Readers of this blog will know that I am against what in the Low Countries is officially known as '
Ontwikkelingssamenwerking' - 'Development Aid', on the grounds that this so-called aid is actually
counterproductive. This has been demonstrated time and again - sometimes very eloquently from unsuspected corners by authors like
Dambisa Moyo - but for our leftist moral betters feeling good about yourself by taking money away from others and throwing it away in useless projects (filling dicator's coffers in the process) is so much more important than allowing the Invisible Hand of Capitalism to efficiently generate prosperity in third world countries.
I am of course
NOT against emergency aid, which is why I urge our readers to contribute money to helping alleviate the plight of so many Filipinos following the passage of the devastating typhoon Haiyan there.
I advise Belgian readers to donate to the
Red Cross Flanders, or its counterpart in Wallonia, since donating to the ubiquitously propagated
21-21 HAIYAN initiative is giving money to the same people who in 2004
REFUSED a gift of 12,500 EUR of Vlaams Belang for the tsunami-stricken regions in South East Asia. The reason? Because Vlaams Belang is a rightwing party and the orchestrators of the 12-12 campaign were, and are, hardcore leftists. Yes, you read that right. They preferred missing funds to help tsunami victims because the money came from the Right.
So, again, in my opinion it is preferable to donate to the Red Cross. Doctors Without Borders is also a good choice.
The Red Cross account is
BE53 0000 0000 5353. Be sure to mention
‘Hulp in Filipijnen’.
Thank you, and say a prayer for the victims.
MFBB.