Posted by alexandra_k on September 7, 2005, at 19:54:28
In reply to Re: will anyone help? » alexandra_k, posted by gromit on September 7, 2005, at 19:33:33
> I guess we are the "richest" country in the world, we also spend far more on foreign aid than anybody else. The next 3 countries combined still spend less on aid than us. So now you're going to mention a small percentage of gross income right? The next place country, I believe Japan, gives just a few hundreds of a percent more than us. Where are all the people bashing Japan? They aren't being bashed because they don't deserve to be bashed either. BTW, according to the figures I've seen New Zealand is also just a few hundreds of a percent ahead of the US. This is from memory but I think it's fairly accurate, if you doubt it I will try to find the sites again.
don't worry about the stats, they just confuse me ;-)
i don't know that a country (any country) has a moral obligation to provide foreign aid... have been chatting to my officemate about this (i'm no ethicist - but he is).
i do think, however, that a country (any country) has a moral obligation to provide aid for its own citizens.i take back what i said about having more of an obliation to help africans than americans. there are rich people in africa too. corrupt government is the problem...
> I don't expect people to come rushing to our aid,but countries are. as a humanitarian gesture. and i think that is terrific. really. all i'm saying is that they are not morally OBLIGED to come to americas aid, which is to say they should not be morally condemned for doing the wrong thing should they not have come to america's aid.
i think nz owes the usa a fair bit of money...
would be nice if the dollar value of our gift of aid was subtracted from that amount...
but there it is...>I'm just surprised at the strong negative attitude towards Americans. I guarantee if New Zealand had a disaster like this the US along with other countries would be there for them.
i can only speak for myself...
i do not have a strong negative atitude towards americans (some of my best babble friends are american ;-) ). i do, however, have a strong negative attitude towards the current us government. and how they go about running the country.
yes. countries DO come to the aid of other countries. and that is nice.
all i was saying is that no country is MORALLY ENTITLED to foreign aid.
>If you want to complain about this administration's foreign policy I'll be right there beside you (and domestic policy is no better) but your posts along with some others on this subject almost make me feel guilty to be an American.
I'm sorry you feel guilty to be an american. i never intended for you to feel that way in response. i was just trying to do some grumbling over the current govt.though its not called 'government' is it???
:-)
poster:alexandra_k
thread:548858
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20050728/msgs/552013.html