Pakistan's government gave $1 million to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. government has pledged $50 million to the victims of the earthquake in Pakistan. This comes atop $275 million in foreign aid allocated to Pakistan last year, and, hopefully, a good deal of charitable contributions from Americans recognizing the horror of Saturday's earthquake. Some Pakistanis have complained about the smallness of the U.S. government's financial commitment. No Americans, that I know of, have complained about the stinginess of the Pakistani government's Hurricane Katrina aid. It wouldn't occur to anyone to do so. Who expects Pakistan to come to the rescue when disasters strike? Even when disasters don't strike, many non-Westerners feel entitled to Western money. When the same people who burn U.S. flags, give a 10 percent favorability rating to America, and provide safe harbor to terrorists express ingratitude at hundreds of millions of dollars in aid, one has to wonder what level of U.S. aid would satisfy? Americans get burned twice over: first, by the U.S. government's habit of making donations with our money but without our consent; and second, by recipient nations berating us for not giving more. Is it culturally insensitive for Americans to expect a "thank you" instead of a "blank you" when giving up Fort Knox to foreigners?
Dan,
Your last few posts have been incredibly good. Keep up the good work. "Thank you" instead of "blank you"!?
Wow, I can't wait for your next book!
So, what do the islamofacists think of the wrath of Allah now? Or was this some giant suicide belt? Allah will punish America for attempting to mitigate the disaster he visited on his subjects in Pakistan. Withhold all aid! Let the Saudis, Omanis, and Kuwaitis help. Let Teheran divert some of its funds for the nuclear bomb and help their co-religionists. Hell, let al-quaida help. Maybe Patty Murray can then point to some other good things they do!
I like Pat Buchanan's solution: F them all!
And take care of our own business ourselves!
But then, there's no control or political capital in that.
I would certainly love to see a huge reduction in foreign aid as a concept, asdf, but Pakistan is too strategically important right now, to give up on aiding them alltogether.
I have to agree with Ben-T on this one. Much as it irks us to have to put up with these ingrates, we need to keep them as close to us as possible. They are only a coup away from being a nuclear nightmare...
