There are many political topics that can get folks riled up in our present times but there is one that seems to pop up on almost every week on social media, US Foreign Aid. I listen to people all the time, folks who are generally, intelligent individuals but just get it dead wrong on foreign aid provided by America. You really should do some research on this topic to understand how, where, and most important, why we spend this money in other countries.
There are many myths about this topic. Let’s open Pandora’s box and enlighten some folks.
Many people believe that foreign aid doesn’t work, this assumption would be incorrect! The world has seen incredible improvements in health, education, and economic well-being. Advancements have been made against malaria, polio, tuberculosis, and other curable diseases. Millions of people have financially empowered through increased education, improved agriculture, micro-financing, and other sustainable solutions to poverty. Many of these gains are thanks in great part to foreign aid (from the US among many other countries). Between 2000 and 2018, US foreign aid spending on child health saved the lives of 3.3 million children. These investments save lives.
Most Americans feel we spend too much on foreign aid. Foreign aid spending is a drop in the budgetary bucket. Now, I despise this mentality when it comes to the federal budget, politicians have become too casual with spending millions of dollars like a drunken sailor but foreign aid really isn’t the problem. Federal spending is another topic for another day but here are the facts on foreign aid spending.
Federal spending for international affairs, which supports American diplomacy and development aid, is a small portion of the U.S. budget. It covers agencies such as the State Department, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Peace Corps, which are all non-military initiatives that work to improve international relations. In fiscal year 2023, the government spent $1.7 trillion on discretionary programs, of which $84 billion — or nearly 5 percent — was for international affairs. When viewed relative to the entire budget, including mandatory programs and interest payments, spending on international affairs is an even smaller share — comprising about 1 percent of total spending in 2023. There are many factors driving our national debt, trust me foreign aid is not the most pressing one.
Foreign aid is not a charity for foreign governments, most of America’s economic foreign aid is disbursed through US-based agencies, like USAID. These agencies then allocate funding to a mix of nonprofits for key activities that directly benefit those most affected by crisis and emergency.
Foreign aid is heavily negotiated to America’s advantage. More important, it is a big factor in keeping our country safe, foreign aid is a bargaining chip that enjoys bipartisan and multi-sector support. Small investments that enhance stability, self-sufficiency, and good governance around the world lessen the chances of costly US military interventions down the road. Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis said it best, “if you don’t fully fund the State Department, then I will need to buy more ammunition”.
Whether we like it or not, America with all its current issues, is still, the shining beacon on the hill for the world! Trumpers and the rest of the spineless Republican party can stand around and scream “America first” all you want but I will tell, that is a poor strategy to adhere to. It’s a global economy now and America still has the world’s biggest economy, and we need to use our fiscal might around the world. Russia and China are sitting there watching, and you can be assured if we back down from our foreign aid obligations, they will slide in and kick America to the curb! These short-sighted folks who want to cut back our foreign aid, you might not live to regret it, but you kids and grandkids will!
As Sean Connery said in the Untouchables, “Here ends the lesson”.