- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Viking (19 April 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0670918962
- ISBN-13: 978-0670918966
- Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 15 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 172,065 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
War Games: The Story of Aid and War in Modern Times
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Review
War Games is a blood-boilingly good polemic that should knock a few halos off (Sunday Telegraph )
Pacy, concise, vivid...the pages of this necessary but contentious book burn with a righteous moral anger about the contradictions and tensions of delivering humanitarian aid in conflict zones (Daily Telegraph )
Marvellous... cool, brusque, fearless and disillusioned...carries echoes of the African writings of Evelyn Waugh and Graham Greene (Guardian )
Highly topical...essential reading...she relentlessly catalogues the ways in which humanitarianism has helped prolong war and suffering...if Polman's book can serve as a rallying cry to more radical, redistributive alternatives, then it will have more than fulfilled its function (The Times )
A disturbing account that raises profound questions not just about the palliative efficacy of aid - but whether it fuels and prolongs conflict (Financial Times )
Linda Polman is one of the finest reporting journalists of the modern age - she is gutsy, intellectually penetrating and far from naïve (Evening Standard )
Pacy, concise, vivid...the pages of this necessary but contentious book burn with a righteous moral anger about the contradictions and tensions of delivering humanitarian aid in conflict zones (Daily Telegraph )
Marvellous... cool, brusque, fearless and disillusioned...carries echoes of the African writings of Evelyn Waugh and Graham Greene (Guardian )
Highly topical...essential reading...she relentlessly catalogues the ways in which humanitarianism has helped prolong war and suffering...if Polman's book can serve as a rallying cry to more radical, redistributive alternatives, then it will have more than fulfilled its function (The Times )
A disturbing account that raises profound questions not just about the palliative efficacy of aid - but whether it fuels and prolongs conflict (Financial Times )
Linda Polman is one of the finest reporting journalists of the modern age - she is gutsy, intellectually penetrating and far from naïve (Evening Standard )
She offers no obvious solutions but calls for more debate, and for an end to the 'halo effect' that gives INGOs immunity from criticism. War Games is a decisive step in that direction
(Metro )
Review
War Games is a blood-boilingly good polemic that should knock a few halos off Sunday Telegraph Pacy, concise, vivid...the pages of this necessary but contentious book burn with a righteous moral anger about the contradictions and tensions of delivering humanitarian aid in conflict zones Daily Telegraph Marvellous... cool, brusque, fearless and disillusioned...carries echoes of the African writings of Evelyn Waugh and Graham Greene Guardian Highly topical...essential reading...she relentlessly catalogues the ways in which humanitarianism has helped prolong war and suffering...if Polman's book can serve as a rallying cry to more radical, redistributive alternatives, then it will have more than fulfilled its function The Times A disturbing account that raises profound questions not just about the palliative efficacy of aid - but whether it fuels and prolongs conflict Financial Times Linda Polman is one of the finest reporting journalists of the modern age - she is gutsy, intellectually penetrating and far from naive Evening Standard She offers no obvious solutions but calls for more debate, and for an end to the 'halo effect' that gives INGOs immunity from criticism. War Games is a decisive step in that direction Metro
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have spent 20 years working in various parts of Africa and already knew that most aid projects were pointless - but had assumed that the effects of the aid were at worst neutral if not vaguely benign. I was already aware that after the Rwanda genocide, the Tutsis got no aid, whereas the refugee Hutus (who carried out the murders) were overloaded with aid.
It is therefore depressing to learn from Linda Polman's excellent book that this is not the case: much aid actually has a negative effect on the victims and on the countries it is given to. Indeed even that some aid is solicited by the country in question in order to carry out humanitarian crimes such as mass internal relocation of rebel populations: this was the case for Ethiopia and the 1984 Band Aid aid campaign.
Aid prolongs conflicts and increases deaths.
There will be exceptions, but probably only for small projects: the big ones are tainted. Darfur (now), Ethiopia (1984 et seq), Biafra (1967), Rwanda (1994).
Aid is big business for the aid organisations and some are not so scrupulous about how they discharge their responsibilities. We should leave aid to Governments, but monitor properly how they are spending our money. In my own experience I am aware that UK Government aid to finance primary schools in Uganda in the early 1990s was inadequately controlled and much just ended up in the pockets of fraudsters.
A book that is easy to read, but deporessing: should be on the reading list of Government MInisters.
It is therefore depressing to learn from Linda Polman's excellent book that this is not the case: much aid actually has a negative effect on the victims and on the countries it is given to. Indeed even that some aid is solicited by the country in question in order to carry out humanitarian crimes such as mass internal relocation of rebel populations: this was the case for Ethiopia and the 1984 Band Aid aid campaign.
Aid prolongs conflicts and increases deaths.
There will be exceptions, but probably only for small projects: the big ones are tainted. Darfur (now), Ethiopia (1984 et seq), Biafra (1967), Rwanda (1994).
Aid is big business for the aid organisations and some are not so scrupulous about how they discharge their responsibilities. We should leave aid to Governments, but monitor properly how they are spending our money. In my own experience I am aware that UK Government aid to finance primary schools in Uganda in the early 1990s was inadequately controlled and much just ended up in the pockets of fraudsters.
A book that is easy to read, but deporessing: should be on the reading list of Government MInisters.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The United Nation's "Millennium Development Goals" set out to halve the number of poor people in the world by 2015, without defining which half, or what would happen to the other half. Yet, twenty of the world's poorest countries still receive little or no aid. It is therefore important for a sceptical eye to be cast over what is happening to the aid funds that we contribute through taxes or collection tins, particularly for causes and crises in Africa.
