I've probably missed a whole lot of details in the current aid situation.
But, when I heard we were sending aid I never believed we would be sending "cash". It would be appropriate services like aircraft, personnel, food, water, medical and other necessities.
The UN mentioned money, President Bush mentioned appropriate aid.
Much foreign aid is in cash. Cash goes to the PLO, Pakistan, Yemen, Iran, you name it, all the terrorist organizations get cash.
The U.S. is the major funder of the World Bank, IMF, et al. When Yemen gets a $500 million "loan" to build a plant, we don't send them a sewage plant. They receive cash to build the plant. That cash is then given to the top officials in Yemen who are corrupt and the money then gets in the hands of terrorists.
I say "loan" because the U.S. ends up canceling "loans" and canceling other debt to these nations--we never get the money back.
In the case of disaster relief, why did the people in Florida receive 30 year low interest loans from the SBA but we give $35 million (will be much more) in cash to the foreigners?
Yes, supplies and physical goods are sent, but cash is also sent because "only the local corrupt governments can decide how best to distribute the money." Why send Campbell's Pork and Beans when their culture does not allow them to eat pork? Why send them plywood to rebuild homes when their homes are made of mud and leaves? You know the deal there.
My biggest complaint is how aid is funded. It is criminal that we have a $2.2 trillion budget and over $1 trillion goes to social welfare.
We should budget "X" dollars for welfare. Included in that should be a "Contingency Fund" that global and domestic disaster relief comes out of. If that fund is exceeded, then Social Security checks are reduced, aid to dependent children is reduced, etc. To think we can't pull $35 million or even $1 billion out of a $1 trillion dollar welfare budget is ludicrous.
Again, any American who accepts the fact that we can;t afford the F-22 but we CAN afford to give money to foreigners is unpatriotic or insane--take your choice.