# Sums it all up really



## 100127 (Jul 20, 2006)

A no comment Photo. Well not in English anyway. :lol: :lol:


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## lalala (Aug 13, 2009)

There is no 'provenance' given for this image and caption so I don't know from where it originated. The caption seems designed to inflame people's views.
Humanitarian aid to the people of Syria is much needed.
I would think that the people suffering greatly from the floods will be given help, hopefully most will at least have their property insured.
Lala


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## 100127 (Jul 20, 2006)

lalala said:


> There is no 'provenance' given for this image and caption so I don't know from where it originated. The caption seems designed to inflame people's views.
> Humanitarian aid to the people of Syria is much needed.
> I would think that the people suffering greatly from the floods will be given help, hopefully most will at least have their property insured.
> Lala


It's called a joke. Doh


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I disagree Blobsta. This kind of thing is designed to inflame opinions against foreign aid, and in this case particularly against helping Syrians.

Right now we have financial difficulties at home, but that doesn't mean we didn't have money to do flood prevention work. It just means that it was decided to take the risk of not doing it to save money.

In the big picture what we give to Syria is peanuts. I am happy to see my taxes go towards helping in such circumstances. And more than that I gave a substantial sum through Oxfam. I wouldn't normally post that information but I think it shows that I care beyond hiding behind saying it's the Government's responsibility. Many people do.

In my opinion we could also have done work on flood defences as part of injecting money into the economy to help recovery. Tory dogma prevented that. They couldn't ignore Syria even though, at the beginning the sums they sent were risible and they ended up being embarrassed into sending a worthwhile sum. The pledged total is now £600 million, a meaningful sum. But it was never either flood defences or aid to Syria.

Plenty will disagree but there we go. We are a rich nation and that brings responsibilities in my opinion.

And yes, we are responsible for helping with flood defences too. It only needs the Government to see that and stop gambling on flooding not happening, Alan.

Edit: To those who say that Syria is nothing to do with them I could say that flooding is nothing to do with me, I live on a hill why should I care.

I should care because people are suffering both in the floods and in Syria. I wonder which is worst and which will cause most suffering?


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## Remus (Feb 10, 2011)

Forget Syria, just change the tag line to include "but we've earmarked £42 billion for HS2 so businessmen can save ten minutes".


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## lalala (Aug 13, 2009)

erneboy said:


> I disagree Blobsta. This kind of thing is designed to inflame opinions against foreign aid, and in this case particularly against helping Syrians.
> 
> Right now we have financial difficulties at home, but that doesn't mean we didn't have money to do flood prevention work. It just means that it was decided to take the risk of not doing it to save money.
> 
> ...


Well said Alan, that's exactly how I felt when I saw this. This sort of inflammatory caption just leads to people feeling they ought to feel aggrieved because we have given aid to Syria, and it implies there is an 'either/or' to the giving of this aid as opposed to helping local people who have been flooded. i really appreciate your post.
lala


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## lalala (Aug 13, 2009)

erneboy said:


> I disagree Blobsta. This kind of thing is designed to inflame opinions against foreign aid, and in this case particularly against helping Syrians.
> 
> Right now we have financial difficulties at home, but that doesn't mean we didn't have money to do flood prevention work. It just means that it was decided to take the risk of not doing it to save money.
> 
> ...


Well said Alan, that's exactly how I felt when I saw this. This sort of inflammatory caption just leads to people feeling they ought to feel aggrieved because we have given aid to Syria, and it implies there is an 'either/or' to the giving of this aid as opposed to helping local people who have been flooded. i really appreciate your post.
lala


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

It is not a joke. It is propaganda as has already been said. When I read "English" taxpayers money instead of UK or british I suspected one of those shaven headed, knuckle dragging far right groups that flourish on the internet.

I traced it to the facebook page of something called "englishpassport". A surprisingly articulate far right group. Interestingly they regard UKIP as part of the liberal establishment. :lol:

Sorry I can't give the link to the facebook page thatxcontains the poster but Ican't actually log on to it as a non member.

