I’ve been thinking about this for a while… the world spends tons of money (someone give me a number) on humanitarian aid to places like Darfur, subsaharan Africa, Latin America, etc. but much of that ends up in the hands of corrupt politicians/rulers/etc.
For that large sum of money, I think one can build a sizable and well equipped private army and solve many of the humanitarian problems for good once you dispose of the corrupt rulers.
I would like to hear what everyone can come up with in terms of what can you do with let’s say $50million dollars in terms of private army. How much would you have to pay to ensure good quality fighters, how about equipment?
Slight hijack here, but I read just recently the opposite approach: some blogger estimated the money spent by the USA on the current war against Iraq, and divided it by the pre-war population of Iraq, asking the rhetorical question “couldn’t we have won more hearts and minds by giving each Iraqi X thousands of dollars”?
Shucks! Did it wrong. I meant to add - as we see from the situations in the former Yugoslavia, currently in Iraq, the 1993 battle of Mogadishu, etc., it is not that simple to bring peace to war-torn regions.
It’s one reason why I don’t donate to UNICEF. Wonderful cause, but IMHO too much goes to corrupt 3rd world governments.
However, most of the really corrupt rulers are in Sub-Saharan Africa (North of SA of course!) and I don’t have too much hope for hardly any of them, even if we do replace the current corrupt dictator. The situation there is just unbeleivably hopeless.
How curious, a guy called Mo Ibrahim has set up a trust to bribe African Dictators to retire gracefully
As for the private army idea, probably the best thing would be to make it self financing.
Simon Mann should be coming out of his Zimbabwean jail fairly soon.
The boring answer is to fund non-governmental organisations as much as possible, although these have limited absorption capacity for the large scale infrastructural stuff.
These could be international organisations with a presence in the country, or local organisations, as long as mechanisms were in place to ensure accountability. Usually what happens is that management and implementation is done by the local organisation - or private company for that matter - with advice and monitoring from the international organisation.
Darfour is an Insurgent uprising - it has spread into Chad
I expect Chad and Sudan to make up after the 27 soldiers killed in ‘hot pursuit’ when their mutual enemy disappeared.
I also totally sympathize with Sudan refusing UN troops, they are useless, but Sudan could do a deal with South Africa and possibly France, why either should cooperate beats me, but one does need a live fire training ground.
While I consider the Moslem element of Sudan profoundly boring (been there done that) the Darfour insurgents are savages.
The money doesnt only vanish into the hands of corrupt politicians ,much of it is wasted in other ways .
Saplings planted in Ethiopia to promote reforestation almost immediatly cut down for firewood and goat feed.
Seed corn sold or eaten.
Medicines sold.
More efficient farming practices and practices that limit soil erosion abandoned for traditional ways almost as soon as the aid workers are out of sight.
Local communities being given a level of food aid that raises the nutritional level of those still alive above starvation level and who then immediatly start expanding their families again until they’re back at the pre aid subsistance standard .
Ignoring hygiene lessons and defecating in/near drinking water sources and food preparation areas.
Refusing to use prophalactics and having sex with their partners while being aware that they are H.I.V. A.I.D.S positive .
Over grazing caused by "status " herds of cattle(ie.owned for reasons of prestige not for food) that are not sustainable by the local eco system.
Not bothering to carry out even the most basic of maintenance on survival machinery (oiling water pumps for example )resulting in eventual m/c breakdown .
Against specific advise not following full drug courses but stopping when the symptons vanish.
Much of this I have seen for myself ,throwing money at problems and good intentions aren’t enough.
Depressing isn’t it?
