Clinton calls for US to increase foreign aid to defeat terrorism

[Stephanie]

4 September 2006 Former US President Bill Clinton has called for the US to sharply increase foreign aid, suggesting it was important in fighting terrorists and "cheaper than going to war".



In an interview with American news channel CNN, Clinton pointed out that the US government gives a little more than 10 billion dollars a year in real aid and that Washington should be offering a lot more.



Clinton said the US should be giving aid at the target level set by the United Nations of 0.7 percent of gross national income. In 2004, total us government foreign aid of 19.7 billion dollars, including all types and recipient countries, hit only about 0.17 percent of gross national income. "We should be giving about 60 billion dollars a year. And in a budget that's what, over two trillion dollars, it's no money, really," he said during the interview. "And it's much cheaper than going to war. We've already spent over 300 billion dollars in Iraq alone”, he said.



"So spending this money to be in a world with more partners and fewer terrorists and more possibility for growth and more prosperity for Americans is a very inexpensive thing to do," the former president said.



President Clinton has set an historical precedent in US-Africa relations by placing strong emphasis on his Partnership Initiative for Economic Growth and Opportunity in Africa.

http://www.africa-interactive.net/index.php?PageID=1612

 

[Nuc]

I thought it was our "aid" that created things like the Taliban and Saddam Hussein in the first place.

 

[William Joyce]

I thought it was our "aid" that created things like the Taliban and Saddam Hussein in the first place.

Yeah. In other words, Billy Boy wants us to buy off the whole damn world. I say we pull the funds from the Israelis, the Egyptians, the Africans and all the rest, and see what happens when they fight it out on their own merits.

 

[Nuc]

Yeah. In other words, Billy Boy wants us to buy off the whole damn world. I say we pull the funds from the Israelis, the Egyptians, the Africans and all the rest, and see what happens when they fight it out on their own merits.

Good idea. We should also make it illegal to pay taxes to foreign governments voluntarily, which is another huge source of income for Israel. If Israel supporters have money to burn, charity begins at home.

 

[007]

Just like a liberal... throw money at the problem, without the slightest clue whether or not it will help.

 

[Nuc]

Just like a liberal... throw money at the problem, without the slightest clue whether or not it will help.

I agree. But on the other hand he balanced the budget, whereas.......well you know.

 

[MissileMan]

I agree. But on the other hand he balanced the budget, whereas.......well you know.

He must have been using imaginary numbers...he thinks 60 billion is no money.

 

[Nuc]

He must have been using imaginary numbers...he thinks 60 billion is no money.

Interesting. I wonder if there is a website that breaks down the Federal budget into a pie chart or percentage graph that shows where the money goes, then we might know what 60 Bil is relatively speaking.

 

[MissileMan]

Interesting. I wonder if there is a website that breaks down the Federal budget into a pie chart or percentage graph that shows where the money goes, then we might know what 60 Bil is relatively speaking.

It's no wonder the feds have no fiscal restraint. If 60 billion is nothing to them, what's 100 million? 200?

 

[Hobbit]

I agree. But on the other hand he balanced the budget, whereas.......well you know.

No he didn't. That figure used the accounting rules made by Congress for the congressional budget. It didn't even include retirement pay to government employees or soldiers. If you use SEC accounting rules, the government has been running a deficit every year since the New Deal started, and that deficit is absolutely huge, as it never makes any mention of the trillions of dollars going to medicare and SS payouts.