On March 1, a set of automatic budget cuts went into effect because the president and Congress couldn’t come to a compromise on how to reduce the budget. Apparently, these Draconian cuts are going to negatively affect numerous social programs and erode our national defense.
The government has a constitutional mandate to promote the general welfare and provide for the common defense, but there is no requirement to provide any type of foreign aid to any other nation. In fact, George Washington specifically warned us about these entangling alliances in his farewell address.
Comments
I can't agree more. Why do we feel that we must finance the world's mistakes? We can't even keep up with our own. Is there a single country that we send money to that even likes us? I doubt it.
@growler557 : Now you're talkin' !
Better foreign aid than foreign wars. Wars cost a lot more, not only in money.
Oh? So is your idea sort of like paying protection money to the mob? We pay off other countries to avoid costly wars? How interesting.
How about we just let them have at it.
Most foreign aid falls into two categories: humanitarian aid and aid that advances mutual interests. Humanitarian aid to those that are starving, the victims of earthquakes or a tsunami is a reflection of American values and needs no detailed defense from these kinds of attacks. Most other foreign aid seeks to assist other countries while promoting trade, military and other American interests. The most successful of these aid programs were begun by Harry Truman. He (and Congress) saw that helping Europe rebuild, assisting poor and developing countries and protecting Greece and Turkey from Soviet influence was in our interest. Thus, the Marshall Plan and Point Four. These were and are effective means of helping others AND helping ourselves by doing so. Not every use of foreign aid has been without blemish, clearly, but to say that all foreign aid should be abolished is simply stupid.
To say that it shouldn't be abolished while citing post WWII programs is just plain stupid.
It about time people speak up and I can't agree more. We need to pay our own bills first. Enough already!!!!
The US needs to focus all of their funding in the United States........