Quote Originally Posted by MMI View Post
It's true that the US provides much more foreign aid than any other country, but it needs to be noted where that aid goes before you claim to be doing more than any other to help poorer nations. By far the greatest part of US foreign aid goes to "front-line" states (according to my out-of-date sources, to Israel and Egypt, mostly, neither of which is a developing country, but I'm sure a significant amount is going to Afghanistan and Iraq, too) to support USA's military and political objectives, while the development needs of countries like India receive relatively miniscule amounts. On the other hand, Nordic countries, which give significantly more per head of population than America gives, although less in dollar terms, channel their aid towards the regions where they believe it will do most good.

Yes not only out of date, but inaccurate, and misleading...look at the scource where you got that information. Isreal has never been the top country to recieve aide from the USA.

It's not for nothing that the richest country in the world is known as a "generous miser," because it is recognised that aid from America is given for the donor's benefit, not the recipient's.

That is simpley not true.


Additionally the generosity of the American people is far more impressive than our governments if you do not count those instances where we take upon ourselves the cost of defending said recipients as was the case with Europe and Japan and South Korea.

Private aid/donation typically through the charity of individual people and organizations can be weighted to certain interests and areas. Nonetheless, it is interesting to note for example, per latest estimates, Americans privately give more than twice the US official foreign aid sometimes more at any given time.




I don't know what you are referring to; the Marshall Plan perhaps? It took us until at least the year 2000 to repay the credit you gave us, so, like I said, when you take into account the profits you made on the goods you supplied to help our recovery, plus the interest you received for the credit extended, then the aid you gave was for your benefit rather than ours.

I am refering to the whole kit and kaboodle. Everything from lend lease to actually comming over and sitting there in person with our military for the past century and all the things that come with it and like protecting your borders from the communists after saving you from the fascists. (Gee I wonder how much the USA has spent protecting you and others and how that would look if it were listed as Aide.

Whether you did mean the Marshall Plan or not, it is true that the countries you mention are all under your direct influence ... so much so that we in Britain frequently call ourselves the 51st state. However, you did not change our government, nor France's.

See what nice people we can be if you are cooperative with us.

Finally, if you add the economies of those five nations together, the total would compare with the size of the American economy, yet you'd probably find that the aid given by those five nations far exceeds the aid given by America (I can only find stats for 2002, where those countries' aid donations were twice those of America).

In relationship to their GNDP perhaps on a precentage per capita basis...but not even close in the actual dollar ammount delievered which is still several times more than those countries combined.

If I've missed the point, i apologise: please explain.
My point was...that the United States of America and the Representitive type of Democracy we promote...isn't some evil empire like some would have us made out to be from eaither envy, fear or spite and that we have our Founding Fathers and the legacy they have passed down to we their posterity to thank for that.