Mr Smith goes to Katoro Comments

JamesWimberley

Sat, 20 Sep 2014 15:50:57 +0000

AFAICT Tanzania does not have fossil-fuel subsidies, as far too many developing (and rich) countries do. Electricity, supplied (sort of) by a monopoly operator, is absurdly under-priced at 8-9$c/kwh, a subsidy to town-dwellers that explains the lack of grid expansion. Would you really advise Tanzania to set up renewable subsidies for rural solar at the expense of health clinics, schools for girls and rural roads? I wouldn't. Their best policy is to do nothing, and let the invisible hand, through Mr, Buta's visible ones, spread solar microgeneration. They are of course free-riding on the American, German and Japanese taxpayers who paid to develop the technology. Fine by me.

Warren_Terra

Fri, 19 Sep 2014 23:23:51 +0000

But, but, Tony Blair is the greatest humanitarian of our times! GQ said so!. (but, seriously, what a waste of talent and opportunity. Or, perhaps, what a successful use of talent and opportunity, but to self-interested or perhaps profoundly misguided but sincerely intended aims)

mgottlieb

Fri, 19 Sep 2014 20:15:34 +0000

Before she passed, my lovely mother, as gentle a soul as ever lived, used to refer to Tony Blair as "That greasy little turd." Also Adam Smith was about as far from Ayn Rand as is possible to be. It's fun to imagine his incredulous disgust upon hearing her "philosophy," always assuming we could penetrate his Scottish accent.

dougr100

Fri, 19 Sep 2014 18:47:31 +0000

There you go. Flip those incentives and subsidies for the fossil fuel industry over to solar and wind and the problem fixes itself