"Dave Heil" wrote in message
...
JJ wrote:

Kim W5TIT wrote:



You know what? I am not so sure that it would take all that much,
Jim. I
am not even going to pretend to be a financier, but I wonder how much
of the
Federal Budget, i.e. your and my tax dollars, get spent away from our
country. Then, how much foreign debt is "forgiven" each year?

I would wager we could cut the foreigh aid we send to support those
little ****ant dictators in some of those ****ant countries and have
more than enough to provide good health care for every citizen.

Foreign aid goes a long way toward having those countries vote in the
U.N. in line with our policies.


Yeah, money always has been very easy to throw around, 'specially when it's
someone else's. There's other ways to win friends and influence people--and
ways that would mean a lot more and build better alliances in the longrun.


Some of it puts military officers from
third world countries through *our* military academies. It gives those
officers a chance to live in the U.S. and see how our system works.


Yeah, so they can go and influence a bunch of rebels in their or other
homelands and train enemies to the US. We don't need someone learning "our"
way of doing things...let them figure it out for themselves.


Some of the aid brings scholars to the U.S. to study.


So they can go back to their land, grow a company, and somehow through many
different ways, we end up losing jobs and capital over here.


If we build a
needed flood control dam in Sierra Leone, good will toward the United
States is generated.


Give them a very, very low interest loan with a good down payment and let
them build their own damned dam.



A decade or so back, Botswana actually weaned
itself from U.S. aid and thanked us.


'Sbout damned time...although I doubt they're as "weaned" as they should be
or are.


Why would paying for your doctor visits and your medications be the
government's responsibility?

Dave K8MN


Uh, because *we live* in this country? So, you disagree with programs that
improve our infrastructure that is pitiful, helps our kids and elderly with
healthcare and even education, begins an effort to ending welfare for the
capable, improves health conditions nationwide--and more, while our
government is off in other lands playing Godfather?! Figures, Dave.

The people of this country who are being taxed to the hilt are paying for
the backbone of crap in this country and the rest of the world. It's time
the rest of the world and the nitwits in this country get pushed out of the
nest. But, of course that ain't happenin' any time soon.

Kim W5TIT