Justifying Aid: Reconstructing and Assessing Political Justifications for Development Aid Spending in Contemporary British Public Discourse
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26481/marble.2013.v5.179Abstract
Foreign aid generates furious public discussion. Significant amounts of British public money are spent on aid, and citizens rightly want to know why. Unfortunately, the public discourse surrounding the justification of aid spending is shrouded in foggy ideas and cloudy arguments. I contend that this has been the case for a considerable time, and demonstrate that both a moral and rational argument for aid can be reconstructed for aid spending from existing discussions. Having given what I consider to be the strongest articulations of these arguments drawn from discourse, I suggest that both arguments have considerable flaws and suggest ways in which politicians could engage on the subject to help keep the fog at bay.
References
Tran, M. (2013, March 20). George Osborne declares ‘historic moment’ on UK aid target. The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/mar/20/george-osborne-historic-moment-aid.
Liberal Democrats (2010). Your World, Liberal Democrat Manifesto. London: Liberal Democrats.
BBC News (2012, September 26). David Cameron reaffirms UK aid pledge at United Nations. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19709321.
Mitchell, A. (2013). A Safer and More Prosperous World: Why Aid Really Matters in an Age of Austerity. London: Legatum Institute.
Parfit, D. (1984). Reasons and Persons. (Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Craigmyle, L. (1961). Aid for Underdeveloped Countries, House of Lords of the United Kingdom. Hansard Debate, February 22, 1961, vol 228, col. 1077.
The Labour Party (2010). The global poverty emergency: our moral duty, our common interest. The Labour Party Manifesto. London: The Labour Party.
The Conservative Party (2010). An Invitation to Join the Government of Great Britain: One World Conservatism. London: The Conservative Party.
Watt, N. (2013, June 26). George Osborne unveils tough benefits curbs in £11.5bn spending cuts package. The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jun/26/george-osborne-benefitsspending-review-cuts.
Frankfurt, H. (1987). Equality as a Moral Ideal in Ethics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Raz, J. (1987). The Morality of Freedom. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Collier, P. (2010). The Plundered Planet: Why We Must-and How We Can-Manage Nature for Global Prosperity. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
McVey, E. (2010, July 1). Global Poverty: House of Commons of the United Kingdom. Hansard Debate, col. 1049.
Kratchowil, F. (2011). The Puzzles of Politics: Inquiries into the Genesis and Transformation of International Relations. London and New York: Routledge.
Dekker, T. (2013). Paying Our High Public Officials; Evaluating the Political Justifications of Top Wages in the Public Sector. New York: Routledge.
