I read you link sometime ago and it has not changed my perception nor my views. From your link:


However, even though the charts above do show US aid to be poor (in percentage terms) compared to the rest, the generosity of the American people is far more impressive than their government. Private aid/donation has been through charity of individual people and organizations though this of course can be weighted to certain interests and areas. Nonetheless, it is interesting to note for example, per latest estimates, Americans privately give at least $34 billion overseas—more than twice the US official foreign aid of $15 billion at that time.

While Adelman admits that “there are no complete figures for international private giving” she still says that Americans are “clearly the most generous on earth in public—but especially in private—giving”.


I still think that the U.S. needs to pull out from everywhere (militarily, financially). Any aid should go into a universal pot that is handled by a multinational group overseen by multiple countries. That will never happen because the government uses the aid to achieve what it considers in the best interest of this country and its citizens totally unbeknownst to its citizens.

The primary focus of our tax dollars should be the problems here in the U.S. Until those are resolved, we have no business giving to the world. Fair trade amongst countries is a better means of providing productive aid (if it can be kept out of the money grubbing hands). Once money goes to any country we have no control over how it is spent and the majority of the time the people in the beneficiary country as a whole see no benefit and know themselves that the money is going to crooks within their own country.








>>>>Riiiight. Ok so it's only .17% of our GNI - but its still the HIGHEST dollar amount of any country. So we give more $ than anyone - yet it's still not enough huh? Maybe instead of the Netherlands giving .81 they whould try to give 10.0 so you guys can catch up to us.
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>>>Lets see, the US has approx 18-20 times the number of dutch citizens. So how would you expect giving more than the US?? Our GNI simply is much less. All has to be seen in proportions, and that is not too favourable to the US.
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>>>Anyways, the argument was whether the US is exceptional generous in terms of financial aids. The answer is: not compared to other western countries.
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>>I was suggesting that the US is exceptionally geneours - I was simply saying that we give more money than ANYONE. Also keep in mind that most of this comes from private citizen's too.
>>Another way to look at it is that hey is our money, we earned it ourselves, and should be allowed to spend it as we see fit. If it's blowing it all on a big house and nice car - so be it. If it's giving it to people with their hands out then that's fine too. I just find it annoying that you give someone something then they wanna whimper and say that you didnt give them enough. Perhaps they should figure out a way to make their own money so our citizens can help out each other instead of someone on the other side of the world.
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>If you've got the time, please read the following link. It will give you a total different perspective on the definition of financial aid. You'll think twice in complaining of getting your money back when a recipient is critical. http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Debt/USAid.asp
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>Walter,