The World vs. The United States

[Arnfinn Madsen]

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Yes we went over all this before after the tsunami. As for your figures, which come from from the 2003 OECD study, Ill say what I said before when this came up. Quibbling between these numbers, which are all less than 1% is like picking flyshit out of pepper. Let me ask you a question. If you desperately needed money and you had two friends to choose from who were offering you money, who would you chooose?

A) Your friend who makes 25,000 a year but is going to give .92 percent of his income to you.
b) Your friend who makes 1,000,000 a year but is going to give you you .16 percent.

Now you and I can both come to reasonable, but differing, opinions on which friend was being more selfless. What we cannot disagree on is the amount of absolute value that the two different contributions have to you.

The OECD stats dont take into account items such as private aid, which the US is superlative in, foreign military assistance, effect of US investment in foreign/developing economies, and remittances.

PS The OECD goal .7% of national income, an amount which it recognizes as probably unrealistic(for all countries to achieve) and that developing countries wouldnt be able to absorb.

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I don't remember reading your response. Our GDP pr capita is similar to the US, and this should be the basis (my government gives appx. $500 dollars of my annual taxes in aid).

About the other forms of aid, you are right (US is not a bad guy in this matter, just wanted to point out it is not leading).

[vulturesrow]

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I don't remember reading your response. Our GDP pr capita is similar to the US, and this should be the basis (my government gives appx. $500 dollars of my annual taxes in aid).

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Why should per capita be the measure? Why should any country let an outside agency dictate what amount of foreign aid is right for their country?

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About the other forms of aid, you are right (US is not a bad guy in this matter, just wanted to point out it is not leading).

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In absolute terms it is certainly leading. I notice you didnt answer the hypothetical I posed to you.