Posted on 04/13/2007 6:08:33 AM PDT by Mobile Vulgus
Leave it to a liberal to claim that Americans are "cheapskates" because our government does not spend enough money on foreign aid. In the L.A.Times for April 13th, that is just what we are treated to with Rosa Brooks' screed titled, "To the rest of the world, we're cheapskates" and subtitled, "The U.S. international affairs budget -- which helps fight AIDS, poverty and more -- is just 1% of total spending." But, by attacking our country over its record on charity and foreign aid spending, Brooks proves that she neither understands the nature of American generosity, nor the American character.
So why is it that Brooks contends that we are "cheapskates"? How is it that we supposedly show that we don't care about the rest of the world? Brooks contends that it is because we don't have enough government spending on the international affairs budget.
In fact, the international affairs budget is a 98-pound weakling of a budget, a puny thing that regularly gets sand kicked in its face by the big bruisers over at the Defense Department.Weighing in at $36.5 billion for fiscal year 2008, the international affairs budget annually accounts for only about 1% of total federal expenditures.Wow. We are "cheapskates" now because the budget of one of our government programs is somehow too small? With this, Brooks proves she completely misunderstands America and also that she is just another boring big government liberal.
See more at Newsbusters.org
What percentage of her salary does she donate?
Funny...
... I was just thinking about how we spend TOOO MUCH on foreign aid.
go ahead and give YOUR cash if you're so moved.
As the children of God tithe to God to show their thankfulness and trust in Him for sustenance...
So too will the children of the Devil tithe to their god.
Liberalism is a religion.
That 1% probably amounts to more than the rest of the world combined. I think the next time there is a disaster in a Muslim country, US government aid and private donations to help should be limited to 200% that given by Islamic charities. I would venture to say the victims wouldn’t get much.
“is just 1% of total spending”
Is not 300 Billion dollars and we cannot good schools in our country for those that pay the bills.
What is the responsibility of those governments that get foreign aid to run their own countries.
Give till it hurts, sweety.
I wonder what it would look like, if we added up the services to immigrants and refugees to all of the countries.
The rest of the world often calls us much worse. Tell me again why we should care what these ungrateful global panhandlers think of us?
I’m sure she considered the great amount that American Christian relief agencies provide. Groups like Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Charities, World Vision, American Red Cross, Operation Blessing, Lutheran World Relief, Compassion International, United Methodist Committee on Relief, Church Wolrd Services, Episcopal Relief and Development, Salvation Army, and the great many other church denominations’ relief missions that aren’t counted as government spending.
The entire US defense budget is a massive donation to the world. Our army protects the weak around the globe. Our military hospitals care for people in Iraq and Afghanistan.
By this standard, which is completely reasonable, we provide many times more than the entire world combined in foreign aid.
but keep your hands out of my wallet.
If it was up to me we wouldnt spend a quarter in foreign aid. Why helps people who hate us?
I think we have the makings for a Top 40 hit...
Stop ALL foreign aid! Offer emergency help in the form of direct physical assistance to disaster victims (food, shelter, etc. not given to government to distribute, but directly to victims) but NO MONEY, ever! In most cases the funds are diverted into the pockets of the “leadership”, anyway.
< /rant >
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