William Bowen wrote: >> >> "If, actually, the foreign assistance of many countries now is 0.1 >> or 0.2 percent of the gross national income, I think that is >> stingy, really," he said. "I don't think that is very generous." " > > He's right, that isn't very generous, but at the same time, is an > appeal for aid the right time to slap "many countries" for not being > "very generous"?
What better time is there? >> ""The 0.2 percent of U.S. gross national product represented by >> foreign aid obligations the past two years, however, is among the >> smallest amounts in the last half-century. The United States is the >> largest international economic aid donor in dollar terms but is >> the smallest contributor among the major donor governments when >> calculated as a percent of gross national income," said the report, >> which is posted on the U.S. State Department's Web site." > > that .2% doesn't include food donations of which the US is the > largest donor worldwide. Great, dump your surplusses on the market and ruin local farmers: http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Poverty/FoodDumping.asp > It also doesn't include private donations > (individuals, non-profita and corporations)of which the US is > responsible for ~$30 Billion per year in targeted foreign aid. Private donations do not offset government obligations. > Unless we grant your wish and close up shop... Like I said, if combined with dropping subsidies for local producers (mostly farmers) and dropping trade barriers, that would be the best long term solution. The problem of course being that governments tend to reduce aid decades before reducing trade barriers. > I agree, and we should, additionally, lead by example and donate to > the causes we feel will do the most good. Why donate? Take your business there. Book a holiday to Thailand or Sri Lanka :) > Okay, but I'll just have to go from the US government numbers, given > that they are largely the only ones being reported. Google has a great site for news: http://news.google.com/ Just skim the headlines, you don't even have to read the articles. Jochem ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Gold Sponsor - CFHosting.net http://www.cfhosting.net Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:141141 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
