I was very disappointed to hear that Food First is now against US government to government nonmilitary? foreign aid, and I'd like some details. Are you sure this is correct? No food aid in the face of famine? I think any blanket opposition to foreign aid is counterproductive--when teaching, I have used the analogy of opposing federal aid such as AFDC to the states on the grounds of opposition to federal or state policies (eg the inadequacy of the AFDC program). I think we have a double standard when it comes to other countries--if the government is corrupt/undemocratic/ younameit, it should receive no aid, even tightly restricted aid. But cut off federal funds (eg AFDC) to a group of US citizens on similar grounds?? Never. Aid often goes a long way towards meeting needs in developing countries--it is likely in the case of much aid that the poor will suffer way before the rich. Of course, a major concern must be improving the responsiveness of the governments of these countries to the needs of their citizens, but threatening to cut off or oppose aid because we disapprove of the government is not the most effective course. On the other hand, many liberals feel reluctant to support workers' groups, women's groups, etc in these countries on grounds that this might be "imperialistic". The appropriate course I would argue must vary by country and by program: Sweden has an interesting approach--it concentrates its aid to governments which it feels are using the aid particularly well and in terms of other countries it concentrates on humanitarian aid. My most intense experience with a poor country and foreign aid was in Bangladesh. Marianne [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------ Subject: [PEN-L:5214] Abolishing AID Bob Naiman suggests it would be good if there was a call to abolish all foreign aid, as Jessie Helms is now pushing for. I think this is very ill thought-out. Clearly some (much) U.S. foregn aid goes to the wrong people. Some goes to help poor people mobilize themselves to organize for primary health care and basic education (e.g. the child survival fund of AID pushed by the black caucus and the hunger coalition). In short, "foregn aid" is very much like "govt. programs". ...it seems to me we should be demanding a different sort of World BAnk instead.
