Should the U.S. cut foreign aid

[High_Gravity]

Countries don't hate us, morons, their govts are the problem...

Not necessarily, for example under Mubarak the Egyptian government loved us because we were giving them billions each year, the average Egyptian on the street hated us because we were aiding the government that made their lives miserable. Same thing in Pakistan, Jordan, etc etc

 

[idb]

Aid isn't all altruism.
Much of it is part of foreign policy.

Foreign policy doesn't only involve the military.

 

[High_Gravity]

Aid isn't all altruism.
Much of it is part of foreign policy.

Foreign policy doesn't only involve the military.

Why is it the duty of the US to dispense billions of dollars to countries all around the globe?

 

[idb]

Countries don't hate us, morons, their govts are the problem...

Not necessarily, for example under Mubarak the Egyptian government loved us because we were giving them billions each year, the average Egyptian on the street hated us because we were aiding the government that made their lives miserable. Same thing in Pakistan, Jordan, etc etc

I wonder if there has been some sort of analysis of the "Pakistani-in-the-street's" reaction to the US response to the floods there in 2010.
That was some good PR.

 

[idb]

Aid isn't all altruism.
Much of it is part of foreign policy.

Foreign policy doesn't only involve the military.

Why is it the duty of the US to dispense billions of dollars to countries all around the globe?

That's my point...it isn't all about a sense of duty.
Targetted aid is used as an instrument of foreign policy.

 

[High_Gravity]

Countries don't hate us, morons, their govts are the problem...

Not necessarily, for example under Mubarak the Egyptian government loved us because we were giving them billions each year, the average Egyptian on the street hated us because we were aiding the government that made their lives miserable. Same thing in Pakistan, Jordan, etc etc

I wonder if there has been some sort of analysis of the "Pakistani-in-the-street's" reaction to the US response to the floods there in 2010.
That was some good PR.

Young Pakistanis that attend the madrassas that are funded by religious Saudis are taught to hate America, Israel and the West with a burning fury, and to reject any aid or help that comes from them.

 

[High_Gravity]

Aid isn't all altruism.
Much of it is part of foreign policy.

Foreign policy doesn't only involve the military.

Why is it the duty of the US to dispense billions of dollars to countries all around the globe?

That's my point...it isn't all about a sense of duty.
Targetted aid is used as an instrument of foreign policy.

If thats what it is we are failing miserably and we need to bring our cash back home, because what we are doing now is not working. We need to stop sending foot and shit to North Korea also.

 

[CaughtInTheMid]

i think many americans (and it appears more republicans than democrats) like baby sitting other countries. nothing like country welfare when you can't pay your own bills.

 

[California Girl]

$37B in Economic Aid
$15B in Military Aid

Cutting both will not balance out budget.

First it is understood that not all "economic aid" sent to a country is used for said purpose. Secondly you mean to tell me that we couldn't use at least 15 billion dollars in our own country?

If the GOP allowed us to, yes, we could use it. But other countries can use it more. The dollar is weaker than in the past, but it still goes along way overseas.

Why do you keep making a mockery of your username?

 

[California Girl]

Anyone who thinks this is a 'yes' or 'no' issue is too stupid to enter into a discussion about foreign aid.

 

[CaughtInTheMid]

Anyone who thinks this is a 'yes' or 'no' issue is too stupid to enter into a discussion about foreign aid.

do you mean just for the US or for other countries as well?

 

[DontBeStupid]

We should cut all aid to countries that hate us... simple as that.

How do we get them to like us then?

Perhaps by doing business with them to drive up their economy, or simply stay out of their business? lol but pumping billions of our tax dollars is not the way. We have sent billions of dollars to Pakistan, yet they were hiding Osama bin Laden from us for around 8 years. And I'm sorry but I do not believe that the Pakistani gov and ISI did not know Osama was there.

America: Hey there Country B. We'd like to be your friend. Would you like to buy any of our stuff?
Country B: Sorry, we can't. We don't have a lot of money. But, how about you buy some of our stuff?
America: Nah, you don't make anything we want. But hey, we're still friends, right?
Country B: Sure. Oh hey, as a friend, do you want to help us build this school? It'll help us train our workers and then maybe we could make stuff you like?
America: Nah, we don't do that. We don't give anything away. Nothing personal. It's just business.
Country B: Oh, ok.
Iran: Hey Country B, we'll help you build that school. What did you want to make again?

 

[GHook93]

Billions and billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars go to maintaining foreign military's. Should we cut some/all of this funding?

Here is the issue with the foreign aid arguement. It brings a heated discussion, but in the end it's less than 1% of the budget. It's not going to make or break us. Fight about big cuts that can actually balance the budget!

