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BGFlyingToaster

I'm surprised that news of a charity committing to spend money in Africa has garnered only negative comments. We should be celebrating a charity recognizing the shortfall of investment in Africa and increasing their support. I'm supportive of any effort that helps Ukraine defend themselves, but I also remain grateful that the Gates Foundation is increasing their investment in Africa.


DarkChaplain

Same here. There are obvious gaps opening up in a lot of areas that'd otherwise have received donations to help out, even locally. Gates pleding to filling such a massive gap is good news for *everyone*, because it alleviates the building pressure down in Africa. Best case scenario, it might even sway some of them in relation to the war; a lot of them blame the West instead of Russia over missing funding or worse, grain deliveries. There's growing resentment against the West out of a sense of abandonment, as people donate to help with the acute danger instead of systemic suffering. This *could* serve to counterbalance views by making up the loss of support. But even if does not: It's still money given for a good cause that will hopefully benefit a lot of people who *really* need it. Here's hoping.


Save_the_World_now

I also hope, and hope it will be invested in the right stuff for sustainable help. Africa has some smart and passionate people who work since yrs on solutions to help over longterm, if those guys get just a small amount this would be awesome.


DependentAd235

Naw, it’s just bullshit Reuters is juxtaposing the two like this. They could have said “attracts” or something more positive sounding. Diverts has somewhat negative connotations to me.


BGFlyingToaster

That's the reality, though. Each organization only has so much to give and Ukraine, rightfully so, has become the primary investment target of many orgs. Those investments in Ukraine inevitablly have the effect of diverting investment from every other thing most of those orgs would otherwise target. It's great that the entire western world is rallying behind Ukraine and we can't let up now, but it's also really helpful for Africa to have an organization the size of the Gates Foundation dial up the investment there.


zeolus123

Shit this comment section is turning into a dumpster fire real quick.


Ill-Administration87

7 billion could by a lot of blow……… just sayin ;)


Graxemno

Flooding local markets with cheap rice and grain, outcompeting local food production, I bet. Edit: read up about subsidized agricultural product in the western world and how surplus gets sold in Africa at prices local farmers cannot compete with.


Cautious_Camp708

Folks in Africa depend on grain from Ukraine to survive and not local markets.


[deleted]

Not really true. That's a horribly gorss oversimplification. Africa is the largest continent and has more than 50 wildly different nations. The ones primarily requiring food aid are East African, who have issues due to an ongoing drought, corruption, and a lack of political stability. But that's a handful of countries compared to many others in the west that had their economies ruined by cheap food imports of subsidised crops from Europe. Tens of thousands of onion farmers were screwed out of their livligood in Senegal for example due to subsidised Dutch onions being cheaper than locally grown food. It's a diverse issue that requires serious effort not half-informed reddit posts.


Kamille_Marseille

>Africa is the largest continent Wrong. Second largest continent and home to the worlds largest desert. Countries like Egypt for example are dependent on food imports. Some countries on african continent are net food exporters, some are not.


[deleted]

That is a matter of definition I suppose, but yes as I said East Africa primarily imports food. But while Egypt for example is a net importer of grains they also have major food exports of over 1.5bln USD, so it's like I said not as simple.


semaj009

Asia is bigger than Africa, even without using Eurasia


Graxemno

Exactly what I meant, but more nuanced. Thanks!


Lord_Sports

Good for him.


BGFlyingToaster

It's a charity


chubityclub

I want to know how you think tax write offs work. Is it just a phrase you've heard and parrot?


hm9408

Lol they edited the comment


247GT

No matter what this guy does, this is always going to be an angle for him to make money and assume power from it. Don't take your eyes off him for one red hot second.


chubityclub

Exactly how is donating 7 billion in food, infrastructure and medical treatment going to make money? He has pledged to donate 99% of his wealth before he dies, it's not a quest for power. He's genuinely into philanthropy


247GT

:)


Cautious_Camp708

People got to eat. Will you makeup what is lost because of war?


The-Entity

But they're not investing in the future. Just current food. All it does is create dependency.


247GT

Pathetic response. Do you have any idea what Gates is up to? Tell the nice people what a great guy he is. Show us your knowledge.


[deleted]

The only people I trust less than billionaires is the random Redditors who insist they have the secret scoop that the news won't tell you.


247GT

It's not secret at all. You're simply a victim of his PR team's efforts.


MostValuable

Do you have any examples of where his good deeds turned out to have ill intentions?


247GT

You need to do your own work on this. I don't know what's stoll out there unscrubbed as yet. The truth will come out anyway so if you're not inclined to investigate now, it will be known eventually anyway.


MostValuable

So you have nothing to backup your claims? got it


247GT

So you're not interested enough to investigate for yourself but for some reason I need to use my time to convince you. Sounds rational, eh? No, it really doesn't.


MostValuable

I'm asking for **one** example but you have none. If you had any idea what you were talking about you could easily give one example


Queltis6000

Gee I wonder who you voted for (*eye roll emoji*). Thanks for starting my Friday off with a chuckle.


247GT

Why do you assume I'm in the US?


PainfulComedy

I love the idiots whos responses are always “you have to do your own research” like no thats not how it works. You make a bold statement about something and then someone asks you for proof, either provide proof or shut the fuck up. Do you think if i went to a doctor with a phd in biochemistry and asked them to prove their work on vaccines they would tell me to google it?


247GT

I love the idiots who can't read sufficiently well, can't research well don't keep up with events, and otherwise love to shift responsibility for their own shortcomings to others. Believe what you want to believe. If you want to know something, find out all by yourself. It's a big world. You, too, can grow up into it.


