A truckload of nonsense

why debt relief on its own is nothing like enough - and why aid/trade conditions promoting "good governance" but which are really promoting wholesale privatisation are damaging the world's poor and benefiting the rich... George Monbiot isn't always right but this is a compelling case to take to blair, brown and the g8

Guardian Unlimited | Columnists | A truckload of nonsense

"...The idea, swallowed by most commentators, that the conditions our governments impose help to prevent corruption is laughable. To qualify for World Bank funding, our model client Uganda was forced to privatise most of its state-owned companies before it had any means of regulating their sale. A sell-off that should have raised $500m for the Ugandan exchequer instead raised $2m. The rest was nicked by government officials. Unchastened, the World Bank insisted that - to qualify for the debt-relief programme the G8 has now extended - the Ugandan government sell off its water supplies, agricultural services and commercial bank, again with minimal regulation.

And here we meet the real problem with the G8's conditionalities. They do not stop at pretending to prevent corruption, but intrude into every aspect of sovereign government. When the finance ministers say "good governance" and "eliminating impediments to private investment", what they mean is commercialisation, privatisation and the liberalisation of trade and capital flows. And what this means is new opportunities for western money..."

Powerful paintings: encouraging future doctors through art

heard this woman on radio 4 midweek programme - dr lizzie burns - intersting iddea and images - maybe i'll get my lizzie to write to her, she's just got a blue peter badge today for persistently sending in drawings...
Powerful paintings: encouraging future doctors through art -- Bagchi and Chaudhury 328 (7440): 107 -- BMJ Career Focus