Joke it ain't

Dick


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## metblue (Oct 9, 2006)

*floods*

Feel really sorry for all those effected by the floods and like you total peed off that this useless government is sending so much of our "BRITISH" not English !! cash abroad.
Despite what the SNP say we all pay our taxes !!
Charity should start at home and sod giving it to all those bloody foreigners who have hijacked millions, own huge home and lots of fancy cars !
Be more selective, India neither wants or needs any cash. likewise China or Pakistan ,but, put our own county first for a change !!


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

I feel very sorry for those affected by the floods and for those in Syria - the two are not mutually exclusive but represent two poles of home v abroad, and ideally resources would allow some help to be given to both.

BUT

when I hear and read about aid being given to countries such as India AGAINST theor expressed wishes then I do feel somewhat concerned about how such things are signed off......

To many of those in recipient countries receiving aid is similar to neo-colonialism - those from the West who have previously exploited their conutries and peoples for their resources are now being given financial aid to stop them complaining. Meanwhile the actual reception of such aid is so frequently mis-managed and fraudulently used according to many sources that concerns are expressed over the transparent honesty of those involved..... in the past the UK has supported leaders that have later been condemned as tyrants e.g. Gaddafi, Hussein, Markos and others.........

I do not disagree with aid being given where it is properly used and it can be traced, I do have concerns about such things when for instance a country with the poverty and needs like India is using vast resources to explore space........ Shouldn't charity begin at home there too? 

PS I am not an HS2 supporter either, having lived for 40 years in Devon with the beautiful but flawed rail system designed more than 150 years ago and maintained with difficulty every year to prevent it's disintegration...... or the Cowley Bridge, Exeter where the main rail junction is only 1.5m above the river level and the floods are commonly more than 2.5m......., or the single line left (post Beeching) as the only alternative from Exeter to London (via Salisbury), or with the maintenance of part of the alternative route to Plymouth via Okehampton and Meldon Quarry which sadly was ripped up between Tavistock and Plymouth and remains as a track without rails........

Where is the "Advanced Planning Department"?

Dave


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## 100127 (Jul 20, 2006)

Can't be asked with this crap. BYE


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Blobsta said:


> Can't be asked with this crap. BYE


Sorry you feel like that.

But please remember that you expressed your opinion, then others expressed theirs. That's how it works, Alan.


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## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

Does anyone know how much Aid has been raised abroad to help British flood victims?


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

I don't know. Does anyone know how many millions have been made homeless and how many thousands have lost their lives? :roll: 

Dick


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

747 said:


> Does anyone know how much Aid has been raised abroad to help British flood victims?


I expect that if the UK ever has a disaster we can't cope with there will be an international appeal for aid. Let's hope we never require such help, Alan.


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## Kaytutt (Feb 5, 2013)

I'm not sure the people in the Somerset levels would agree that we are coping with the current flooding disaster they are experiencing


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Kaytutt said:


> I'm not sure the people in the Somerset levels would agree that we are coping with the current flooding disaster they are experiencing


I didn't see where anyone said we were coping, Alan.


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## Kaytutt (Feb 5, 2013)

erneboy said:


> 747 said:
> 
> 
> > Does anyone know how much Aid has been raised abroad to help British flood victims?
> ...


*

Sorry if I've misread something but doesn't that imply that you believe we are coping?*


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I said, " if there is a disaster we can't cope with"'. Which implies that I believe we can cope with the current flooding, it's just a question of political will from the top and that has now been addressed. Of course we will have to wait and see what is delivered, but we certainly could cope with it without any outside help if the Government wants to.

Incidentally, while it's awful for the people concerned it hardly compares with the kinds of disasters we have seen over the years. Syria, Tsunami's, the Japanese Nuclear incident etc. are not really on a par with a few thousand houses being flooded no matter how unpleasant and inconvenient that is for those affected, Alan.


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## Kaytutt (Feb 5, 2013)

And I didn't say it did compare with some other world disasters  we could go on being pedantic about who said what all day long but while we continue to offer aid to other countries we also need to be seen to help our own and I'm not sure that we have in the past few weeks or come to that, years


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## delawaredandy (Oct 12, 2012)

I will hope and prey that it's never any of your properties, belongings or livestock that are affected then Alan.

M


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