This book by a Dutch journalist sets out to do precisely that, beginning by reviewing the creation of the concept of humanitarian aid in the middle of the Nineteenth Century with the foundation of the Red Cross with a presumed duty to relieve human suffering unconditionally. The author's case is that by doing so, the aid agencies put themselves at the mercy of the belligerents and the corrupt.
Using well documented examples, she demonstrates how TV and the Internet have raised awareness of crises, and how - as the news media cut costs - journalists have become passive processors of the agencies' publicity. The agencies themselves manipulate the media by highlighting or even exaggerating the worst cases of need to help them in the competition to raise money. That might be considered `fair game' were it not for the fact that insurgents and corrupt regimes deliberately worsen situations to attract attention.
Many of the smaller agencies are inexperienced and provide inappropriate assistance. Their multiplicity only serves to make the situation worse. If one refuses to help, there will always be another willing to step in to justify its existence, assisting corrupt governments which have maintained the crises in their countries to enable them to milk the agencies by taxing imported food and medical supplies or by ensuring that services available to them can only be provided by associates of the regime.
It is widely estimated that 60% (or more) of aid money is lost through corruption. The delegation of responsibility to sub-contractors makes it almost impossible to check whether money is being spent properly.
Inevitably, given the content, the book depends heavily on anecdotes and unattributed comments from agency staff, but there is enough hard evidence elsewhere, such as the US Auditor General's reports on aid to Iraq, and World Bank reports. The presentation in the book is aimed at giving pause for thought in an arena in which hearts rather than minds have too often influenced decisions. There is no easy solution to the problems she raises, but at the moment no one is talking about them. Perhaps this book will do a little to help to end the conspiracy of silence.
This book by a Dutch journalist sets out to do precisely that, beginning by reviewing the creation of the concept of humanitarian aid in the middle of the Nineteenth Century with the foundation of the Red Cross with a presumed duty to relieve human suffering unconditionally. The author's case is that by doing so, the aid agencies put themselves at the mercy of the belligerents and the corrupt.
Using well documented examples, she demonstrates how TV and the Internet have raised awareness of crises, and how - as the news media cut costs - journalists have become passive processors of the agencies' publicity. The agencies themselves manipulate the media by highlighting or even exaggerating the worst cases of need to help them in the competition to raise money. That might be considered `fair game' were it not for the fact that insurgents and corrupt regimes deliberately worsen situations to attract attention.
Many of the smaller agencies are inexperienced and provide inappropriate assistance. Their multiplicity only serves to make the situation worse. If one refuses to help, there will always be another willing to step in to justify its existence, assisting corrupt governments which have maintained the crises in their countries to enable them to milk the agencies by taxing imported food and medical supplies or by ensuring that services available to them can only be provided by associates of the regime.
It is widely estimated that 60% (or more) of aid money is lost through corruption. The delegation of responsibility to sub-contractors makes it almost impossible to check whether money is being spent properly.
Inevitably, given the content, the book depends heavily on anecdotes and unattributed comments from agency staff, but there is enough hard evidence elsewhere, such as the US Auditor General's reports on aid to Iraq, and World Bank reports. The presentation in the book is aimed at giving pause for thought in an arena in which hearts rather than minds have too often influenced decisions. There is no easy solution to the problems she raises, but at the moment no one is talking about them. Perhaps this book will do a little to help to end the conspiracy of silence.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The book arrived in very good time and in excellent condition. It had been recommended reading in The Times. It described how terribly awry all aid can go and be positively dangerous for helping the wrong parties. Corrupt governments intercept monetary and material aid and/or it simply gets distributed to groups who use it towards their own cruel ends. The contents of the book can seem repetetive---unhappily having to illustrate on so many fronts and in so many situatuons how utterly wasted much of the well-intentioned assistance becomes.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Sadly disappointed
I started the book anticipating a good read. I am interested in this subject. I never got to find out if the content is good though. Read more
Published 7 months ago by ukreader
Brilliant - ignore the detractors
I find it very interesting that some of the reviewers of this book view it as having too many anecdotes, and not enough empirical backing. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Andrew Harrison
War Games by Linda Polman
A very readable book with interst on every page, War Games exposes the real facts about the operations of the Aid Agencies in Africa and Asia. Read more
Published 11 months ago by J. Wilkinson
Worrying book that more people should read
This book is a quick and easy read and I would like to see more people reading it as I think it raises a lot of questions that deserve to be answered. Read more
Published 11 months ago by EMB
Interesting, Uniquely Depressing Book
A long time ago someone I know made a throwaway comment about the fact the money raised for Live Aid didn't help, it made things worse, not better. Read more
Published 19 months ago by pjr
Further corroboration, if needed...
It is perhaps significant that the cynical voices raised against this book come from people who have been involved in the aid business and feel tarred with the same brush. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Joiner
Disappointed
Linda Polman uses a series casual observations made on her own priviliged forays into places few choose to go to come to some odd and outdated conclusions. Read more
Published 20 months ago by ChrisH42
The Florence Nightingale question
Polman asks an important question. If an army (as Napoleon remarked) marches on its stomach, does supplying humanitarian aid help third world armies to march? Read more
Published 20 months ago by James-philip Harries
War Games
This is a first-class expose of the Humanitarian-aid industry by a well-informed observer. One report, that has been doing the rounds, suggests that of every $3 donated only 6... Read more
Published 24 months ago by A. J. Ivins
not the whole 9 yards!
I bought the book hoping for an in depth critique and analysis of the subject and some answers to the problems thrown up by the author....but I was disappointed! Read more
Published on 30 May 2010 by SG
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