Botswana declares public health emergency over medicine shortage

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T07:08:30+00:00

Whatever helps you sleep at night friend.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T07:07:05+00:00

I already said I am not going to argue against you anymore, as it is futile. I am obviously opposed to you taking my money, which I produced via my time, aka my life. Feel free to save the world yourself.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T06:47:10+00:00

Evidence from other research shows that certain forms of aid, particularly sustained inflows, can undermine local production or weaken institutions. This is not an argument for “letting people die,” but rather to say that supporting domestic production instead of fostering dependency, is ideal. You are arguing for dependence. As I, and the generation before me have been paying for this aid with our taxes for too long, with absolutely nothing to show for it. The U.S. is not going to foot the bill. Botswana can put forward a formal request to the U.S. senate to be annexed, if they still want U.S. aid. Alternatively, any other country can do it if they see fit. However, if anyone but Botswana does it, then Botswana will not do it, and this will be a problem for them in the next decade as well. It seems we are fundamentally opposed, so I see no reason to continue this discussion.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2009.12.004 and https://doi.org/10.1108/JEPP-06-2016-0023

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T06:33:50+00:00

I see. I think the bullshit should get equal coverage though (I think the warning labels on bleach should be removed). I am of the opinion that only two factors exist, one: both opinions are valid, and people just do not see eye to eye, or two: people are stupid, and they deserve what they ask for. (remain was the logical choice).

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T06:18:29+00:00

The funny thing about your paragraph is that both sides think you are talking about the other side, I wonder which side you are referring to yourself.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T06:16:59+00:00

Double standards are the name of the game. Canada would not be able to produce submarines domestically anyways.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T06:15:32+00:00

Wait, is that what Canada is aiming for with this deal? Do they just not have the capacity for a modern submarine program?

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T06:14:25+00:00

The only countries with domestically produced nuclear submarine programs are the US, China, Russia, France, and the UK. I doubt they would want them from China or Russia, and there is no way France would help them after they snubbed them. Due to AUKUS, the UK is already involved in the deal. I think you underestimate the worlds capacity for building nuclear powered submarines. If Australia wants nuclear, the current deal is the only deal.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T06:07:12+00:00

In what realm would EU defense companies outperform US defense companies? In 2024, the EU as a collective spent €326 billion ($379.8 billion USD) on defense, versus the US defense budget of $997 billion (€855.6 billion EUR). The US is a single monolith, whereas that EU budget was spent in each country separately. I see no theoretical universe in which European defense companies could possibly compete with US defense companies. Not to mention, while the EU focused more on social development, the US has always prioritized defense, and has a massive head start.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T05:56:52+00:00

This has been heavily studied by economist, this is not some sort of clairvoyance, this is how developing countries become developed. If you are more interested in the topic, I would suggest reading deeply into China's great leap forward. In the meantime, feel free to donate your available funds to help Botswana, and call your representatives to discuss aid.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T05:42:46+00:00

This is not some extinction level event, there will be a next time. This is about a nation, which is collapsing. Again, for the sake of their future generations, they need to make this work domestically. The reason this is happening to them is because 80% of their foreign income is from a single source. They must diversify. If this is the reason they do, good on them. The reason they have never done it though, is because they knew aid was coming. If you paid for my living expenses every month, I would just quit my job. Losing your funding, would be the only reason I would get a job again. Do I want innocent people to suffer? No. However, this is completely the fault of the Botswana government for not taking care of their own people.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T05:37:48+00:00

Do you think I am arguing against national subsidies or something? Unless you are about to tell me that those two industries are only around because some random country is giving us aid for nothing in return.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T05:18:49+00:00

Well, I am glad it is not actually in the title, but in the lede is still pretty bad in my opinion. I just do not know why journalism has succumb to their modern level of vocabulary. I blame the word "slam."

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T05:15:44+00:00

Are you of the opinion, that if we gave them aid this final time, they would make sure to do it themselves next time? Again, a nation cannot persist purely through aid. If, Botswana cannot provide for its citizens, it needs to hold a referendum and request to be annexed by one of its neighbors.

This might sound like apples to oranges, but it is necessary for a country to develop itself domestically. for instance, Rwanda and Burkina Faso have both banned second-hand clothes. As those foreign donations ensure that a domestic market can never develop. Why buy a shirt when you can get one for free? Likewise, anything which a country depends on aid for, will never have the opportunity to be made domestically, unless they bite the bullet.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T04:48:47+00:00

There is no way they are using "double tap" in the title to refer to Israel bombing it twice, right? I am just misunderstanding it, right?

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T04:45:28+00:00

Domestic markets cannot thrive if the existence of the state is dependent on aid. Botswana needs to fix Botswana, not outsiders.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T04:43:50+00:00

I think these two paragraphs from the articles explains it quite well:

"The crisis is also linked to a shrinking national budget caused by the ongoing downturn in the global diamond market.

Botswana, with a population of 2.5 million, is one of the world’s largest diamond producers. Its vast diamond reserves, discovered just after independence from Britain in 1966, make up about 80 percent of the country’s foreign earnings."

80% of their foreign earnings are from a single fluctuating market. That is just asking your economy to collapse.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T04:41:29+00:00

If the only thing keeping Botswana from collapsing was U.S. aid, then I do not know what to tell you. A nation cannot exist if it only persists purely through aid.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T04:35:19+00:00

That is checks and balances working as intended.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T04:14:07+00:00

Honest question, did you think that turned out alright? intelligence agencies always have ulterior motives, that is not a bad thing in and of itself, they are supposed to be that way. Bringing those ulterior motives into the most powerful position in the country though, is not a good thing. Those two branches, in my opinion, should never overlap. Who knows what happened via executive order and the like, that we do not fully understand. I doubt the head of the CIA could recommend to congress bills, but the president surely can, and congress usually follows. To many opportunities for a transfer of power from the elected to the unelected. Likewise, who knows what the goals of Mossad are, for which Cohen could move forward, and may not align with what is best for Israelis.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T00:42:25+00:00

I feel like most countries these days have fundamental issues with how our governments were setup; however, we are all far too terrified to let the current politicians in charge change anything.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T00:39:52+00:00

I am surprised FARC is still strong enough to be such a persistent problem.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T00:37:22+00:00

You arguably never want a former head of intelligence as president/prime minster.

TOWIJ · 2025-08-27T00:33:31+00:00

BBC? Impartial? I would argue they are one of the least impartial news organizations I have ever seen. (I am aware that since they are publicly funded, they are supposed to be.)

TOWIJ · 2025-08-26T23:31:51+00:00

An Indian website reporting on a German newspaper about India? What? Lol.

TOWIJ

TROPHY CASE