National security concerns  /  Foreign aid

Foreign aid in 2016 accounted for 1% of the total budget, or $42 Billion.  According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average respondent thought 26% of the federal budget went to foreign aid when it accounts for only 1% of the total budget.

 

Of that $42 Billion, $16.8 billion went to security, and $25.6 Billion was economic aid.  The Security category contains $10 million in U.S. security support, which means our State Department gives them weapons - for free.  Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Columbia, Mexico, and countless small countries received free hardware.

 

Afghanistan and Iraq make sense; we are trying to rebuild nations and fulfill a commitment made by Bush.  Pakistan is strategic since India is a Russian ally.

 

But why does Mexico, Egypt, Jordan, Columbia, and Israel get weapons for free?  These are some of the wealthiest countries in the world,¹ but we give them arms totaling $3.7 Billion?  Why?  If a country can afford to pay why are we giving it away?  We should offer to sell them arms.  We can’t afford to give the farm away any longer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

¹  https://knoema.com/nwnfkne/world-gdp-ranking-2016-data-and-charts-forecast.