Chris

>>If a country doesn't want the aid, a simple "No thank you" will suffice.

AFAICS, most criticism of US Aid comes from within, with US observers complaining that relative to wealth, the USA falls well behind many other first world nations. Whether that is a relevant point is up to you. In terms of $ the fact is that the USA provides vast aid to Africa and Asia- not just governmental aid but Church and other private aid that you may never hear about and may not appear in official figures. E.g. a single Midwest US Church group funds (or used to fund) the hospital in Mount Selinda at the Zimbabwe/Mozambique border. When I was young and idealistic in the 1980s I did a stint there. The church group was humble, making sacrifices to support people worse off than themselves, seeking no tax advantage or reciprocal benefits in this life. IMHO that typifies the real generosity of the USA and its citizens; believe me, you do have more friends than you know, even if those friends are not as vocal as your detractors.

>>If a country doesn't want one of our factories, a simple "No thank you" will also suffice.

IMHO this does not reflect economic realities in the African/Asian 3rd World. "The exploited" do not have the sophistication or world awareness to allow them to behave as we might.

Regards

JR