Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Post No. 116a: Article of Interest: U.S. Sends Emergency Aid to Pakistan
We just came across an article indicating that the United States is about to send emergency aid to Pakistan. Several questions:
1. Should the U.S. send aid to Pakistan during the current economic slowdown?
2. Should the U.S. have sent aid to Pakistan one year ago, before the economic slowdown became apparent?
3. Without performing the research to determine the answer, where do you believe the U.S. stands in rank (in terms of percentage of GDP) in providing foreign aid?
4. Do you believe that it is ever appropriate to provide foreign aid to other countries if there are hard working, law abiding, tax paying U.S. citizens giving it their all, who are having difficulty making financial ends meet?
5. Should the U.S. have anticipated the current unrest in Pakistan when the U.S. encouraged the former "President" and military leader to step down, and return control to civilians in order to allow democracy to work?
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1. Yes
ReplyDelete2. Yes
3. Very low, among affluent, Western nations.
4. Not if the former would preclude helping the latter. (But that is NEVER, in actuality, the case.
5. Yes.
1. Yes
ReplyDelete2. Yes (and I am sure we did)
3. I would guess 3rd or 4th but 1st in amount
4. Yes
5. Yes
Foreign aid can longer be withheld. Once started it must be continued. Like paying extortion or, conversely, bribes. stop paying them and you will suffer the consequences.
As some of you know I have been blogging on this and other national and International politics so I know some of the answers. Thank you Log. for putting this issue up. I will be monitoring the answers. I would hope that those responding give their reasons for their beliefs.
ReplyDeleteDouglas, how right you are! IN THE LONG RUN. bb
I feel a country should first take care of it's own people and then worry about other countries.
ReplyDeleteOnce you begin thought ot help it is very difficult to say no, we can't do it anymore.
The US has soldiers in these countries. If it didn't want to be involved, it shouldn't have gone there in the first place.
9/11 was about hunting down Bin Laden and then they got side tracked. But they caught many terrorists and should continue the sweep till frre countries are safe
All of our researchers are out today attending a conference. Would someone with some time available like to research the answer to Question No. 3 above, but not limit it to percentage of GDP, but also determine the absolute amount. In fact, a listing of countries might be helpful. We would greatly appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Be sure to include the source of your info.
I am in agreement with "A Lady's Life." I think that a country should take care of its own before it tries to help others in foreign countries. The stronger we are internally, the better able we are to assist others. Additionally, often times, the money is channeled to corporate interests, and greedy, autocratic leaders in third world countries, and does not actually reach the people for whom it is intended.
ReplyDeleteWhy should a worker busting his butt to make 37,000 to feed himself and his family, have taxes taken out of his income and have that money spent to help any other country?
http://salt.claretianpubs.org/stats/2005/01/sh0501a.html
ReplyDeleteThe above site gives a fair rundown. I found in researching this that it is difficult to get clear figures. Foreign aid comes in many forms and has many names.
This Wikipedia piece on Foreign Aid may also be helpful.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_aid