From: Lawrence DeBivort (debivort@umd5.umd.edu)
Date: Sat 07 Dec 2002 - 03:29:08 GMT
Development assistance can play a big role in the fortunes of a country.
Egyptians generally know about the AID programs there, and this has created
a big reservoir of good-will for the US. Our support for Israel counters
this good-will. I would guess that without the development assistance of
the last decades -- and other things such as direct contacts between
Egyptians and Americans, reports by Egyptians living in the US to folks back
home, Egyptian students at US education institutions, the positive idealism
(e.g. self-determination, freedom of expression, etc.) that is still seen to
be associated with the US -- US standing in Egyptian would be substantially
lower. Were we to be more even-handed on Israel, our standing in Egypt and
elsewhere in the world would rise dramatically and swiftly.
Our aid to Israel is actually substantially larger than for Egypt, when you
count both military and open accounts assistance, and it is even greater if
you count the numerous trade breaks we give the Israel. Of course, on a per
capita basis our aid to Israel is several-fold what we give to anyone else.
It is a choice we make, but a costly one, financially, politically, and in
terms of our own security.
Cheers,
Lawry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk [mailto:fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk]On Behalf
> Of Grant Callaghan
> Sent: Friday, December 06, 2002 10:05 PM
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: RE: World opinion survey
>
>
> Yes. When the rain is pouring down, it's a bit late to wish one
> had thought
> to carry an umbrella. I notice that the biggest receiver of aid
> (Egypt) had
> perhaps the lowest opiniion of us. Maybe we'd be better off to
> stop giving
> and let them solve their own problems.
>
> Grant
>
> >Subject: RE: World opinion survey
> >Date: Fri, 6 Dec 2002 21:52:59 -0500
> >
> >Hi Grant,
> >The US Agency for International Development does a pretty good job of
> >providing socio-economic development assistance to the third world.
> >Unfortunately, their three biggest accounts -- as mandated by
> Congress, are
> >Israel, Egypt (both as political incentives to remain in the 'peace
> >process', and Colombia, for the 'war on drugs'. precious little is left
> >over for true development assistance, yet it is AID that has the
> singularly
> >important responsibility to show through action that the US is not all
> >bluster and threat. They could well and responsibly use any increase in
> >development funding, and indeed, to his credit, President Bush HAS
> >increased
> >AID's budget for just this purpose. But the idea of spending even a
> >portion
> >of what we have thrown at the 'war on terrorism' into genuine assistance
> >overseas leaves one wondering whether that might not have been a
> better way
> >of providing the country with security.
> >
> >Best regards,
> >Lawry
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk
> [mailto:fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk]On Behalf
> > > Of Grant Callaghan
> > > Sent: Friday, December 06, 2002 2:19 AM
> > > To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> > > Subject: RE: World opinion survey
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > >At 06:05 PM 5/12/02 -0500, you wrote:
> > > > >Hi, Jeremy, the release date is Dec 4, 2002. I don't know why
> > > Australia
> > > > >isn't on it. The Pew Center did the study and should be able to
> >answer
> > > >the
> > > > >questions.
> > > > >
> > > > >Cheers,
> > > > >Lawry
> > > >
> > > >The release date might be only two days ago( it's the 6th
> here), but I
> > > >reckon, on this one, that the data are already stale before they are
> > > >processed.
> > > >Jeremy
> > > >
> > > >The leader who leads from faith works from a warped version
> of strength
> > > >Wade T Smith
> > > >
> > >
> > > On PBS tonight they discussed the survey and there was a
> suggestion that
> > > Bush did not like the results. I think he is finally getting the
> > > idea that
> > > the results he's getting are a direct reflection of the means he has
> >used
> > > since assuming office. Someone said that if the U.S. had used
> > > the billions
> > > of dollars war is going to cost us to build up the economies of
> > > the Muslim
> > > nations, we'd have more people liking us than hating us. Not
> > > that I think
> > > it could be done, of course. I mean, who is going to distribute
> > > the money
> > > and how? If the same people who are running those countries
> control the
> > > money it will end up in the same pockets as before. But it's a
> > > pleasant day
> > > dream anyway.
> > >
> > > Grant
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
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> >
> >
> >
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