Join the Conversation: Readers discuss the World Bank and political gifts
Does the World Bank have a duty to restrict funding for countries committing human rights abuses?
Welcome to openDemocracy’s weekly reader comments round-up. We receive so many carefully considered messages about our work, it seems a shame to keep them to ourselves.
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Re: Poll: Should the World Bank lend to countries with laws that restrict LGBTIQ+ rights?
It depends on what the loans are for. Is it fair to punish the poor in countries for the evil of their leaders? I really don't know.
-Chris Proffitt
Instinctively my answer would be no. However, that won't change minds. I suspect that lending with strings would be better, explaining that to qualify for loans they need to prove they are improving the lot of LGBTIQ+ individuals by ending discriminatory laws and practices, educating the public etc.
-Christopher Sauvarin
Nations will need money to end segregation and to aid in education. If the money was used to help nations to heal through their young is that a bad thing? I have seen too many times where minorities subjected to poverty are being blamed for the consequences of what poverty delivers. Cutting off funding that can be used to help creates a forever war.
-Steve
I am not going to pontificate on what policy the World Bank should follow as in my opinion, it should not exist. It is a creation of the victors of WW2 to ensure that their dominant forms of international capitalism (imperialism) should continue to be in the driver's seat around the world. We need a real World Bank, informed by the needs of the marginalised masses of the world, not its neoliberal wealthy elites!
-Mike Hope
Re: Poll: Should politicians be banned from accepting gifts?
There should be an absolute ban on all gifts. Politicians should set examples. They have to take the moral high ground or their privilege and power are open to the perception of corruption and the abuse of such power.
-Maralyn Lai
The Civil Service is already overstaffed and hiring people to monitor and record all gifts and favours given to senior politicians in government and opposition would be an absolute waste of taxpayers’ money.
Far better to give those in ministerial positions a clothing allowance so they can look as good as anyone else and ban all other gifts that might seem to be a way of influencing them. Leave the media to do the monitoring at their expense and expose those politicians who over-receive favours.
At the same time, pay the top people in government higher salaries to match those in the Civil Service. With this in place, it would be up to individual politicians to take their own risk to accept more at their peril.
-Albert Wright
I worked for a local authority for many years and it was absolutely clear to me that gifts from clients were not allowed. I had assumed this was also the rule for politicians and all government employees. Any gift can be construed as a bribe no matter how innocently said gift might be offered by grateful clients.
-Robert Murphy
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