Is america stingy?

[B.A.M.]

stingy
Just wondering you thoughts on this. I think we aren't.

[wad04]

[lather]

Of course not, look how much money we are spending on Iraq..

[Crighton]

We give out more aid than any other nation in the world when you count food stuffs.

[xXHavokXx]

The UN "mandates" .7 percent of a nations GDP be given as aid per year as a general guidline. It's not required. With the exceptopn of the scandanavian countries no one else in Europe lives up to that. The US gives .13 percent, not including Iraq and Afghanistan and not including food in which we dominate the world at givign away.

[Destructo6]

Did you mean to say "1.3%"? Because .7 > .13.

At any rate, the initial relief checks will be followed by more, from the US and other nations. Add foreign rescue teams, international agencies, etc for a substantial relief effort. They're going to need every bit of it.

[Eagle]

Considering that the US foots the biggest chunk of the UNs budget, I wouldn't say we're stingy.

[Fred]

don't forget the World Bank, the International Monetary fund, etc...

If we cut our funding of a few of those big black holes of money we'd have the deficit licked faster than a Frenchman shrieks in terror whenever a German looks at them funny.

---Fred

[paintballrulzs]

I dont think we are at all. I think that if something similar had happened to us I think less aid would have been given than we are given out. We are by far the most hospitable country and are always giving aid. I think it was Colin Powell who said the aid more than likely will reach over 1 billion dollars. That is pretty substancial i think

[B.A.M.]

don't forget the World Bank, the International Monetary fund, etc...

If we cut our funding of a few of those big black holes of money we'd have the deficit licked faster than a Frenchman shrieks in terror whenever a German looks at them funny.

---Fred

I total agree that our deficit would be licked but it is still a very good cause to put our money to.

[Kevmaster]

it just depends on whether you're talking in raw numbers or percentages.

we give BILLIONS more than anyone else for aid. thats a fact.

we also give only a TINY part of our GDP. that too is a fact.

its just that our GDP is bigger than the other countries GDP.



could we help more? yes. are we obligated to help at all? no. Thus, I'd say we're doing alright.

[Fred]

I total agree that our deficit would be licked but it is still a very good cause to put our money to.

LOL!

Look into how the IMF actually works, its a farse, and doesn't. All that happens is countries that it gives money to get deeper into debt, and investors lean away from them because they are so economically unstable. Show me one situation where the IMF has actually improved something...

[SpecialBlend2786]

it just depends on whether you're talking in raw numbers or percentages.

we give BILLIONS more than anyone else for aid. thats a fact.

we also give only a TINY part of our GDP. that too is a fact.

its just that our GDP is bigger than the other countries GDP.



could we help more? yes. are we obligated to help at all? no. Thus, I'd say we're doing alright.

agreed. However i think everybody jumped on the "Stingy" remark, and i think efforts need to be focused elsware other than this issue of stingyness.

[Blazestorm]

I'm not a pokey thing

[HoppysMag]

i agree, we dont have to give crap. the speach by gordon sincleir sums it up best

"Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.

When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it. When distant cities are hit by earthquakes, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped. "

"When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the American who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke.

I can name you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. "