Statist Problems

• We must all sneer and scoff at the corrupt, cruel jackasses of Africa
  - Matthew Parris, July 2, 2005 [Times Online]

• Shevy's big mistake: Crossing Uncle Sam
  - Eric Margolis, November 30, 2003 [Toronto Sun]

• Crazed Foreign Aid
  I rise in opposition to this request for nearly $87 billion to continue the occupation and rebuilding of Iraq and Afghanistan. This is money we do not have being shipped away on a foreign welfare program. - Rep. Ron Paul, MD, October 17, 2003 [LewRockwell.com]

• Who does foreign "aid" aid?
  You think Bush's recent gift of American taxpayer wealth to Africa will help anything but his re-election chances? - George F. Smith, August 26, 2003 [Strike the Root]

• Buying 'Friends' With Foreign Aid
  Foreign aid is not only unconstitutional, but also exceedingly unwise. It creates the worst kind of entangling alliances that President Washington warned about. - Rep. Ron Paul, MD, February 25, 2003 [LewRockwell.com]

• Slaves to the Marshall Myth
  Of all the myths that persist concerning economic history, the myth that the United States rebuilt Europe and Japan following the Second World War is among the most popular. - D.W. MacKenzie, November 17, 2003 [Mises]

• Foreign Aid, Foreign Disaster
  Few countries around the world wanted to be entangled in the War on Iraq, but now everyone seems eager to participate in reconstruction. The United States, as primary military aggressor, has estimated the cost of this effort totaling $100 billion over the next several years. - Jude Blanchette, April 23, 2003 [Mises]

• Corruption and Foreign Aid
  What goes unsurveyed, unstudied, and unsaid in the article is the ultimate corruption of foreign aid: Our government gives away the taxpayers' money and it ends up in the pockets of the domestic "friends" of our politicians; the multinational corporations, the military arms and munitions manufacturers, big contractors and construction companies, and dirty dealers of every sort. - Mark Thornton, November 19, 2002 [Mises]

• Reality Check for Redistributionists
  - Ronald Bailey, September 3, 2002 [REASON]

• Road Show
  The recent African poverty safari of U2 frontman Bono and Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill taught the world many things. Chief among the lessons: Publicity stunts still work. - Mike Lynch, August 2002 [REASON]

• Poverty in the Midst of Plenty
  - Douglass C. North, October 2, 2000 [Hoover Institution]

• Foreign Aid Policy Papers [The Heritage Foundation] - Extensive resource of PDF documents. Example: "Clinton's Backdoor Foreign Aid Increase"

• Help or Hindrance: Can Foreign Aid Prevent International Crises? [CATO] - "Few programs have consumed as many resources with as few positive results as foreign aid. Since World War II the United States has contributed more than $1 trillion in assistance to other countries. Other nations and international aid agencies have provided more. Although individual development projects have no doubt worked, and humanitarian aid can help alleviate the effects of crises, there is little evidence that cash transfers do much to advance growth or stability in the developing world."

• Foreign Aid: Ever With Us - "The U.S.A., now greatest debtor nation in history, is out borrowing tens of billions yearly -- going ever deeper in debt - to help other countries reduce their debts. Greater love than this has no nation, that it should lay down its life for its 'friends.'" (by Pat Buchanan)

• Debunking Claims That Foreign Aid Serves U.S. Economic Interests Abroad [The Heritage Foundation] - "The Clinton Administration argues that U.S. foreign aid—specifically, development assistance—directly promotes the commercial interests of the United States in less-developed countries...But the evidence does not support these assertions. U.S. foreign aid has not been shown to benefit the United States either economically or commercially. The opposite is more often the case: Most recipients of U.S. foreign aid have the highest barriers to trade in the world, and they generally import fewer U.S. goods and services. This is particularly true in Africa, which erects more barriers to U.S. exports than any other region."

Libertarian solutions

• Libertarian Party Platform (2000)- Foreign Aid - "We support the elimination of tax-supported military, economic, technical, and scientific aid to foreign governments or other organizations. We support the abolition of government underwriting of arms sales. We further support abolition of federal agencies that make American taxpayers guarantors of export-related loans, such as the Export-Import Bank and the Commodity Credit Corporation. We also oppose the participation of the U.S. government in international commodity circles which restrict production, limit technological innovation, and raise prices.

  We call for the repeal of all prohibitions on individuals or firms contributing or selling goods and services to any foreign country or organization."

In my opinion...

• Do not forget that "foreign aid" is taken from our pockets. Poorer Americans have to support their own children in addition to being forced to fund foreign dictators? Would someone please tell me what is going on?