quote:
Originally posted by Ronn_Bman:
I don't think anyone said America provided the most aid to all the poorer nations of the world, but I'm glad to know we're number two overall! The point made was about aid to Afghanistan prior to September 11th.
U.S. Humanitarian Aid to the Afghan People
The United States has been the single largest donor of humanitarian aid for Afghans for the past several years. In 2000, the United States contributed a total of $113 million in humanitarian aid to Afghans, both inside Afghanistan and in refugee camps in neighboring countries. In 2001, the aid level has already exceeded $184, accounting for some 300,000 tons of American food sent to Afghanistan this year.
I will still argue the point that what we do is worthy of mentioning in our defense anytime that our generousity is brought into question because while people complain we don't do enough, we do more than most. The opinion, "you're not doing enough because..." is just another complaint about what's wrong with America. If it was the biggest dollar amount and the biggest percentage, people would still say "you should do more because..."
In response to your first statement, well, yes they did actually. I'd need to go back and do a search, - can't remember names and packdrill at this juncture.
The reason I posted this thread was precisely because I've read far too much Tarzan like chest beating about how great America is, and how it sends the most aid of all countries in the world.
A. That isn't true, and b. it's pathetic when viewed as percentage of GDP. America is RICH, dammit, with much of those riches earned on the backs of sweated labour in the third world. Give some back - damn right. Britain is also pretty miserly when you look at how wealthy Britain is overall. The same goes with regard to how our riches were earned, - well, there's the whole colonial issue to take into consideration here, and the effect that colonisation had on colonised countries.
(The issue of how effective aid is is a whole discussion in itself. In some crisis situations, it is a must. In other situations, other alternatives are arguably more useful. Again, a big topic, and one which perhaps deserves a thread of its own...)
At the risk of being a wet blanket, I might argue that the aid given was by way of being a concience salver, following the godawful mess that was left in Afghanistan after the US decided to stick its nose in and help turf out the Soviets.
Quote from MSNBC piece....
...'there are times when the United States should have resisted the temptation to act. Arming a multi-national coalition of Islamic extremists in Afghanistan during the 1980s - well after the destruction of the Marine barracks in Beirut or the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 - was one of those times'...
So, whilst it's great that America gave this aid, personally, I think it is the least they can do. As far as I know, the US just pulled out of Afghanistan, leaving fundamentalists in power and a god awful mess. A helping hand is kind of what you'd expect from the richest nation on earth, which also happens to be a democracy that believes in freedom for its people, even if that freedom does often come at other people's expense......