I agree totally, but I feel that we have to start somewhere. If we can all, as Americans agree to cut foreign aid, at least that is a start. We can go ahead and tackle the issues we all agree on, then try to work out other issues, like national defense, which uses 20% of our budget. Those kinds of issues will take much debate, as well it should because our national defense is important.

It you want to start somewhere start with Pork Barrel Projects! Ron Paul would be against cutting pork, since he was such a porker! But pork also is less than 1% of the budget. These would be symbolic moves that wouldn't put us on a path to properity or a balance budget. If you want symbolic moves then listen to an Obama speech, if you want real deficit deduction that go towards what causes the deficit an attack that. Symbolic moved like cutting 1% of the budget are PR moves to cover up the fact that they don't want to make the painful cuts!

What is pork you ask?
Citizens Against Government Waste:
(1) Requested by only one chamber of Congress;
(2) Not specifically authorized;
(3) Not competitively awarded;
(4) Not requested by the President;
(5) Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding;
(6) Not the subject of congressional hearings; and
(7) Serves only a local or special interest.

Big Dig failures threaten federal funding - The Boston Globe
it involves funding for government programs whose economic or service benefits are concentrated in a particular area but whose costs are spread among all taxpayers.

 

[Valox]

From a budget perspective, foreign aid are pennies on a dollar and won't make a big difference.

I personally don't mind supporting some humanitarian aid, but that has its own problems at times. However, we should stop spending foreign to goad countries to play nice with each (i.e. Israel and Egypt) and stop our military aid.

 

[California Girl]

Anyone who thinks this is a 'yes' or 'no' issue is too stupid to enter into a discussion about foreign aid.

do you mean just for the US or for other countries as well?

The US and UK are the only two countries whose spending is in any way relevant to me. Because I pay taxes in both.

As far as I am aware, we don't get to tell other countries how to spend their money.

 

[The T]

you should have an option that aid should be reviewed, and decreased where feasible.

Or flat out cut off when those countries badmouth us with thier hands out.

 

[revolutionary20]

Anyone who thinks this is a 'yes' or 'no' issue is too stupid to enter into a discussion about foreign aid.

do you mean just for the US or for other countries as well?

The US and UK are the only two countries whose spending is in any way relevant to me. Because I pay taxes in both.

As far as I am aware, we don't get to tell other countries how to spend their money.

nope we aren't trying to tell other countries what to do. Only America and we have that right.

 

[revolutionary20]

I think that it is really funny how we are running out of money for important social programs, and education in our own country, yet our government feels compelled to give billions of dollars to other countries around the world. It is not our job as the U.S. to ensure the sovereignty of every State. Now, I will say that once we get ourselves back on the right track, and start doing better as a country, then hell yes, lets go help those that REALLY need it. But hell, fix your own country first, that's all I am saying.

 

[revolutionary20]

First it is understood that not all "economic aid" sent to a country is used for said purpose. Secondly you mean to tell me that we couldn't use at least 15 billion dollars in our own country?

If the GOP allowed us to, yes, we could use it. But other countries can use it more. The dollar is weaker than in the past, but it still goes along way overseas.

Why do you keep making a mockery of your username?

Humor me oh wise one.. how am I doing so? And that's really sad all you can do is poke at my username lol get a life

 

[imbalance]

Aid isn't all altruism.
Much of it is part of foreign policy.

Foreign policy doesn't only involve the military.

I agree with this. We're the only country that can print the world's reserve currency; we're the only country who's government can print global hegemony; we're the only country who inexplicably issues sovereign credit to foreign countries in exchange for imports of their real economic production; we're the only country that can invest $trillions in domestic nonproductivity to finance its ponzi-economy; we're the only country that has the option of not taxing its citizens as well as writing off its internal debt; we're the only country that can default on sovereign debt 40+ years ago and continue to sell debt rather than declare insolvency; we're the only country who can define and operate above International Rule of Law; we're the only country that can prematurely declare peak oil and conserve its natural resources by exploiting the rest of the world's; we're the only country that actively chooses not to end world hunger by manipulating world food prices to leverage our foreign puppet rulers; etc etc etc

We are able to do all of this because decades of pre-WWI free-enterprise & non-interventionist system of responsible government under the Rule of Law positioned us as history's greatest superpower post-WWII. By virtue of our strength the UN Bretton Woods System established the $USD world reserve currency and created an instant US monopoly on economic hegemony.

As long as we're using this hegemony to grow the size and scope of government power, we're going to be expected to throw some scraps to the rest of the world that they may be content to remain constrained by this global imbalance of power.