Wally Balljacker wrote:
It just goes to show what the U.S. government's priorities are. Endless war and imperialism, when those funds could completely eliminate much of the world's poverty.
That's right. When we used our funds to rebuild Europe and Japan in the 40's and 50's, the people of those nations wisely acceted our help to get started, and then set out on a course of action to continue their rebuilding on their own. It's called opportunity. We could have let them rot but we didn't. When tsunamis hit, we're the first ones there and no one else on earth can afford to loan a $5 billion aircraft carrier which costs about $1 million a day to operate to help out. Earthquakes hit Iran a few years ago, we offered to help, yes Iran. When the Olympics came to Greece in 2004, which nation did they ask for to provide special forces for counterterrorism duties? "Oh, America is big and bad but could you please help protect us?" Are you talking about the same U.S. Government that started those little projects called ARPANET and another called GPS? Gee, now I wonder what ever happened to those projects. Surely no one as big and mean as the US Government would just open them up for the world to use.
And who, by the way, helped the US grow to such a rich and prosperous nation? No one. We wisely accepted France's help during the revolution but after that, this nation was built without subsidies from world powers at the time.
Nowadays, every seems to think giving money to the poor, be it a person or a country, is the answer. Yet, we've been giving money to the poor in this country for 40+ years and, guess what? We still have poor people. The same goes for countries. Nations like S. Korea, Japan, Germany have prospered not because we just give them money, but because we buy products and services from them; in other words, THEY WORK FOR IT. They took opportunity and built upon it. Was it easy? Probably not? When other poor nations can do what S. Korea and Japan did, then they will prosper too. No one is holding them back, except, of course, their own so-called leaders. Many of whom, by the way, tend to preach socialism and communism as the way out. Just look at how far Cuba and N. Korea have come. Whoever wants a revolution for that here's a tip. Don't waste your effort and risk your life, just move there and relish is all that you say is good. Take notes too, that is, if you're allowed to do such a thing.
I don't understand why people preach communist or socialist revolt as the answer. There are many examples of this and not a single one, that is 0, zero, none, nada, zilch, zip, have ever produced a nation whose wealth and generosity that come even close to America's.
Here's what we do, we cut off all foreign aid for two years. All of it; even to our friends. Enact a two-year moratorium that prohibits US citizens from donating money to charities that help people abroad (this would really piss off many Americans, the millions and millions who donate to charities regularly). Then, my friends, you will see poverty and endless war and probably a few revolts too that would produce a few more Cubas. However, we would not do such a thing because we know what would happen and it wouldn't be pretty.
People say capitalism works, but who does it work for?
