I assume you would also deny US protection to Korea, the Saudis, pull out of NATO, pretty much hide under the bed.
Aid does not make an iota of difference to the Federal budget. It does however, when it is used to purchase American goods, create American jobs.
Now lets suppose aid is pulled and Israel- vastly vastly outnumbered, fights valiantly, but to save themselves from certain death, resort to a nuclear option- would that be a positive for the US?
This knee jerk "pro-US, not pro-Israel" sentiment is so much garbage.
The thing I find most strange about it, is the intrinsic inferiority complex it manifests. Jews are less then 3% of the US population- it implies that we Jews are either Supermen (in which case it would be smart to be on our side) or that Gentiles are easily manipulated mindless idiots (is that your opinion). Neither is true.
This knee jerk "pro-US, not pro-Israel" sentiment is so much garbage.
Are you saying unequivocally that we cannot be Pro-US, not Pro-Israel? We not only should be, we must be. Using your reasoning then, we are either for Israel or against Israel. We cannot be neutral.
I'm for pulling aid out of Kenya, and all other garbage dumps around the world. Justify to me just why we should shore up these cesspools. The preservation of their lives? Their contribution to the arts? Do we value the lives of one human being over the lives of another? Yes. Abso-f'n-lutely. The simplicity of it is earth shattering. "If you take from me, then you harm me. If you contribute to me or my community, then we can work something out". I'm not for arbitrary eradication of groups or nations (if you can call them nations), I'm for destroying those who would do harm to me or my community. Arguably, my community is the world.
Bush has an opportunity now to demonstrate just what that means. Pull aid out of N.Korea. Pull troops out of S.Korea. It's sink or swim. If one attacks the other, kill them decisively. That is what is necessary. It will come to this one day, what I'd like to know is just why we are pussy-footing around the God damned globe half-assed. I'm sick of it.
I assume you would also deny US protection to Korea, the Saudis, pull out of NATO...
Foreign aid has to be evaluated in view of what we get for it. I'm not in favor of throwing money around to everyone who shows up with his hand out.
I would pull US troops out of Korea, gradually, although I certainly would not cut ties. And I would help them build them build up their military, much as we have helped Israel (the distinction is that Israel already has a second-to-none military).
Why should we risk the lives of US troops defending them? Their economy is strong, and they can build their own military (over time, I emphasize).
The joke is that we are over there to keep them from invading North Korea. They resent being an occupied country anyway. Fine. Let them fend for themselves.
As for the Saudis, I am not convinced we need their oil. Why hang around over there making enemies?
Our involvement in NATO has been measurably beneficial to the US, and I would not pull out (although, again, I would pull our troops home). I would even expand membership in NATO to Israel (yes, I know it stretches the definition of "North Atlantic" a bit, but that's ok).
...pretty much hide under the bed.
I don't consider what I've outlined as "hiding under the bed".
Aid does not make an iota of difference to the Federal budget. It does however, when it is used to purchase American goods, create American jobs.
Agreed. This is not a budget argument I am making.
Now lets suppose aid is pulled and Israel- vastly vastly outnumbered, fights valiantly, but to save themselves from certain death, resort to a nuclear option- would that be a positive for the US?
Why would Israel nuking Arab terrorists be anything but postive for the US? I know the Israelis have the cojones and wherewithal, and it would not bother me one bit. As I've said, I don't think we need middle eastern oil. If Israel wants to nuke Saddam (or whomever), let 'em.
I don't think you give Israel enough credit...I think the reason Israel has not yet wiped out the Arabs is because the Americans hold them back with threats of cutting off aid. Unlike South Korea, the Israeli military is damned good and the Israeli intelligence community is arguably the best in the world.
It's a Catch-22. The US is unable to use the aid as leverage to get Israel to do anything - as much as Israel may wish, and be able, to do so - because any threat to cut off aid raises the alarms of the American Jewish lobby. At the same time, I think Israel's hands are tied because of the threat of the aid being removed. Catch-22.
The end result is that the US continues pouring money into a hole without getting anything back (except the occasional Jonathon Pollard; how's that for gratitude?), generating enmity, and Israel is unable to properly deal with her enemies.
This knee jerk "pro-US, not pro-Israel" sentiment is so much garbage.
I am more confused by American Jews who put Israel's interests ahead of the US.
The thing I find most strange about it, is the intrinsic inferiority complex it manifests. Jews are less then 3% of the US population- it implies that we Jews are either Supermen (in which case it would be smart to be on our side) or that Gentiles are easily manipulated mindless idiots (is that your opinion). Neither is true.
I'm not sure how you drew that conclusion from anything I've written. Perhaps you should be less paranoid.