August 17, 2010 by alunparry
Song: The Wealthy *Loan* Pakistan Some Help
The news today reports that the World Bank are going to loan (yes loan!) Pakistan some money to help it recover from its worst ever flooding.
Meanwhile international aid has been slow in coming and even now has only raised a third of what is needed.
Humanitarian crises continue to show starkly how the wealthy view people and disaster. With unwavering stinginess.
My mate Phil Hayes (of the Picket) had an event just in his street last weekend for Pakistan and together they raised over £300. It’s not a loan. It’s a donation. It’s the act of ordinary folk who have very little themselves digging deep to help out, no strings attached.
How come those with money to burn never respond in the same way? Why do they offer loans instead of simple, straightforward help? Why don’t the World Bank, dripping in cash as they are, act the same way that Phil and his neighbours did.
I’m not a religious man, but I remember the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible. Now from what I recall, he didn’t loan the injured guy those two silver coins when he told the innkeeper to look after him. It would have been a pretty lousy parable if he had.
As lousy as the World Bank!
It riles me every time we are asked to bring out the collecting tins for people in the most urgent and desperate of need, when the people who have the resources do nothing, or do something but make it clear they want it back.
This song was written for Haiti, and until there is real change in this world, it’ll keep on having to be dragged out. Unusually for my songs it has swearing in it, but I feel it’s merited.
People in desperate need deserve more than mere charity. I protest.
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