"cancel debt" translation: let the American taxpayer pick up the tab and why not? we pay for everything else.
I wonder if my mortgage lender would cancel my debt? My mortgage payment is preventing me from affording better education and more food for my children.Naturally I want to be able to stay in my house but I don't want the debt any longer.
Credit is a wonderful thing. It can provide capital to build roads and schools and attract further investment. If you default on your credit or crying to Congress that you shouldn't have to pay it back then it's going to be much more difficult to get credit again.

I remember seeing a tee shirt years ago: "Bottomless Pit of Want and Need," it said.

Wonder if there's one big enough to fit over the whole of Africa? I bet the folks in China could make one.

and he eats for a day.... teach a man to fish and ... forget it - neither approach works in Africa... can we just declare that continent a lost cause and move on?

*** "and he eats for a day.... teach a man to fish and ... forget it - neither approach works in Africa... can we just declare that continent a lost cause and move on?" ***

At a time of massive government debt, where Americans are being told our government can't afford to do this, that, or the other, we're actually doubling spending on PEPFAR (African AIDs "relief") to $10 billion - yes 10 BILLION - a year.

I would gladly support African debt cancellation, if it came hand-in-hand with a Constitutional amendment barring every American government institution from ever giving another dime to Africa.

I think Bono's made it hip to give to Africa, and a lot of politicians just wanting to be soon looking cool standing next to him.