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Most of our overseas bases are in allied nations who for the most part want them there. They are part of NATO defense strategy in Europe. In Japan we provide for thier defense, same situation. The only region I can think of where that is true is the gulf states, and right now they likely want them too as insurance against the trouble ISIS has brought to the region.
Foreign aid helps maintain the status quo in international relations. I would argue we only do a very small bit of international aid for altruistic purposes. If we were altruistic we would have helped Rwanda, would have helped Bosnia before 5 years had gone by, would be helping Syria. Most of it is selfish - maintenance of the U.S. world position.
We originally did it mostly in Latin America to maintain advantageous trade & business situations. There wasn't much point in trying to aid African, Middle Eastern or Asian areas that were under the control of European or Ottoman colonial empires.
After WWII, those colonial empires collapsed. The British could no longer maintain their position as premier world power, so the U.S. stepped in to grease the wheels of nations that were on our side in the Cold War. The Soviet Union tried to do the same thing for their side. Basically, foreign aid contributes to maintaining the post WWII world order. I would most definitely include our overseas bases as part of foreign aid. Ie: foreign aid to Egypt helps keeps them from letting domestic public opinion take priority and demand that we evacuate our military & other assets from their territory completely.
The post-WWII consensus world order appears to be breaking down all over the world. The generation that built it is now dead, or in their 90s and has no more influence. People that don't remember how the world wars came about are now taking power. We can pull out foreign aid if we want. There will be consequences that will become apparent in the medium to long term. In short, the world will become more multi-polar, similar to the situation that existed prior to WWI, as different countries and interests rise to fill the gap left behind by a U.S. retreat from the globe. The U.S. will remain powerful, as it was prior to WWI, but no longer the key to world affairs. Decisions will start to be made without regard to what the U.S. prefers.
Israel and Egypt might collapse or at least get tangled up in immediate wars - the rest of the world would probably be largely OK. It is my understanding that those two rely on us almost complete to either have a had up (I) or to keep the place from descending into chaos (E).
That military presence also helped strengthen us. Please don't act as if it was pure generosity.
"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Gee, I wonder where that came from.
You should wonder. You should give generously as Jesus commanded. A great example of that is the good Samaritan in the Bible. Note he didn't lobby the government or outsource to someone else taking care of a need. He did it HIMSELF, right then. So should you, so should we.
Another verse for you. Look up John 3:36...and Romans 10:9-12...where do you stand on those verses?
All of that was done in furtherance of the economic and geo-political interests of the United States, not as some big generous favor to foreign nations.
Whether your feelings are hurt by it or not, the simple facts are that the US has long had a shabby record in terms of Official Development Assistance as a percent of GDP.
Again, my feelings don't matter. YOU should give generously. And the stats the you quote as gospel do not track individual giving, which is generous here in the US, more generous than in most countries. But you don't care because it doesn't fit your narrative.
As to the US military, just chalking it off as pure self interest is not only incorrect it is lame. We allowed both the economies of Europe and Japan to rebuild as the cost of trillions of US dollars over the last 50 or so years. True, US interest benefited, but the cost was great and that money could have benefited us in other ways if spent differently. We didn't have to build up these economies nor give them the freedom we did. Again sorry that doesn't fit your narrative but it is reality.
You should wonder. You should give generously as Jesus commanded. A great example of that is the good Samaritan in the Bible. Note he didn't lobby the government or outsource to someone else taking care of a need. He did it HIMSELF, right then. So should you, so should we.
Another verse for you. Look up John 3:36...and Romans 10:9-12...where do you stand on those verses?
I'm going to tell you what I tell all Christians when they start peppering me with bible verses (other than when I myself choose to go to church): "You can take your bible verse lecture and..." I am a mix of Christian and Buddhist, and I'm not going to shove Buddhist scriptures down your throat.
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