I get a little irritated when I hear about our federal government giving money to countries that hate us and burn our flag when our debt is approaching seventeen trillion dollars and we have to borrow from foreign countries to cover our extravagant spending.
How much does the federal government give away in foreign aid? That is a good question. After a week of research, I have numbers as low as 13 billion or 1% of federal spending, and as high as 38%. If we use the low 1% number, a large part goes to fighting aids.
It depends on what is counted as foreign aid and who is doing the counting. As the saying goes, “Figures don’t lie, but liars figure.” Do we count loans that will never be paid back? Do we count military aid or just humanitarian?
We just gave twenty F-16 fighter jets and two hundred Abrams tanks to Egypt as part of their annual aid, which tops $1 billion dollars. This is to an unstable country with a Muslim Brotherhood President who has called our President a liar, hates Jews and Israel. I may call our President a liar, but I don’t like countries we are giving a billion dollars a year doing it. This is at the same time some people in government want to ban responsible citizens from owning gun magazines that hold over ten rounds. How stupid is this?
Regardless of the number or percentage we use, we do know that a large portion is wasted. Congress wastes some. Foreign political elite steals some for their personal gain and it never helps the people it is indented to help.
We also know that private US charities give generously to foreign humanitarian aid. This number may be twenty times what the government gives in humanitarian aid. As I have stated many times, I believe most aid should come from the private sector charities that are much more efficient in most cases than our federal government.
We cannot afford what the federal government is currently giving to foreign governments. I also question if we are getting good results diplomatically. I wrote a blog called “Isolationism – Internationalism – Separatism” on 9/18/2012. I don’t advocate isolationism, but I don’t think we can continue to financially support the world or be the world’s police force.
This may be academic anyway, because if we don’t reduce the size of government to get our spending and debt under control, many decisions will be made for us. I hope and pray we wake up before that happens. God bless America.
I was watching, too, and Islamic ties were immediately implicated by FOX as well as by all other national media syndications. Hispanics were also mentioned, but I would understand why considering the drug war. I therefore disagree with this post. I would appreciate the opportunity to respond to the Foreign Aid post, but don't see it. Would you please allow that opportunity? Thanks
ReplyDeleteFirst off, my comment above was not originally associated with this post, but rather on the Boston bombing post. I respectfully encourage you to move it to its appropriate place, and thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this one.
ReplyDeleteI disagree that US money should not be spent on foreign aid, but agree with you philosophically that such aid should have a corresponding benefit, or quid pro quo, to the US. Our status as a global power is what we should base our foreign policies to maintain. But if we gain nothing from it, then it is a waste. A lot of this value is intrinsic and therefore difficult to quantify; however, it is the federal government's job to do this.