearly this is something that we should be working on and that takes money. So, very much a financial matter.

There is not only a medical model that is valueable in health but a social one too. Thats where discriminating who can go to uni etc and other 'social effects' does have a financial and medical impact on the health of our country.

Thats the medical model.

I'm not saying that the taxpayers money should ALL go to the third world, but we should try to even things out, if we don't it will remain this way until the first world destroys the planet. Aneurin Bevan was absolutely right and this postcode lottery is most unsatisfactory, and should be, and I imagine will be addressed over time. But we should still "build the odd well" if it means that one person lives longer why not. These are people, with minds, hopes, dreams, just like you and I, why is my life more valuable than theirs just because of where I was born?

I am afraid I am going to have to bow out this evening, I have an early start, many thanks for your participation in our debate.

I think that is a big generilization.... some people are homeless due to falling on hard times! yes, some are down to drugs and drink, but for others it is through no fault of their own! even some of the ones who have become addicts, would gladly get their life back together if given the chance and help they need... and it isnt always simply a 'lifestyle choice'.

Do you give a thought for those in Britain, lying outside on the floor or on a bench in the freezing cold, knowing they might not eat in the morning?

Yet you expect us to give the world a living


10 weeks, arn`t they lucky , I think the suggestion from some was, if you are so concerned about life in Africa, and want to help, the 10 weeks "study" for YOUR degree, is not really what would be expected from you.

The placement is for your benefit, NOT the africans you are going to "study", their plight is to your gain!! i,e your degree

I read an article a couple of weeks ago where they talked about this idea of people going to Africa for a few weeks/months and they said inequitably it actually makes things worse for the Africans who are in need. So we have China, India, Pakistan saying our money is keeping their poor poorer and Africans saying our meddling is making their poor worse off. How loud do they have to shout before we adopt another attitude and help them in other ways or do as they want and leave them to sort it out themselves ?

Jols, Dobermann - does it ever occur to you that people are allowed their own opinions, and that they don't have to agree with you?

I post one message on this thread saying I believe we should help other people because I believe that is what humanity is and you tell me from this I am young and naive. You know nothing about me. I know what it is like to be homeless and hungry, and I know what it is like to be abused and be desperate for somebody - anybody to help. No i'm not going to fly out to Africa, and i'm not asking you to either, but one thing I do do is to try and help anybody in need that I come across in my life and that includes giving to charities who work with people in third world countries. A big difference can be made to somebodies life by small kindnesses nomatter where they live.

Don't presume that your opinions are the be all and end all of any discussion. All that does is show you up to be ignorant and conceited enough to think nobody elses opinions count for anything.

I have better things to do than post further replies to rude and inconsiderate people so I won't be bothering to read or reply on this thread anymore.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Kicks...................it's called a debate.

As I said earlier, giving your personal money "after you have paid your taxes" to what ever charity you want, is your businuss,

That is completey different to the government sending millions of ££££`s to foreign aid,

Presumably you pay taxes, and if you want to go without A.B.C to allow you to donate to X, from your income thats up to you.

We all give to Charities , of one sort or another, but thats not what the thread is about, it's about sending millions of £££`s that we cant afford to try and fill of bottomless pit of poverty to countries that are not willing to help their own.