Where do we stand?: The U.S and Foreign aid.
...once a country has become accustomed to being dependant upon help, that they may collapse into worse turmoil than before as soon as that aid is stopped. In turn this collapse would require further and more extensive aid to repair all damage. In conclusion, people opposed to the U.S giving foreign aid often propose and strongly support the ’trade not aid’ slogan. We give aid to receive aid. There are those who would like to counter argue this idea and insist that aid would only create a dependent culture, whereas others might say that we should aid out of the goodness of our hearts. However, it is impossible to give so much without expecting something in return because “we are dependent on other nations not only for oil but also for manganese, cobalt, chromium, titanium, tin, mercury, asbestos, and many other minerals.”- Walter W. Benjamin. At the rate that Americans consume resources it is only natural that we help other nations in return for their help. Although, due to this idea of essential trade, this would mean that we would have to be selective towards the nations that we assist. Furthermore, America does not aid for free, and most likely never will. We ourselves would plummet economically if we were to give so selflessly. In reality we are doing exactly trading, not just giving aid to those who ask. The task of generously giving would be unfeasible, even for a strong nation such as the United States of America. Politically speaking aid can be seen as a way to stay in power or gain power. We can gain allies, and land for military bases through aiding other countries. As a matter of fact Military aid is the second highest ranking type of assistance that the United States provides, the first is economical aid. We invest $3.7 billion for military assistance, which comprises a total of 21.5% of all the aid we project into this world. Through Military aid we help nations acquire military equipment and training. Of course there is always a risk that the training we gave could be used against us at some point in time, but until then if we are ever in need of military support we can rely on a strong source through the nation that we prepared. There are hundreds of people dying each day due to malnutrition, undrinkable water, disease, and government neglect. Nevertheless, their will always be poverty, yet this not an excuse to avoid helping to diminish the number of starving and helpless people throughout the world. If this were the excuse behind more developed countries not assisting those in need, the world would be in complete chaos especially considering that we are wasteful people. In regards to Americans being so wasteful, here are some statistics: we waste “96 billion pounds of food per year. 25% of that recovered food could provide the equivalent of a days food for 20 million.” - http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc0.asp?docid=1G1:20652671&refid=ink_puballmags&skeyword=&teaser=. 40,000 children starve to death every day.- http://www.nbfoodnotbombs.org/stats/ The U.S spends over $300,000,000,000 a year on the military.-http://www.nbfoodnotbombs.org/stats/ More than one third of the world’s grain harvest is used to feed livestock.- http://www.nbfoodnotbombs.org/stats/ 70% to 80% of grain produced n the United States is fed to livestock.- http://www.nbfoodnotbombs.org/stats/ 1,300,000,000 human beings could be fed by the grain and soybeans eaten by U.S. livestock.- http://www.nbfoodnotbombs.org/stats/ We have what it takes to feed starving people. It’s almost seems like we are choosing to ignore the cry of hungry people in our own country. We make sure our livestock gets fed more than the needy in the U.S and in other nations as well. I believe if we are going to be so indiscreet about the food we throw away, than we really have no right to complain about America aiding other countries who need help. There are several methods of giving aid, however only one technique would really benefit those less developed countries searching for a way to b...