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<H1 class=blogEntryTitle><SPAN class=031114000-05022011><FONT face=Arial
size=3>Wow! Maybe the radical conservatives will stop funging wars? Nah. But,
maybe? Lee</FONT></SPAN></H1>
<H1 class=blogEntryTitle><FONT face=Arial>What We Spend On Other
Countries</FONT></H1>
<P class=blogByline><SPAN class=blogEntryDate><FONT face=Arial>31 Jan 2011 02:27
pm</FONT></SPAN></P>
<DIV class=blogEntryText sizset="109" sizcache="59"><!-- sphereit start -->
<P><EM><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt"><FONT face=Arial>by Conor
Friedersdorf</FONT></SPAN></EM></P>
<P sizset="109" sizcache="59"><FONT face=Arial>Given calls to end US foreign aid
to Egypt, Philip Giraldi </FONT><A
href="http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2011/01/29/rand-paul-speaks/"
target=_new><FONT face=Arial>suggests</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> taking a
closer look at all our spending abroad:</FONT></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE sizset="110" sizcache="59">
<P sizset="110" sizcache="59"><FONT face=Arial>There has been curiously little
coverage of Senator Rand Paul’s recent </FONT><A
href="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"
target=_new><FONT face=Arial>comments</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> 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.</FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><FONT face=Arial>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.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>For his audacity, Senator Paul has been attacked
by the Israel Lobby and by both Democrats and Republicans.<FONT color=#ff0000>
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. </FONT></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><FONT face=Arial>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.</FONT></P><!-- sphereit end --></DIV><!-- /blogEntryText -->
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