U.S. senator calls for "gradual reduction" of foreign aid
JERUSALEM -- During his first trip to Israel, U.S. Senator Rand Paul on Monday called for a gradual reduction of American foreign aid.
Source: AP, Tanjug
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But the Republican senator told reporters that the U.S. cannot afford to keep borrowing money and then handing it out to others, even to allies like Israel.
“It will harder to be a friend of Israel if we are out of money. It will be harder to defend Israel if we destroy our country in the process,” Paul was quoted as telling Israeli think tank the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies.
This longtime opponent of foreign aid acknowledged he was expressing a “minority opinion” and doubted the U.S. Congress would end foreign aid.
“It’s unlikely anything changes, but I think it is worth discussing,” he said.
According to him, aid should first be cut to countries like Pakistan and Egypt, with which America has strained ties.
Israel receives about USD 3 billion a year in military aid from the U.S.
American foreign aid spending is annually about 0.2% of GDP. If Paul actually wants to fix the budget he'd better find some larger expenditures to shrink. Foreign aid money is one of the stronger ways that the USA spreads its influence and that's not gonna change anytime soon, like it or not.
(Amerikanac, 8 January 2013 05:48)
"But the Republican senator told reporters that the U.S. cannot afford to keep borrowing money and then handing it out to others, even to allies like Israel. "
Do you think the world was fooled for one minute all those years when you played your sugar daddy role using borrowed funds?
(lowe, 8 January 2013 02:39)
“It’s unlikely anything changes, but I think it is worth discussing,” he said.
B92
He's right that nothing is going to change,the US politicians don't dare challenge "the money changers".When it comes to debt they're just kicking the can down the road.In the meantime,when they talk about debt,noone mentions the consumers debt to GDP, the unfunded medicare and social security liabilities, the unsustainable zero interest policy or the US govt buying over 70% of its own debt etc.
The reason why the US and UK are into constant QEs, is that the moment they stop, there will be a total collapse. The most important component within this collapse, will be the massive derivatives bubble which has been called a "financial weapon of mass destruction" by Buffet.
Obama and Bernake's debt escape is based on devaluing the dollar and thereby inflate their way over it.This strategy will continue while the US$ remains the world's sole reserve currency, and we all have to take the hit, but is an unlikely prospect in the medium term. Once the dollar falls from grace they will never be able again to write blank cheques against the global system.
BTW The $3 billion the US is giving to Israel yearly is "Starbuck's change" considering the $1.5 trillion budget deficit.
(Leonidas, 7 January 2013 19:27)
Israel receives about USD 3 billion a year in military aid from the U.S. Why? Are there not enough rich Jews in the world that can throw a few bucks at their promise land? I agree with Mr. Paul, enough borrowing to give. America is drowning in debt, yet still spends like a drunken sailor. It would really be great to see all of the US's funds stay and help Americans, and not to buy allies. Wouldn't it make more sense for foreign countries to buy America's support, to give DC money? Don't they really need us more than we need them?
(Ecoman, 7 January 2013 18:14)
Israel receives about USD 3 billion a year in military aid from the U.S. Why? Are there not enough rich Jews in the world that can throw a few bucks at their promise land? I agree with Mr. Paul, enough borrowing to give. America is drowning in debt, yet still spends like a drunken sailor. It would really be great to see all of the US's funds stay and help Americans, and not to buy allies. Wouldn't it make more sense for foreign countries to buy America's support, to give DC money? Don't they really need us more than we need them?
(Ecoman, 7 January 2013 18:14)
“It’s unlikely anything changes, but I think it is worth discussing,” he said.
B92
He's right that nothing is going to change,the US politicians don't dare challenge "the money changers".When it comes to debt they're just kicking the can down the road.In the meantime,when they talk about debt,noone mentions the consumers debt to GDP, the unfunded medicare and social security liabilities, the unsustainable zero interest policy or the US govt buying over 70% of its own debt etc.
The reason why the US and UK are into constant QEs, is that the moment they stop, there will be a total collapse. The most important component within this collapse, will be the massive derivatives bubble which has been called a "financial weapon of mass destruction" by Buffet.
Obama and Bernake's debt escape is based on devaluing the dollar and thereby inflate their way over it.This strategy will continue while the US$ remains the world's sole reserve currency, and we all have to take the hit, but is an unlikely prospect in the medium term. Once the dollar falls from grace they will never be able again to write blank cheques against the global system.
BTW The $3 billion the US is giving to Israel yearly is "Starbuck's change" considering the $1.5 trillion budget deficit.
(Leonidas, 7 January 2013 19:27)
"But the Republican senator told reporters that the U.S. cannot afford to keep borrowing money and then handing it out to others, even to allies like Israel. "
Do you think the world was fooled for one minute all those years when you played your sugar daddy role using borrowed funds?
(lowe, 8 January 2013 02:39)
American foreign aid spending is annually about 0.2% of GDP. If Paul actually wants to fix the budget he'd better find some larger expenditures to shrink. Foreign aid money is one of the stronger ways that the USA spreads its influence and that's not gonna change anytime soon, like it or not.
(Amerikanac, 8 January 2013 05:48)
American foreign aid spending is annually about 0.2% of GDP. If Paul actually wants to fix the budget he'd better find some larger expenditures to shrink. Foreign aid money is one of the stronger ways that the USA spreads its influence and that's not gonna change anytime soon, like it or not.
(Amerikanac, 8 January 2013 05:48)
Israel receives about USD 3 billion a year in military aid from the U.S. Why? Are there not enough rich Jews in the world that can throw a few bucks at their promise land? I agree with Mr. Paul, enough borrowing to give. America is drowning in debt, yet still spends like a drunken sailor. It would really be great to see all of the US's funds stay and help Americans, and not to buy allies. Wouldn't it make more sense for foreign countries to buy America's support, to give DC money? Don't they really need us more than we need them?
(Ecoman, 7 January 2013 18:14)
“It’s unlikely anything changes, but I think it is worth discussing,” he said.
B92
He's right that nothing is going to change,the US politicians don't dare challenge "the money changers".When it comes to debt they're just kicking the can down the road.In the meantime,when they talk about debt,noone mentions the consumers debt to GDP, the unfunded medicare and social security liabilities, the unsustainable zero interest policy or the US govt buying over 70% of its own debt etc.
The reason why the US and UK are into constant QEs, is that the moment they stop, there will be a total collapse. The most important component within this collapse, will be the massive derivatives bubble which has been called a "financial weapon of mass destruction" by Buffet.
Obama and Bernake's debt escape is based on devaluing the dollar and thereby inflate their way over it.This strategy will continue while the US$ remains the world's sole reserve currency, and we all have to take the hit, but is an unlikely prospect in the medium term. Once the dollar falls from grace they will never be able again to write blank cheques against the global system.
BTW The $3 billion the US is giving to Israel yearly is "Starbuck's change" considering the $1.5 trillion budget deficit.
(Leonidas, 7 January 2013 19:27)
"But the Republican senator told reporters that the U.S. cannot afford to keep borrowing money and then handing it out to others, even to allies like Israel. "
Do you think the world was fooled for one minute all those years when you played your sugar daddy role using borrowed funds?
(lowe, 8 January 2013 02:39)