We are in a recession, I am unemployed and living off my Job Seekers Allowance and the kindness of loved ones. I should be tightening my belt and counting my pennies, but instead I'm spending money through my arse, new computers, handing money to the council, why, Saturday night I blew a week's worth of JSA on Vaudeville.
Anyhoo, I'm sceptical about giving aid to Gaza and charities working there. There's a good change that it'll get spent on weapons or will be spent on things they should spend their own money on. I think it would better if any money the Gazan's received was 'honest money', that which had been earnt, wealth created. But its difficult, they don't really go in for trade, Israel don't let them export much.
A few years back everything made in the region would say 'Made in Israel' but that changed so now goods are marked as 'Made in West Bank' or 'Made in Gaza', which is neat. However going by google the only things 'Made in Gaza' are rockets.
That's not quite the case, back on Valentines Day the Hollandish government negotiated to import 25,000 flowers from Gaza. Well done Holland, if only other governments did likewise, if only somehow people encouraged their governments to do likewise, or if only we encouraged our supermarkets to do likewise.
There's a Tescos near here, in the produce department everything's labelled with country of origin. There's loads of stuff from Israel. But I searched high and low for stuff from Gaza. Somewhat amused to find they stocked Jerusalem Artichoke, but its grown in Lincolnshire, UK.
The closest I could find to Gazan produce was some chives from the West Bank, so I bought a few packs. I'm not quite sure what to do with them, some kind of stir-fry perhaps?
Just next to the chives was rosemary grown in Israel, same price. The thing about rosemary is that it grows fine in the UK, its all over my back garden.
Tim Worstall reckons that buying cheap foreign imports makes us richer than buying expensive home grown stuff. But if its free from your back garden then use that.
This isn't about what's economically beneficial to the UK, its about getting honest money to folk who otherwise would be taking down signposts to make rockets.
I had to pay £120 cos I parked outside my flat where I'd already paid for a parking permit, so 68p for a packet of chives is nothing and makes the world a better place.
I'm off to Sainsburys this evening to check if they have any Gazan produce.
hmm
So its difficult for the Gazans to export products and produce through Israeli and Egyptian borders? There are other ways.
itunes for instance. Any punk with a microphone and a whilstle can record music and flog it, and its still honest money.
Maybe we should be sending ukeleles instead of aid.
The jerusalem artichoke has no origin in jerusalem or israel
ReplyDeleteIt's admirable that you believe you can solve the world's problems based on 'a feeling' alone but try doing some research/investigating beforehand and who knows? you might actually achieve something worthwhile