Rapid Responses to:

REVIEWS: Colin Douglas Death and taxes BMJ 2005; 331: 117-a [Full text]

Rapid Responses: Submit a response to this article

Rapid Responses published:

Death & taxes yes, but poverty is not inevitable

DJ Shepherd   (11 July 2005)

Death & taxes yes, but poverty is not inevitable 11 July 2005
DJ Shepherd, General Practitioner LE2 6UL Send response to journal: Re: Death & taxes yes, but poverty is not inevitable	Colin Douglas is mistaken to describe those of us marching in Edinburgh on July 2nd as 'innocent' in whatever sense he meant the word. If he meant 'ignorant of the way the world is' then he should know that the marchers, including the children, were well informed. Many of us have lived in or visited Africa, we too have touched suffering and experienced corruption. If he meant 'naive' then he should know that no one on that march is expecting a miracle to banish poverty in the short term. If he meant 'not guilty' then he should know that we are only too aware of our complicity in a world system that keeps Africa down. It is precisely because we are not innocent in any of these senses that we marched. Polite? - yes, for we still believe in democracy and if the G8 leaders do too they will note that nearly half a million turned out around the UK in support of make Poverty History. That's nearly 1 in every 100 of the population, with many times that willing us on around the world. The Edinburgh rally was 3 times the size of the Drop the Debt Birmingham rally in 1998. Something is happening here... Optimism or pessimissm are irrelevant; it's determination that will count. The marchers are as implacably opposed to international business as usual as Londoners are undaunted by terrorism. The only really futile thing is nihilism about our ability to make a better world. Competing interests: Director of a fair trade shop supporting the Make Poverty History Campaign