Rob S, first of all, saying foreign aid in no way helps us is a load of horse@!#$. You know how you make good friends? You help them out when they need it. If your friend broke his leg riding his bicycle, are you just going to ignore it? Let him lay there on the road and do nothing about it. Hey, he shouldn't have been riding his bike in the first place, right? People shouldn't have built up a country that would be hit by a tsunami, right? This is ignorance at it's best. If you help your friend, later on, they will have plenty of incentive to help you back. Do you understand what I'm saying here? Don't think on huge terms like during World War 3 that Sri Lanka will come and bail us out; no, these countries will be much more willing to help us with things we need. We import many, many manufactured goods from the east and keeping relationships good with them would be ideal.

As far as the national debt goes, I hear people spout off about this debt all the time. It's true that George Bush is a horrible president and is at his lowest rating of all time currently, and has no clue at all what he's doing or how to run a country, and is running our county's debt higher, but we have ALWAYS, ALWAYS been in debt and believe it or not, the debt is a GOOD thing. We will NEVER repay all of our loans, etc., whatever. Please read this website before you talk about how horrible the national debt is. Thanks.

Debt isn't always bad...

The problem at this point is that the current DEFECEIT (ie. not even making the interest payments) is growing exponentially, and the US's rating (by the World Bank) as such has take a real beating. Basically, you're racking up bad debt.

As well, The US doesn't even spend 1% of the GDP on foreign aid.

Not even 1 measly percent... It's about 4/10ths of a percent IIRC.




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Real good website on foreign aid

The U.S. may not give as much as other countries as a percentage of GDP but the overall amount of what we give exceeds any other country.

Another article on private U.S. donations

Rollin: true, but the US has far more capacity to give.

There are better way to give aid than just throwing money at a problem... it has to be done smartly.

Also, I think I pointed out that not one nation on earth (much less the G8) gives 1% of the annual GDP as foreign aid. Not even as developmental (ie. med risk, low principle, low/no interest) loans does any Government make that kind of a contribution.

The other thing that is a little odd... after giving a cursory read, the second article doesn't make definition between charitible donations to groups that focus on foreign help versus groups that have interest mainly within the US (ie. Oxfam (foreign), Salvation Army (domestic and foreign), NAACP (Domestic) and Humane Societies/ASPCA/SPCA (local/Domestic)).

BTW, The Fraser Institute is about as much a think-tank as most NGO's... someone says something, therefore it must be true.

The rest of the article is critical of the US gov't's official foreign aid policy.. that's what the thrust of the original posted topic was about.


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Rob S wrote:
Why dont we stop wth this foreign aid crap and fix our own budget problems.

You're not comparing the problems in the States with the problems in Iraq are you?


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Glace wrote:

Rob S wrote:
Why dont we stop wth this foreign aid crap and fix our own budget problems.

You're not comparing the problems in the States with the problems in Iraq are you?

Do you consider Invasion a means of extending foreign aid?



Transeat In Exemplum: Let this stand as the example.

Poster hasn't taken economics or history 101, apparently.


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