[knarf]

Y'know ... I wonder if .. when we "send" or "give" money to someone .. is it cash right now, or some kind of promissory note, or goods, or whatever.

And if we're cash strapped .. where does that money come from ... do we have a double super secret savings account stash ... or does the IMF print up some more egyptian sand dollars and charge it to us as a loan (putting us further in debt)

?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Probably an “advance” from the Lippo Bank.

[Ben Ficklin]

"where does the money come from"

It comes from Congress. We fund Civil Society NGOs as part of our foreign policy.

Sometimes it is controversial because it often supports the political opposition.

After Morsi took power in Egypt, he arrested some NGOers, including some Americans(2011). We forced him to release the Americans but they were all convicted in 2013 and sentenced to jail. The Americans were convicted in absentia.

Putin is very critical of this. Carter gave money to those in Afghanistan which lead to the Soviet invasion there. Then the NGO money went to the Orange and Velvet revolutions(Ukraine and Georgia) and probably played a part in the recent uprising in Ukraine.

And this NGO money was supporting Putin's political opposition in Russia. Putin cut off all that money and threw Pussy Riot in jail.