2.
- In the past 5 years, Australia's overseas aid budget has doubled
- By 2015, we will be spending $8 billion a year on helping people overseas
-There is an uneasy sense that we might all be deluding ourselves.
- late last year, Kevin Rudd announced a review of Australia's overseas aid program by an impressive panel of experts.
- spending money in ways that makes no difference doesn't help anyone, and there is no virtue in aid that makes donors feel good but doesn't help the needy.
- Most obviously, emergency relief after disasters such as Indonesia's tsunami can save thousands. But this accounts for only 7 per cent of today's program.
- poverty is being overcome. In 1981, 54 per cent of the world's people lived in extreme poverty. By 2005 this had fallen to 25 per cent. In 2015 it will be less than 15 per cent, according to the World Bank.
- Any act of charity is, among other things, an assertion of power. Perhaps as power slips away, we feel more need to assert it.
I feel that the writer of this article has some extremely interesting points which should be considered seriously. Although it is a fairly controversial viewpoint, as he is basically stating that Australia's aid program is a waste of money, he has some undeniable facts and statistics to reinforce his thesis. I agree with the writer of this article and I feel that Australia's foreign aid program needs to be seriously reconsidered in order to work out whether our money is being spent efficiently.
3. I think Australia is giving more and more aid because they feel that they are in a positive economic position in comparison to many other countries, or possibly as a simple statement and declaration of power. The benefits of this is that it puts Australia in a good position to have a healthy relationship with many countries however it also means Australia will simply have less money to spend on things the country needs for itself
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