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Foreign Aid - The question is, can we afford this? As Americans we have helped many in need across the globe. This has been part of our foreign policy. In the following, our current policies are summarized, and an alternative proposed. Our Current Foreign / Military Aid Policy and Related Costs A fortune of our tax dollars are spent on well intended foreign aid; and additionally on funding the militaries of other countries. Other nations do this too. So the question is what do such nations that we help owe the United States, and do we insist on standards in how their government is to reflect principles that look like our own ? This question also applies of course to other nations that afford such aid to those that are not our allies. The Military Aid that we afford other countries comes from US Tax payers. If not immediately, then as forecast, perhaps as an additional tax bill of about $50,000 in 2014 for each tax payer. Please keep in mind that this is a conservative estimate; and that all the money we are sending out in foreign aid is actually borrowed from other nations , like China, who also send out military aid, and not necessarily to our allies. As each of us are finding ways to pay our fair share of this significant debt just a few years from now, are we assured that the nations that we generously send military aid to now, in the future will reflect principles that look like our own. Historically, there are only a few allies where this is the case. Israel is one, and in other examples this it is not. In Afghanistan, bin Laden indirectly was once an ally. Oddly though, our principles were not reflected. Now we have a quasi objective to root out bin Laden. But has the US Congress actually declared war on that country, and do we have a mission and exit strategy, or are we there just spending American lives there for the duration? In many cases, allies are a matter of convenience. In Foreign Policy, our nation looks, theoretically, at our strategic interest and what other nations can serve them. Consider the two articles posted at Care2.com about another unstable nation who for now is supposed to be our ally:
As not having any facts/intelligence offered to me directly, I cannot say who was responsible for this assignation, or will intend to accuse anyone for it. We recently decided that Iran was an enemy. This is even though their president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, came to our country to reach out to us. He was subjected to interviews that could be construed as hostile, marked as Evil by many New York Papers like the Daily News, and where just about every Election Candidate of the two major parties demonstrated a Knee Jerk reaction to condemn him. But then our intelligence decided that Iran , in fact, was not making a Nuclear Bomb. Oddly, we as a nation did not send an apology for our behavior. Imagine too, what strides that we accomplish in Foreign Policy! So we should not go off half cocked in accusing anyone, but exercise the due diligence of discovery for what our intelligence is supposed to do for us. Otherwise it simply costs more American Lives, more American Tax Dollars; and can certainly burn briges in Foreign Policy that we should instead be building. This is actually much less expensive than sending Foreign Aid, or Military aid to outher countries too! Proposed Foreign / Military Aid Policy I propose an alternative to how we provide Foreign Aid, and in particular Foreign Military Aid. Many will say that the United Nations, as usual , is a waste of time and money. So the question is why is there a UN in the first place ? I see the United Nations, as not some form or means for a 'New World Order', but to provide a vital balance of nations in our world. As United States Citizens, we also pay a fortune to have the United Nations in New York City. I for one believe that we should get our money's worth. If all foreign aid / military or otherwise was to be managed though the UN, this would call for all nations to put up their fair share for the strategic interest of the vital balance of nations. In the case of War, although our Congress should still be expected to declare it, like in the case of the Korean war, when North Korea went to invade South Korea, although Americans fought that war, it was considered the United Nations fighting North Korea. I do not suggest that it is compulsory that any nation participate in a particular aid program, but then, that nation would certainly stand out. So the question is, can we afford this new policy? -- Orion Karl Daley Presidential Candidate for 2008 Author - The New Deal ISBN: 1419670948 for the Strategic Future of our nation Balanced Party http://unity2008.org New York, NY, USA - |
