As any transaction-minded person would understand, “foreign aid” buys influence. But that doesn’t seem to penetrate to the mob.
Steve
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If my tax dollars are being sent overseas, then my taxes are too high. Charity begins at home. Plenty of social issues that need “influence buying” inside the borders of the USA.
Your tax dollars are sent to Israel, to buy influence with a voting block in the US. Your tax dollars flowed to violently repressive juntas in Latin America, because they were willing to pay lip service to being “good anti-communists”. China is providing major competition in the foreign aid sector with it’s “belt and road” initiative, which has played a role in public improvements in several Latin American and African countries. If the US does not compete for “hearts and minds” with China, we will see a lot more sabre rattling by the US, as it loses influence around the world, and tries to compensate by threatening violence.
I have seen this movie before.
A vote in the United Nations is deadlocked. The deciding vote goes to the tiny, obscure European Republic of Concordia. Its president, known as the General (Peter Ustinov), abstains from voting. To remedy the issue, ambassadors from the United States and Soviet Union attempt to win the General’s favor.
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There are lots of “Charitys” at the strip clubs. Hmmm, a “home away from home”?
“If the US does not compete for “hearts and minds” with China, we will see a lot more sabre rattling by the US, as it loses influence around the world, …”
The Dollar is basically the world currency, right ?
Does the act of the US Gov sending money in foreign aid help persuade the World that the Greenback needs to remain the World currency ? Although it could be the omnipotent US Military that has the largest role in maintaining the Dollars status.
I don’t know the answer, but it kind of seems that it’s really important for the Dollar to retain it’s status as World currency. But maybe not, I sure don’t know.
If the Dollar loses it’s status as the World currency, does that
effectively end the ability of the Fed to just print money ? Sure, they can keep printing and the Dollar will be used in Domestic transaction, but why would the World want to go along with that ? Why wouldn’t they be interested in a different, more stable currency to transact foreign business in ? World Leaders are not blind or stupid, they know the USA Dollar is inexorably losing value every year.
On the home front, TNG is barking that he thinks FEMA should be done away with. FEMA money comes from Federal Tax Dollars right ? The Federal Gov most definitely does not have a balanced budget mandate, but I think that States do have balanced budget mandates. So when hurricanes ravage Florida or other Red States, what do these States do when their portion ( 1/50th, lol ) of what had been FEMA aid runs out ? States can’t print money. And We ( the collective people of other States less prone to be hit by natural disasters ) Citizens of other States need to bank our 1/50th of the former FEMA money for when disasters do hit us.
TNG went bankrupt multiple times, even BK’ing Casino’s.
TNG, per IRS records, lost more money than any American in the Country from 1985-1994.
TNG was infamous for making rash, reckless, thoughtless business decisions.
And America is going to follow TNG’s directions.
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It’s what they voted for.
Good and hard…
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Yes, indeed. The disaster prone states, like Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, get a lecture on “personal responsibility”
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I seem to remember conservative mathematicians who believed that if you eliminated “Foreign Aid & Food Stamps” you could balance the Budget.
Who knew?
intercst
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Well, that’s an overly simplistic view of foreign aid. Truth is, most foreign aid is made for national security reasons, not charity. At home, we subsidize big oil, who clearly doesn’t need the money. We also invest in industry to give the US a competitive edge. Again, not charity. Even disaster relief, which on its face seems charitable, is made for economic stability.
Our nation was founded by a group who were sick and tired of paying taxes to a monarchy where they didn’t have representation. The modern idea of not wanting to pay taxes because of individual greed seems very unpatriotic.
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So no Marshall program? Trade is better than “charity”.
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It is interesting that foreign aid is being frozen except to right-wing hate groups that promote violence.
It is also interesting that the monies aren’t being diverted to needs within the USA.
I wonder why that is?
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The whole foreign aid argument is absolutely hilarious.
Two of the top recipients of US foreign aid are Egypt and Israel.
Who is not getting any aid cut? Egypt and Israel.
The jokes write themselves.
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