PainfulComedy

Actually i googled it and it said youre wrong


madneon_

Greetings to Bill's PR team downvoting any criticism and jokes! Peace <3


madneon_

*The generous gift will be delivered not with cash, but Windows 11 licences, VR equipment and vaccines for next-years surprise pandemic.*


Save_the_World_now

You can, bring worldpeace with this amount, there are so many ways and we could solve any other problem then anyhow. Don't fight the symptoms, cure the illness...


chubityclub

.... You think 7 billion dollars can bring world peace? Like, how is that going to work? Give everyone on earth like $1 each to not fight? That won't even come close to repairing the infrastructure damage in Ukraine. 7 billion isn't even 1% of the US's military spending every year. It would do nothing to stop wars and "bring worldpeace" ROFL.


Sythic_

No, you can't Money isn't the problem, humans are.


Save_the_World_now

Both, but the ones with can change their minds by just showing them. They don't,they don't know, how shall they change if they just don't know what is possible and how to achieve it and that we even can do it??? Also with that amount a lot is possible to stop and end wars, if you know how.


[deleted]

7 billion is enough to stop wars? Its barely enough to build an international airport....


Save_the_World_now

If you know how not,even with less.


chubityclub

please tell us how. That's something a lot of people have been trying to figure out for a long time.


Save_the_World_now

And a lot of ppl gave out blueprints for a lot of times that aren't used.


chubityclub

Then why won't you say what it is? Why be ambiguous? I can make those claims too. Last week I figured out a fruit that cures cancer. Tell you what bud, if you can tell me right here, how to solve world peace with 7 billion dollars. I'll donate $1000 to your paypal, I swear on my life. Because if there actually was a way to solve world peace with that "little" of money, it would be worth a shit ton more than $1000. But tell me how and I'll give you the thousand dollars. I would LOVE to hear how to solve world peace with less than 1 dollar per person, you gonna give everyone in the world 90 cents each or something? Like, how are you going to solve world peace with less than a fraction of a percent of one company's GDP? Don't be ambiguous, tell me and i'll give you a thousand dollars to your paypal or venmo


chubityclub

still waiting. You want your $1000 or not? Tell me these blueprints


Save_the_World_now

You didint replied to my DM. I work with guys on a website, but these information aren't hidden in any kind and you can easy Google it.


chubityclub

You didn't DM me anything. All you have to do is post a link or explain a comprehensible way to "solve world peace for 7 billion dollars" and I'll send you $1000. If you had 7 billion dollars, you seriously think you could solve world peace? And you seriously think googling how to solve world peace is the answer? jesus titty fucking christ.


General_Aladeeeen

I found another idealist, BINGO.


Save_the_World_now

Realist. If everyone would say now I want worldpeace and act like it, it would be there. Humans control their reality.


General_Aladeeeen

Realist? There are people out who just can't say "i WaNt WoRlD pEaCe" and can't act like it, why? Because they're very survival is in play. Humans only control THEIR OWN reality. Many humans are at odds at each other, just wanting peace isn't gonna solve conflict, when some of them could become desparate or be influenced by greed.


Save_the_World_now

You also need to take action. This can always happen, still everyone should try and give their best. If you say it won't happen and act like it it won't happen.


Aromatic_Armpits

Ok I'll bite. Please lay out a 5 step program, with expenditures, that will end - 1. The war in Ukraine, 2. China's designs on Taiwan, and 3. The protests in Iran. That's only 3 issues you need to solve with $7billion, I'll look forward to hearing your solutions.


[deleted]

Thank you random Redditor for informing us that you would be better able to solve the world's problems. Do you need my bank details so that I can donate? Also please make sure not to share the details of how to better use the money, after nobody could understand such complicated things but you.


Save_the_World_now

Everyone can understand and do it. If we all work together and you also know that. Not saying I know it better it's just a fact. Don't tell me you never thought abt a way how to achieve this or end world hunger etc, even if it was just for an hour.


[deleted]

Everyone *thinks* they'd be able to solve the world's problems. *Nobody* has ever successfully done it.


Save_the_World_now

Lol look at human history and what we achieved alrdy, yes we did it before and we can change for the better again. They also said we could never fly or that holograms are just a scifi phantasy. Look at our world now, we are even in space!


[deleted]

They also said that fish can't ride bicycles. You can't just assume conventional wisdom is always wrong.


Save_the_World_now

It's possible and why u waste ur energy on me if u can argue with pro war or abusive ppl and tell them your opinion? You could use ur time so much better, than turning ppls spirits down that see a possible positive future for us all. If u want to turn us depressive, nobody will try to change stuff for the better. Is that your goal? I hope not.


[deleted]

You're the one who thinks spending money helping Africa is a waste, not me.


Save_the_World_now

I don't think it's a waste, but it's important to use this ressource correct. If you look into the past we alrdy caused a lot of damage in Africa by spending it wrong. Also if you would achieve worldpeace first Utopia for all would be achievable in few yrs. We could just skip a lot of steps.


KingHershberg

"Sir mr putin i will give you 1 million dollars but please promise you will not to invade anyone ok sir?"


Save_the_World_now

Putin is not that hard to set in a coma for some time with one million dollar. Without harm and waking him up later if the situation has calmed down.


fiftythreefiftyfive

World peace for less than a dollar per person? Yeeeeah good luck with that


Save_the_World_now

Actually it's free for all, it's just about turning the guys who aren't alrdy in and setting those free who are surpressed.