Foreign Aid

[PennSkinsFan]

Please Vote

[Spence]

I voted to increase foreign aid. As a percentage of GNP, the U.S. gives less money in foreign aid than any rich country in the world. The problem with our foreign aid budget is that it is determined by politics rather than need. Instead of feeding, clothing, educating and inoculating poor people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, we spend most of our money buying the loyalty of Israel and Egypt. More than half our foreign aid budget goes to just those two countries. It is absurd.

[PennSkinsFan]

I voted to scale back a bit.

Few reasons:

1. Some financial aid comes back to bite us, look at Iraq in the 80's, Afghanastan, and others.

2. Meanwhile back home, inner city school are crumbling, inner city kids are struggling to remain safe and fed. Lets boost out inner cities.

3. How can we help others when we aren't helping ourselves.

[jsarno]

I voted "dammit take care of those at home, cut it!", and here is why:
We are in national debt, with our own country having poverty issues and children not being aided. So I put this analogy to you.
Would you buy gifts / food etc for a foriegner BEFORE your very own family. Just imagine the US as your family! I want 100% of our money staying here until we can completely help our country. WECOME FIRST. Why should we feel guilty for having more money then those over seas? We work hard for it.

[Skins57]

This is one I believe we need to take care of Americans with American tax money. When every American child has health care and food to eat and a chacne at a good eduction then we can look to help others but not before. That would be like me feeding the kids across the street with my daughters lunch money.. should not happen. Take care of your own first

[Spence]

Originally posted by jsarno
I voted "dammit take care of those at home, cut it!", and here is why:
We are in national debt Our foreign aid budget is tiny. We're not in debt because of foreign aid. We're in debt because your favorite man in the White House cut taxes for the wealthy special interests who have bankrolled his political career.

In order to make up for it, let's harvest Bush for his organs and donate them to poor people in need. At least that way the man would stop doing hard and actually help someone for a change.

[Seebs]

:funpost:

I said more, but I'm french...

[jsarno]

Originally posted by Spence
Our foreign aid budget is tiny. We're not in debt because of foreign aid. We're in debt because your favorite man in the White House cut taxes for the wealthy special interests who have bankrolled his political career.

In order to make up for it, let's harvest Bush for his organs and donate them to poor people in need. At least that way the man would stop doing hard and actually help someone for a change.

It's funny how you instantly blame ONE thing on Bush. You do realize that there was a national debt problem BEFORE Bush took office right? Yes, it has gotten higher since he took over, but there has been many reasons as to why it got higher, not just tax cuts. (we don't need to go back down the road of how I feel about taxes and all should be taxed equally...I think we both know were we both stand on that issue)

for the record, I 110% agree that our spending needs to be cut. Too many $500 pens, and $20,000 toilets. There is a lot of fat to be cut, and neither the dems, or republicans have the balls to cut it.

But why spend even $1 to another country when you're very own need it? I don't care if it's a small figure...we need every penny.

[jsarno]

Try to think of your own budget at home (on a much smaller scale of course), but if you cut a little here, a little there, before you know it, there is A LOT of money left over. The country should practice that.

[Keino]

The National Debt has tripled since homeboy took office...........mainly for his unjustified war.

[Spence]

Originally posted by jsarno
for the record, I 110% agree that our spending needs to be cut. Too many $500 pens, and $20,000 toilets. There is a lot of fat to be cut, and neither the dems, or republicans have the balls to cut it.

But why spend even $1 to another country when you're very own need it? I don't care if it's a small figure...we need every penny. You have no idea what is going on right now in Iraq, JSARNO. I've seen the evidence. Cellphones that cost $300 in the U.S. being sold in Iraq by U.S. companies to the U.S. government for $10,000 apiece. Then the U.S. government donates them to their friends in Iraq. And who pays for that? The U.S. taxpayer, of course. At a loss of $9700 per phone, of course. But that's small beans. The real money is being made in massive overcharging in the petroleum sector.

And just guess who is getting virtually every single fat contract! You got it: companies who donated large sums to Bush/Cheney! Halliburton is doing very well. Bechtel, also. This is going to be a huge issue in the 2004 election. The Democrats are watching and taking note of all this. I know because I have their strategy session notes. This issue is going to be used to beat the living hell out of Shrub in the 2004 election. You're not going to like it. You'll accuse those who do it of being traitors who are working for Al Qaeda. But it is going to be done and it is going to work because the American people will be outraged when they learn of the giveaways to Bush/Cheney corporate allies. And the U.S. taxpayer footing the bill.

It's going to be a hellacious firestorm. I can't wait.

[jsarno]

I AGREEING WITH YOU on the spending. The Government has ALWAYS done stupid stuff like that. Bush is not the first to do it, and won't be the last.

The whole point is about foriegn aid, and I just don't see the point in helping other countries that don't give a damn about us when we can help ourselves with that money.
Imagine for a moment an invasion of the USA. How many would come to our rescue?