[PAA-Discuss] from the Atlantic

[Lee Loe]

Wow! Maybe the radical conservatives will stop funging wars? Nah. But,
maybe? Lee


What We Spend On Other Countries


31 Jan 2011 02:27 pm

by Conor Friedersdorf

Given calls to end US foreign aid to Egypt, Philip Giraldi
<http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2011/01/29/rand-paul-speaks/> suggests taking
a closer look at all our spending abroad:

There has been curiously little coverage of Senator Rand Paul's recent
<http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-democrats-and-pro-israel-
lobbies-slam-republican-senator-s-call-to-halt-israel-aid-1.339662> comments
regarding foreign aid.  Appearing with Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday night, he
called for an end to foreign aid and, when challenged by Blitzer, twice
confirmed that he would include Israel.  That a United States Senator would
call for eliminating aid to Israel is astonishing given the general
consensus prevailing in Congress that the assistance is sacrosanct.

And considering that Israel is one of the wealthiest countries in the world
(with a per capita income at the same level as Great Britain) and is alleged
to be going through an economic boom, there is little justification for
continuing the largesse, which is largely driven by domestic politics in any
event.  The argument that Israel needs the money to maintain its military
edge is also a red herring as Tel Aviv currently enjoys complete military
superiority in all areas over all of its potential opponents. It also has
the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal.

For his audacity, Senator Paul has been attacked by the Israel Lobby and by
both Democrats and Republicans. Now that the Obama Administration is
considering withholding the $2 billion that Egypt receives annually, a sum
granted in 1979 when Sadat abandoned the Palestinians and signed a peace
treaty with Israel, it would perhaps be a good opportunity to reexamine all
US aid to the region.  

It would be a good time to re-examine aid flowing to every region, which
isn't to say that I want to eliminate all of it.

 
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