One thing Trump can do to gain respect (to me)

There is one thing that Trump could do which would gain respect in my eyes (not that he needs or requires it), stop foreign aid to countries that actively have an anti-U.S. sentiment.

Given our situation with the VA alone, that money can be used far better to help our veterans versus sending off overseas as some "bribe" money to a country that actively wants us gone. If a country despises us so bad that they want us gone, then why in the hell should we send "foreign aid" to them.

Praxas said:

There is one thing that Trump could do which would gain respect in my eyes (not that he needs or requires it), stop foreign aid to countries that actively have an anti-U.S. sentiment.

Given our situation with the VA alone, that money can be used far better to help our veterans versus sending off overseas as some "bribe" money to a country that actively wants us gone. If a country despises us so bad that they want us gone, then why in the hell should we send "foreign aid" to them.

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The US doesn't send foreigh aid to anybody. We send it where we will acquire resources or strategic military bases. Corporate gets the resources and the Corporate MIC benefits from the bases. We are not the World's policemen bringing justice and democracy to the World. On the contrary, where we put our foreign aid usually becomes a toady dictatorship. Panama, Honduras, Haiti, Chile, Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and a hundred other Nations we have adjusted or tried to adjust. A record of failure from a human rights or democracy point of view. What you really want if for the government to separate publicly what is actual foreign aid and what is Military hegemony so it can be discussed intelligently.

Praxas said:

There is one thing that Trump could do which would gain respect in my eyes (not that he needs or requires it), stop foreign aid to countries that actively have an anti-U.S. sentiment.

Given our situation with the VA alone, that money can be used far better to help our veterans versus sending off overseas as some "bribe" money to a country that actively wants us gone. If a country despises us so bad that they want us gone, then why in the hell should we send "foreign aid" to them.

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Sorry, but...

2017 budget request for VA is $186 billion.

2017 budget request for ALL foreign aid is $50 billion. That's already 2% less than 2016.

We spend very little on foreign aid, as a percentage of all spending. And a big chunk of that $50bn is for "security" (i.e. giving Israel and other allies military aid).




I'm also curious, which nations do you want to put on the chopping block? What is your criteria for "anti-US sentiment?" Will they like us more when we slash humanitarian aid?

As to the reason why to keep up aid? It's to further our strategic influence, to look like the "good guy" to their citizens, and prevent those nations from developing even more negative attitudes about the US.

Plus, the US is no longer the sole superpower. China is happy to step in and fill the void that we leave in our wake, which lets them get favorable treatment and better ties with trading partners.

Don't forget that a lot of this aid requires the foreign country to purchase goods from the US with that aid. Which really makes it corporate welfare. Never mind "entitlements" like Social Security. They are the real problem with the US budget. Not billions given out to corporations, that's where the REAL SWAMP is!

Chris