Posted on 04/15/2005 3:35:15 PM PDT by Tern
Carter: rich states "don't give a damn" about poor
ATLANTA, April 14 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Thursday harshly criticized his own country and other wealthy states for being stingy with foreign aid and said in rich countries "We really don't give a damn."
In a speech to a human rights conference in Atlanta, Carter said increasing financial assistance was critical to battling malaria, AIDS and other common diseases that disproportionately affect the poorest parts of the world.
"Unfortunately, in the rich countries like ours, we really don't give a damn," said Carter, who was president from 1977 to 1981 and who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
He especially criticized the United States for failing to follow other Western nations which are increasing spending.
Although America tops the foreign aid donor list in dollar terms, it falls behind the Netherlands, Canada and many other smaller, less affluent nations when contributions are measured on a per capita basis.
U.S. foreign aid is approximately 0.18 percent of gross national product, the lowest of any G-7 nation and far below a 0.7 percent United Nations target that 22 of the world's developed nations have agreed to meet by 2015.
A handful have met the goal, while others such as Germany and Great Britain insist they will achieve it.
"We have not budged so far," lamented Carter, who has spearheaded efforts through his non-profit Carter Center to eradicate diseases in the developing world, including Guinea worm and onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness.
(Writing by Paul Simao, Editing by David Storey)
Actually he is a man of God! Seems there are some here that cannot seem to comprehind this! Also if you took the time to do some research, you would see that we are the most proseperious nation in the world. But caught into what the bible clearly states, The Love of money is the root of ALL evil!
The figure cited only includes government aid and does not include the substantial private aid given out by Americans in the name of private charities.
It also does not include the substantial support the United States gives to the United Nations which carries out aid in the name of the United Nations not in the name of the Untied States even though it is primarily American money involved.
It also does not include the cost of military services which deliver said aid to foreign countries. For instance, it only included the direct monetary grants made by the government of the United States in the tsunami relief effort and does not include the substantial costs incurred by the Department of Defense in delivering emergency food, water, transportation, and electricity to the devastated areas. Nor any aid given by private relief organizations.
If you include all those areas those numbers leave out, you will find the United States gives by far, far more per capita than any other nation.
I do not think he has really studied the word of God in awhile.....how can one be a Christian and a democrat that believes in the killing of the innocent...babies
I remember watching the presidential debate where Reagan zinged Jimmah with the "are you better off than you were 4 years ago?" I knew right then that it would all be downhill from there! May God grant him eternal rest.
You're right, Peanut, we do not give one damn what you think.
I still can't believe we just named a Submarine after this man *shakes his head*
I wish he would just shut his mouth and go back to GA, raise peanuts and build houses. At least then he would be doing something useful.
Yeah well we dont really give a damn about Jimmy Carter!
I always laugh when I hear someone say "it doesn't take a rocket scientist". I know one and while he may have lots of book smarts he has absolutely no common sense. My father in law was an aeronautical engineer and although he worked for NASA back in the 50's and 60's, he has brains but no common sense. I expect "Jimmah" is the same.
So all that humanitarian aid to the tsunami victims never happened?
People today forget what a news blackout and filtering went on in those days... it's apparent now, with all the alternative sources, but back then about all I knew about Mr. Reagan was that he'd been an actor, a spokesman for GE, and the Governor of California.
We simply heard very little from him, or about him here in Georgia.
Then, the Wall Street Journal started publishing guest editorials by him as well as his older writings, and I knew we had to move Heaven and Earth to get Carter out of the White House, and him installed.
Bring back DDT.
Is that why we give more in foreign aid than any other nation on the face of the planet?
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, naturally.
While there exists a considerable number of individuals I personally think will likely spend some time in Hell, the number of people I actively petition God to send there is extremely small.
Of that number, only one exists whom I have sworn and begged the honor to stand guard duty over, at the gates of Hell, if God agrees.
That person would be Jimmy Carter.
After I live long enough to urinate on his grave.
Just MHO.
"Actually he is a man of God"
Then I'm sure he knows this one:
"For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me." Mark 14:7
Jimmuh is disgusting.
Certainly, he would not do much for the poor with his money. However, with our money, that's a different story.
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