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Originally posted by ledvm:

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Originally posted by jeffeosso:

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Originally posted by Steve Bertram:
America Alone...foreign policy written by a grade schooler

Well, at least even YOU can understand it

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Originally posted by nute:
There are endless worthy causes to support around the world and foreign aid by western or richer states to those in need can make a huge difference.

Ensuring that the aid gets to where it is intended and doesn't end up funding a govt officials next Mercedes should be paramount, as should ensuring it gets to those who need it most rather than that days fashionable/ politically correct cause.

There are millions who live on less than a dollar a day or don't have access to clean water or basic medication. These people need our help, and it would be a sad day if the US ceased providing aid.

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Originally posted by ANTELOPEDUNDEE:

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Originally posted by nute:
There are endless worthy causes to support around the world and foreign aid by western or richer states to those in need can make a huge difference.

Ensuring that the aid gets to where it is intended and doesn't end up funding a govt officials next Mercedes should be paramount, as should ensuring it gets to those who need it most rather than that days fashionable/ politically correct cause.

There are millions who live on less than a dollar a day or don't have access to clean water or basic medication. These people need our help, and it would be a sad day if the US ceased providing aid.

Except that we won't send a military contingent in order to insure delivery. I'd like to see a justification for some of the expenditures that appear at first glance to be frivolous or inappropriate. Sounds like they see one bad apple and automatically want to throw out the whole barrel.

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Originally posted by jeffeosso:

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Originally posted by ledvm:

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Originally posted by jeffeosso:

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Originally posted by Steve Bertram:
America Alone...foreign policy written by a grade schooler

Well, at least even YOU can understand it

and yet he still can't seem to grasp it -- sigh - well, he got lucky - as there's no academic or intelligence tests are required to post here

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Originally posted by M.Shy:
Get rid of all the waste and then we can start completely fresh with something new that will have a watchdog over it
Common Dems, this is about our our well being here in US
No country in this world gives two shits about us, no one period so the old saying “ No good deed goes unpunished “ is something we could learn from for time being
All these shit hole places just send their worst citizens/criminals our way and they laugh all the way to the bank

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Originally posted by Jefffive:
Do ya'll think USAID is out robbing gas stations for money to piss away? Their budget, to a great degree of specificity, is passed by Congress.

Link

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Originally posted by Jefffive:
"If you’re innocent why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?”- Donald Trump

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Originally posted by Jefffive:

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Originally posted by M.Shy:
Get rid of all the waste and then we can start completely fresh with something new that will have a watchdog over it
Common Dems, this is about our our well being here in US
No country in this world gives two shits about us, no one period so the old saying “ No good deed goes unpunished “ is something we could learn from for time being
All these shit hole places just send their worst citizens/criminals our way and they laugh all the way to the bank

Like the $20+ million for Trump to attend the Super Bowl?

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Originally posted by BushPeter:
A lot of the USAID funds come back to the US, and buy a lot of leverage where it is spend.
Examples given here of wasteful spending amount to a couple dozen millions of dollars, on a budget of 40 billion.
But think about this, USAID spend billions on HIV antivirals funds for countries, with the condition that these have to be bought on-license, licenses which are held by US companies. Those countries could get off-license antivirals for much less, probably 10% of the US price. But since they're free for those countries, they get them on-license at the US companies, so effectively most of the money comes back to the US. If USAID kills of all that funding, those countries will buy the antivirals in India or China, for a fraction of what they would spend in the US, and China will probably happily fund it, as the leverage of it is worth a lot more.
If USAID pulls out of Africa, we're going to see a lot more Chinese in Africa.

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Originally posted by jeffeosso:

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Originally posted by Steve Bertram:
America Alone...foreign policy written by a grade schooler

Well, at least even YOU can understand it

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USAID pulls out of Africa, we're going to see a lot more Chinese in Africa.

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Originally posted by Steve Bertram:
The joke is sitting in the Oval Office unfortunately.

Trump has the most poorly thought out foreign policy of any President in my lifetime.

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Originally posted by ledvm:

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Originally posted by Steve Bertram:
The joke is sitting in the Oval Office unfortunately.

Trump has the most poorly thought out foreign policy of any President in my lifetime.

Well count yourself in the minority. He has good approval ratings right now even amongst all the hoopla.

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Originally posted by ledvm:

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Originally posted by Steve Bertram:
The joke is sitting in the Oval Office unfortunately.

Trump has the most poorly thought out foreign policy of any President in my lifetime.

Well count yourself in the minority. He has good approval ratings right now even amongst all the hoopla.

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Originally posted by ledvm:
Is the above a joke? I am not sure how many more Chinese you could pack into Africa than there is now.

We had our chance. We could have owned (with relationship) the southern tip of Africa. Carter and Clinton gave it away. No whining allowed now.

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Originally posted by BushPeter:

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Originally posted by ledvm:
Is the above a joke? I am not sure how many more Chinese you could pack into Africa than there is now.

We had our chance. We could have owned (with relationship) the southern tip of Africa. Carter and Clinton gave it away. No whining allowed now.

Most control of natural resources was lost under Bush Jr, and most control of it was seized by the Chinese during that same administration.

It's not so much the actual number of chines which might grow, but their influence.
Losing influence can be done quickly, and saved a few bucks. Gaining influence back takes much longer and costs a lot more. I guess that will be the burden of future administrations. Why complain about the Chinese influence and then just hand influence to the whole world on a plate to them? Maybe Elon likes doing business in China better than in the US? Cheaper labour, quicker to get things done, more possibilities as long as you keep the right people as friends.

Is it really wasted money if for the costs of a few dozen bombs you can expose children in Iraq during their upbringing to American stories,culture, values and educate them? Especially when the costs are a few drops in a big bucket of the total budget?