With the recent focus on Bush's "Culture of Life" philosophy, I dug a little to find information about US foreign aid (much of which I looked up in the days after the Dec. tsunami). Ultimately, it all begs the question- what life is he referring to? The politically expedient type of life? Life as defined by Christian fundamentalists? Media-centered and camera focused life? Governmentally inexpensive life? Specifically, American life?
We're all familiar with Jan Egeland's of the s-word (stingy) regarding foreign aid from developed countries in front of the press shortly after the tsunami, and the shorter time it took for him to be cast as an anti-American hack. (if you can think back to pre-Schiavo, pre-death of the Pope days), However, despite his hasty attempts to conceal the truth about what most Americans believe is the most generous country on earth, the question was posed: could Egeland possibly have been telling the truth?
Here's where I will manage to oversimplify and minimize a complex subject into a few paragraphs:
Information regarding how well the US has learned to share ranges from highly suspect to completely (and unapologetically) biased and even to rare, reputable, and reliable facts. However, the majority of sources do not dispute a few key truths: the US gives (when compared to other developed countries) the most... and the least. In terms of actual amounts, the US gives more than double the second place donator. Conversely, in terms of GNP, the US gives the least (22nd out of 22 countries).
American foreign aid is not a simple matter (understatement of the year). Private donations, military peacekeeping actions, and a handful of other considerations are what keep this debate alive. Among these are the arguments that the Iraq war is a form of foreign aid, that the US gives enough privately, and that there are better ways to aid developing countries than aid (generally the argument is in reference to trade). However, judging from the protests in Iraq lately, I have a slight suspicion the majority of Iraqis are sick of watching their country being engulfed in a perpetual mortar assault and don't feel they've been truly "aided". Regarding private giving, Americans are rather pre-kindergarten in terms of learning to share (unless CNN is covering it- and we all know of their extensive coverage of Sudan). And opening up trade with developing nations generally requires the US government to do something selfless, like not gain much except warm fuzzies. And thus far, if it ain't got oil, we ain't goin there.
Of course, this is not new information to most of you. However, the more interesting numbers are those that compare our foreign aid not to other countries, but to a few projects undertaken by the GOP and the Bush administration:
(Note: All references to foreign aid statistics are by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development- oecd.org)
Cost of Congress's special session to debate the continuing life of ONE person to be signed later by Bush: between 4 and 5 million dollars.
Cost of Iraq War (that has killed 100,000+ Iraqis): $207.5 billion at the end of fiscal year 2005 (Sept. 30, 2005).
Cost of foreign aid in 2003 from US (divided between the whole wide world, except the obvious third that generally goes to Israel): $15,791 million
Percentage of US GNP that went to foreign aid in 2003: 0.14
Cost of foreign aid in 2003 from Norway: $2,043 Million
Percentage of Norway GNP that went to foreign aid in 2003: 0.92
Number of people who die each day of hunger or hunger related illnesses (according to the hungersite.org): 24, 000
The argument has been made repeatedly: Bush and the GOP support a so-called "Culture of Life" when it is politically expedient towards perpetuating their control in the country. * However, the argument is rarely made that while Bush and the GOP have the audacity to proclaim they support and defend a "Culture of Life" while simultaneously supporting and pushing preemptive military action, the death penalty, and the diminishment of social security and health care within the US, they are also giving the rest of the world's life the finger. But wait! I must have misunderestimated Bush- silly me, to think that a "culture of life" extends to all living, not just Americans.
*With the exception of that one time with that one chic in Florida who apparently the majority of American's felt should die with dignity, but they don't mention that.
On completely different note, I just read in the LA Time's article on the Iraqi people protesting- "That you were able to see a group of people exercising their right to free speech is all part of what we're here for," said Lt. Col. Steven Boylon, a military spokesman. Of course, if he was able to understand the signs he'd realize they say "Go out!" and "Leave our country!"- directed at US. I don't know whether to laugh or cry about this.