True Foreign Aid

[ScottishJohn]

That doesn't change the fact that the government is taking my money and giving it to charity. Call it the democratic process if you want, but that's what's going on.

No, the government is taking tax. That is the portion of money earned within the country thanks to the governments protection of rights and rule of law which is theirs by law. The alternative is somewhere like Somalia where they don't have much of a government, you have to protect your own rights such as they are and there isn't much of a law, or any tax.

 

[Mocca]

The government earns money for what it does. This is tax. The government gets tax because it protects our rights and laws.

So how is giving charity to other third-world countries a protection of my rights and laws?

 

[ScottishJohn]

The government earns money for what it does. This is tax. The government gets tax because it protects our rights and laws.

So how is giving charity to other third-world countries a protection of my rights and laws?

That doesn't make any sense.

A dentist earns money for what he does. That is his wage. The dentist gets his wage because he fixes teeth.

So how is giving charity to other third-world countries fixing teeth?

Tax is the governments money. They may spend it on whatever they see fit.

If you need a purely economic reason for the government having an interest in international development, then I suppose you could look at it this way:

American people and corporations make money from having access to markets in order to sell their goods and services. The more developed countries there are, then the more markets there are, and there is then a higher money making potential around the globe.

 

[TheReasoner]

Wait, so why should the government choose whether I should give to charity?

Why should the government choose where I should give my money to?

Whatever happened to liberty?

So, you would rather the government bought guns for your tax dollars than helped make this world a better place?

The OP needs to back these statements up with statistics. So far, it is a whole bunch of assumptions and opinions.

Furthermore, I would like to state that your statement seems anarchical. Yes, the government elected by you and your peers should be able to spend the tax money in accordance to the will of the voters, but it should also be subject to international agreements in this regard. Which is one issue the USA has NOT been good at. If you believe private charity is as good as you claim, back it up. Show me statistics. I know the American people is generous, but show me how what you do is better than the system the majority of the west uses.

 

[k]

Ron Paul ROXXORS.

Coerced charity is why the likes of millionaire rock star Bono chiding the US govt to give more to the poor rings hollow.
A millionaire wanting to give away MY money is a load of road apples.

By this logic the Bush admin cannot be supported since it has given $300 billion + to Iraq alone. Not to mention all the lives....

 

[k]

True foreign aid should not be just about giving money, but re-creating economic structures promoting independence under a pseudo-inter-dependence.

 

[TheReasoner]

True foreign aid should not be just about giving money, but re-creating economic structures promoting independence under a pseudo-inter-dependence.

Now to THAT I agree! Simple, well put. Reps.

(I still disagree with the OP though )