How is the United States able to give billions to other countries when we are trillions in debt and how does it get approved?
In: Economics
The money the US “gives” to other country isn’t charity.
It is money used to buy influence and power and control and stability and to help the US economy.
Think less food to starving kids and more bribes to rich dictators to let US companies exploit natural resources.
Much of the foreign aid is in the form of gift cards for the US military complex. The aid recipient doesn’t get money they get to buy goods from US weapons manufacturers with US taxpayer money.
This helps the US economy as the factories and the workers that make the stuff pay taxes in the US and spend their money in the US.
It also appears to reduces prices the for the stuff the US government buys for its own military, because it can be produces at greater scale.
It makes the recipient country dependent on the US for parts and maintenance and prevents them from ever going to war with the US or any country the US is protective of with those systems.
It also makes it harder for other countries to compete with their military exports and makes their military more expensive.
So the US by giving other countries military aid buys itself influence and a more powerful military.
Foreign aid also helps to stabilize countries, that is keep those people who are currently in power in charge and makes the place easier for US companies to do business with or exploit.
Most of the aid the US (and other countries) give out is carefully coordinate to make the US, or at least the rich people in the US, more money.
It is an investment.
You can tell that much of it is not selfless charity by the fact that generations of US leaders and foreign policy decision makers who didn’t have a single charitable bone in their body pursued those goals. Do you think Henry Kissinger was and altruist and humanitarian?
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