[1] http://www.google.com/search?q=site:news.ycombinator.com+swe...
This wasn't spontaneous. It happens every year although the amounts changes as we see here.
If you have proof otherwise I'd like to see it.
Otherwise - it's is way to easy to smear something in an off-hand way like that.
First, you can't go giving away other peoples money and call it 'charity', or measure it against actual charitable activity.
As far as I can tell, the 'best in the world' status relates only to the fact that they 'give' (redistribute) a higher percent of GDP than any other nation. They still sell or give arms to despots (as even your article points out). Much of their aid is in the form of government purchase of Swedish products, then given away, which surely leads to some crony backroom deals with industry leaders, as all protectionist measures do, you know, pork barrel politics.
My assumption, and the reason that it's easy to smear, is that people with power aren't angels, and taking money from locals to deliver off to some foreign land may be for reasons that are less than scrupulous or benevolent, that there is inherent conflict of interest (conditions for corruption) in every government expenditure.
Of course all such matters will be offset by very visible donations to the humanitarian effort of the day, in this case, Syria. Whatever form their aid to the 'refugees' takes there, unless it's going straight into the mouths of the needy, you'd better bet some of it will be redirected into winning the fight.
We currently don't know, and saying either way at this point doesn't mean much. We need some actual proof.
We currently don't know, and saying either way at this point doesn't mean much. We need some actual proof.
Or, in other words, you can pretty much make up anything and flag it as a possible reason. A common ploy in propaganda which causes the same affect, if you if add a disclaimer that 'we just don't know'
That's why I think Barack Obama is from Kenya and Karl Rove personally blew up the twin towers.
From the article: "But today, in another one of those unusual political coincidences, Cambodian officials announced the “strengthening of bilateral ties” with Sweden – along with a $59 million aid package sweetener."
See page 8, section 3: »The funds available for the period covered by the strategy amount to approximately SEK 400 million«.
Can we end the speculation now, please?
IMO their articles get far too many upvotes around here. I actually flagged this article. Didn't seem to help much though.