A REAL SHOCKER…..SOME COUNTRIES DON’T WANT U.S. FINANCIAL AID!

(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Daniel Drezner Vaughn’s Summery)

(James Bovard, U.S. Agency for International Development, Frazer Chronicle)

 

It is a real shocker when a kid turns down a chocolate bar, it’s shocking when an alcoholic turns down a drink, and it’s a shocker when somebody turns down an outreached hand with thousands of dollars with few external strings attached. However as the world turns, and as thinking becomes more abstract, people are more able to read between the lines, and to understand the hidden agendas that are attached to a gift of money, machines, or equipment, the intended recipient of the financial aid becomes wary, and takes a second look at the benevolent benefactor.

 

Of course I’m talking about the United States, who else goes running around the world with hundred dollar bills stuffed in their pockets? The theme song of American diplomats is Dough-Ray-Me, Dough-Ray-Me. Money as it’s used by American diplomats and ambassadors is used as a cure-all for every political miss-step, every crime against human-kind, and depending on how friendly the current dictator is, to sometimes prop-up regimes.  

 

The United States has been using foreign aid for more than sixty years, and has usually been judged not on results, rather on the perceived intent. Foreign aid programs, for military aid, and humanitarian reasons by now has dumped trillions since the beginning of the big brother, world protector era. Yet success can be counted on the fingers of the hands.

 

Nowhere in the conversation with regards to foreign aid is the private organizations that donate billions of dollars every year. This is above and beyond what the federal government offers in aid. However both government, and the privet sector seem to hold the same cards in their hands…..that want something in return.

 

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE GOVERNMENT

I remember a few years ago, a grade school down the block from my house here in Green Bay had a  sign out front that had that catch phrase watch us grow during the course of a summer remodeling project. It struck me as weird, funny, and stupid at the same time, somebody somewhere forgot that there isn’t any initial growth in a grade school, it’s like throwing money down a deep dark hole, taxpayers don’t see the results of grade school education for ten or fifteen years.

 

The grade school was using taxpayer money to improve the buildings and grounds, and sure as hell should have known that watching a grade school grow was really stupid. Anyways within a week of the sign being posted, it was just as quickly taken down, apparently somebody got the message, or woke up to the fact that the sign wasn’t in the best interest of a grade school buildings improvement.

 

In a way, the same kind of scenario can be sited with foreign aid programs, whatever good is derived from U.S. benevolence won’t be realized for ten or fifteen years. In the meantime, I wonder why the lion’s share of our foreign aid goes to peace and security. What in the hell is up with that…..oh wait…..I know, some U.S. militaries company which makes some sort of war machine…..like airplanes, tanks, rifles, bullets, and all sorts of other military hardware, can hire workers to make the crap and the workers make money, the owners make money, and taxes are paid…..and the United States makes money.

 

What a wonderful scenario, everybody makes a few bucks, actually $10.68 billion bucks, I’m not sure how to equate dollars to peace…..but I sure as hell know how to speak dollar bills when security is talked about.

Here’s a few more figures for you actuaries out there…..they may surprise you, but then again, because it’s the United States Government that we’re talking about, maybe it won’t. Anyway here they is a list of FY requested foreign aid:

a. Program support, $2.24 billion

b. Peace and security, $10.68 billion

c. Democracy, human rights and governance, $2.8 billion

d. Economic development, $3.9 billion

e. Education and social services, $1.03 billion

f.  Environment, $675 million

g. Health, $8.57 billion

h. Humanitarian assistance, $3.79 billion

 

$33.775 billion

 

The figures are supplied by the U.S. Department of State and I guess I struggle with several figures or categories (oh yes, and by the way, the categories are in a pie type thingy) which I think is really neat. Why is peace and security, democracy-human rights and governance, humanitarian assistance and education and social services at a pricy $28.30 billion…..would somebody please tell me that, it almost sounds like a state getting ready for a war.

 

I have no problem with foreign aid, I have no problem reaching out to foreign governments, and convincing them that our way is the right way. It’s called diplomacy, politics, and it’s a game that has been going on about as the world has been around.

 

HOWEVER I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN

I’m really tired of our presidents doling out funds on a calculated effort to ensure that countries take our side over another country. Sure it’s a game that’s been going on almost forever; I just said that above, but God, how long can we afford to continue.

 

What would almost $34 billion dollars injected into our economy do, what would it mean, and I’m not even going to the billions that the Pentagon spends every year on war…..I blogged enough about that crap. When countries that are in obvious need recoil at American money, I start to wonder exactly how far we will go as a nation to influence the world.

 

Is this how a democracy works, is it how a democracy was designed…..I don’t think so, I believe it is almost past the time to take the weighty duty of doling out taxpayers money to foreign governments so that they can…..well, there you have me…..I don’t know what they intend to do with their new found booty.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!