# Tony Blair is my new hero **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 13, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-is-my-new-hero/308090 "2005-06-13T15:37:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Low\_Key\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@Low\_Key\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Low_Key_1)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-is-my-new-hero/308090/21 "2005-06-16T02:41:11Z")
I don’t really understand the cynicism in this thread. If you want the IMF and WB to keep the hell away, this proposal will help. The debts owed to these organisations will be written off. This money can then be used to create infrastructure which will help facilitate trade between Africa and the rest of the world. Being able trade effectively in order to develop will not happen without functioning infrastructure and greater political stability. I think this sounds like a good FIRST STEP. It is not the end of our obligations towards helping developing nations, but can potentially lead to much better trade opportunities for the African nations affected. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-is-my-new-hero/308090/22 "2005-06-16T17:03:23Z")
No Studs, I am not attacking you. I am attacking your poorly thought-out ideas. People who support the European aid-slave model seem to want to dictate to brown and black people how they should live their lives. We have seen the results. Now we see that Mister Blair has a prescription for more of the same. His proposal is not very different from what came before. Nobody should expect different results. Darn shame, Africa and Africans deserve better. Still, the first thing is to make sure that European farmers are happy. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-is-my-new-hero/308090/23 "2005-06-16T17:31:44Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > He pioneered cutting debt to African nations by $40-55 billion, and now he wants to encourage developed nations to boost international development aid by $50 billion a year. > > [http://www.eitb24.com/noticia\_en.php?id=67837](http://www.eitb24.com/noticia_en.php?id=67837) Anything to distract attention from his (Blair’s) stupidity over Iraq… ---
**Author:** ![Studs\_Murphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@Studs\_Murphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Studs_Murphy)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-is-my-new-hero/308090/24 "2005-06-16T23:37:43Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > No Studs, I am not attacking you. I am attacking your poorly thought-out ideas. > > People who support the European aid-slave model seem to want to dictate to brown and black people how they should live their lives. We have seen the results. Now we see that Mister Blair has a prescription for more of the same. > > His proposal is not very different from what came before. Nobody should expect different results. > > Darn shame, Africa and Africans deserve better. Still, the first thing is to make sure that European farmers are happy. Great answer - No answer! ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-is-my-new-hero/308090/25 "2005-06-17T03:20:44Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Low\_Key\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@Low\_Key\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Low_Key_1)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-is-my-new-hero/308090/26 "2005-06-17T10:13:39Z")
Paul, do you think that the affected African nations would have been better off if this agreement had not happened at all? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-is-my-new-hero/308090/27 "2005-06-17T11:31:00Z")
Hard to say. It is (or seems to be) an honest attempt, but shoveling aid has been tried and has not worked. To get different results we have to do different things. I would think that promoting European investment in Africa would be the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-is-my-new-hero/308090/28 "2005-06-19T19:41:07Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Anything to distract attention from his (Blair’s) stupidity over Iraq… Good enough for me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-is-my-new-hero/308090.md?page=1)