One more thing: the problem with this thread is that you're trying to pursue
a subjective question: Is America generous?
I've simply made and proven the point that, even using your numbers and with
several things omitted, objectively, the U.S. gives more in aid than any
other single country.
Now you can attack our motives, but if I were to donate $20 million to add a
wing to my local hospital the people who like me would say "what a magnamous
and generous gesture" and those who hate me will say "he only did it to get
his name honored". The only question that matters is: "is the hospital
better off or worse off with the addition of the new wing?"
The self-interest angle is moot, anyway, because Japan, Germany, France, et
al. make the same kinds of conditions and economic tie ins as the U.S. does.
Obviously, we're not going to give a country $20,000 to go but a Japanes
car, we're going to give them an American car. But what's the difference,
they still get a car?
"Clark Pope" <cepope@mindspring.com> wrote in message news:...
"AK" <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote in message
news:itd7g0lpr8koke8d1sedrag6j9ckvdd5rf@4ax.com...
On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 12:52:14 GMT, "Clark Pope" <cepope@mindspring.com>
wrote:
Yes, we have a small percentage as compared to our GNP, but it is still
twice as much in absolute dollars as anyone else.
Even in absolute dollars, Japan used to be ranked higher than US (until
their
economy collapsed.) Other developed countries, like France and Germany,
were
never that behind (even in absolute numbers).
GNP is relevant. A poor man who gives 100 dollars to a beggar is more
generous
than a rich man who does the same. As a percentage of GNP, US ranks LAST
among
the world's wealthiest countries (at about 0.1 percent).
Also, a lot of US aid is blackmail for political purposes. Examples:
Israel and
Egypt, Jordan (for signing peace with Israel). US has given more money
to
a rich
country like tiny Israel (population 6 million) than to entire starving
sub-Saharan Africa combined. Other examples of political "generosity":
Pakistan,
Philippines, and most of South America.
If you take all this in consideration, the US is even less generous than
what
already bad stats show.
When we removed Saddam from Kuwait was that cost counted as foreign
aid?
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait paid for the war (US might have even made
money).
Look
it up.
When foreign students come to
study in U.S. grad schools, paying in tuition a fraction of the expense
of
their education, counted as foreign aid?
Give me a break! US universities make millions because of foreign
students
(since they have to pay out-of-state fees which is much higher than what
most
Americans pay).
What about the millions of Mexican
illegal immigrants receiving education and social services benefits?
They work and pay taxes and are a backbone of US economy. Your economy
will
collapse without them.
They're not paying taxes, thats the point, they're illegal. Even for those
that are, the cost per year to educate one student is about $12,000. I'm
pretty sure they're not paying that much each year per child.
Our economy would be just fine. I detassled corn, mowed lawns, and picked
strawberries as a kid for summer work.
How about the $400 billion dollars in goods
and services that we import more than export each year?
We could provide a whole lot more
foreign aid, too, if not for the $420 billion a year we're spending on
defense.
Self-interest. The military is used to project US power around the world
to
ensure dominance (this applies to everything you said about Korea and
other US
bases everywhere in the world).
So is Korea better off or worse off with our troops there? Are NATO
members
safer or less safe with us as a member? Seems to me our self-interest is
frequently in the best interest for much of the world.
.
