Dutch government cuts aid to poor countries

18 March 2011.

According to Dutch news agency Novum, the Rightist minority coalition in the Netherlands plans to cut back foreign aid.

As far as aid from rich countries to poor countries is concerned, there is foreign aid and foreign aid.

Some foreign aid may help poor people, trade unions, or women’s organizations in poor countries, alleviating somewhat the scandalous wealth gaps created by the capitalist world system.

Other foreign aid may help multinational corporations to exploit people in poor countries, may prop up “pro Western” torturing dictatorships, etc.

The Dutch government has decided that Egypt will not get aid anymore. During all those years when the corrupt Mubarak dictatorship made the Egyptian people suffer, that dictatorship got Dutch taxpayers’ money. However, now that the courageous Egyptian people have managed to drive away dictator Mubarak, the Rightist Dutch government cuts off aid. Apparently, it does not like the prospect that maybe there will be a more democratic government in Egypt.

Just fifteen countries (33 up to now) will continue to get Dutch aid.

Among those countries are: Afghanistan. One of the poorest and hungriest countries of the world indeed. But largely so because foreign invaders, Dutch soldiers included, bring bloody war and occupation there, and the puppet regime is one of the most corrupt in the world.

Another country which will continue to get Dutch taxpayers’ money is Ethiopia. The country of dictator Meles Zenawi. However, apart from oppressing his own people that dictator as a Pentagon ally brings war, torture, and destruction to Somalia as well. And allies are allies, warmongers or not, dictators or not.

Ethiopia: Government Arrests Hundreds of Opposition Supporters: here.

The money will also continue to go to Uganda. The regime is far from democratic for the Ugandan people. However, it helps to kill Somalis like the Ethiopian regime does.

“Kill the Gays” Bill May Pass Ugandan Parliament Within a Week: here.

The Dutch goverment also announces today that Dutch money will continue to flow to Yemen. Exactly on the day that the local dictator had at least another forty-two pro-democracy demonstrators butchered.

This video is called Yemeni students protest in renamed ‘Tahrir square’.

This is a video of a pro democracy demonstration in Yemen today.

In Rwanda, dictator Paul Kagame does not have to worry that the flow of Dutch money will stop.

Neither does his colleague in Sudan, Bashir.

Colombia has only a small percentage of the world’s people. Nevertheless, under the local Rightist regime, it manages to kill about half of all trade unionists which are murdered in the whole world. At least for some time, Colombia will continue to get Dutch aid.

It’s not the UK’s aid budget that hinders development, it’s free-market capitalism: here.