Next Noble price in economics.

[jedi rat]

I would like to invite all of you to discuss an issue that has been in my head for years.
Modern well developed countries concentrate their efforts to discover better technology, while poor countries struggle to feed citizens. Is this right?
Over 200 refugees from Afghanistan drowned few days ago while trying to make to Australia by boat. Australian opposition blamed prime minister, prime minister blamed Indonesia, Indonesia blames other rich countries etc, etc. I can see how rich countries are trying to isolate from poor. Those people on that boat tried to run away from Taliban, Australia sent troops to fight Taliban, and government refuses to treat Afghanis as refugees!!! Where is the F…. this World going to. We cannot just close borders and say: Let those ……. kill each other.
That is why I propose that there should be only one Noble price from now on. It will go to that who fins better system that Socialism or Capitalism. We need a new system that will make us all happier. Is it possible? Would it mean end of World?
I believe that Mother Nature has its cure for all our diseases. Capitalism and Socialism are one of them.

 

[Håkan Eriksson]

This is a bad idea. You shouldn't make the noble prize politicall. The person that comes up with a peace makeing political system coyuld get the peace prize.

And if you only would have one political prize. Then wouldn't it be strange if someone comes up with the cure for canser and then he don't gwet the prixe becouse we don't have a medecine prize any more.

 

[jedi rat]

Hm… I am not hoping so much for peace as there are too many freaks around, but at least if we could chop the difference between poor and rich in half. I am sure that would make world much more happier place. I guess all those smart pricks are busy making money not giving to poor.

 

[Grnscrpn]

jedi rat

in a way you have a point as you decrease the amout of poor countrys 2 things happen you open up new markets for your goods. At the same time you make those same good cheaper in price, because there is more competition, which is good for consumers everywhere. if the have's and the have not countrys were to help each other the have's would loose on home town industry but it would make a much more competive market for all. At the same time those poorer countrys would be able to slowly upgrade them selves to become stronger. But this ins't a likey Situation to arise anytime soon. Which is too bad.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Originally posted by jedi rat
Over 200 refugees from Afghanistan drowned few days ago while trying to make to Australia by boat. Australian opposition blamed prime minister, prime minister blamed Indonesia, Indonesia blames other rich countries etc, etc. I can see how rich countries are trying to isolate from poor. Those people on that boat tried to run away from Taliban, Australia sent troops to fight Taliban, and government refuses to treat Afghanis as refugees!!! Where is the F…. this World going to. We cannot just close borders and say: Let those ……. kill each other.

Two things - one, the boat was carrying 400 ppl. 40 plus survived; the rest drowned. Two - the prospective refugees aren't all Afghans; there are Iranians, Iraqis, Palestinians as well as Afghans. Maybe a few more nationalities.
And a little perspective here. There are maybe a few hundred (at most a few thousand) trying to make their way to or are in Australia. There are millions of Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan. Comparatively Australia will only ever take care of so few of them and I say Australia shld let them in. However this is an internal Australian matter and nobody can/shld interfere. Australians will have to decide based on their conscience.

 

[duke o' york]

Nobel prizes aren't worth anything. Even before some fool decided to award Kissinger the Peace Prize, they were a bit pointless. It's a honour, but you shouldn't go into scientific research/literature/international politics/economic theory just because you want an expenses-paid trip to Sweden. The discovery itself should be enough to cover those responsible in glory - prizes are unnecessary. Who is to decide which research is more worthwhile?

 

[.:KNAS:.]

Nobel prizes aren't worth anything

well, duke thats not true, besides being a confidence booster, u also get the green. the nobel prize for medicine in 1997 was 7.5 million swedish crowns, that 75 000$.

 

[Håkan Eriksson]

Originally posted by .:KNAS:.

well, duke thats not true, besides being a confidence booster, u also get the green. the nobel prize for medicine in 1997 was 7.5 million swedish crowns, that 75 000$.

No 7.5 million swedish crowns is 750 000$.


And besides that.

This years prize money is 1 000 000 $.

 

[.:KNAS:.]

yeah, i forgot a zero.....

 

[Whiskey Priest]

Here's my idea:

Give everyone a decent job (we do have enough work)
Give everyone access to education and hospitals (we have enough money)
Expand the Franchise!!! Only in countries with voting powers will you see any worhtwhile economic boost.

If everyone has a job, an education, a health plan and a vote most oprressive governemtns and terrorist organizations won't be able to get enough supporters to stuff envelopes!

P.S.

All problems that are created by man are solvable by man. We CAN do this.

 

[Esca]

Australia takes many thousands of genuine refugees. More per head of population than any other country except Canada. (If you exclude temporary panics like the one in Afghanistan)

The problem with the boat people is that most of them are not genuine.
They all have money. They flew into Indonesia by regular airlines, then paid the people smugglers large sums of money. One figure mentioned by some of them is $10,ooo.
Some are war criminals. They recently identified some Palestinians who had been hired by Sharon to go into refugee camps and masacre women and children. The israelies don't want to know them and the Palestinians want to kill them.
So it is not simple.

 

[jedi rat]

Esca,
I agree with you that most of those so-called “boat people” are not poor and some might be even terrorists. I brought up the example to show that if we do not do something, something big and quick we will never solve the problem. Even if we (rich countries) close our borders, place 1000 navy boats… what at the end of the day we will have to shoot them. As Whiskey Priest mentioned jobs is one of the most important issues we face. The problem is how to find 4 billion jobs. Of course it is not simple, but that is why we have brain – to solve problems.