Does the US Spend Too Much on Foreign Aid? - Peter Singer

[150grnballistictip]

What's 1% of a trillion? Why are we so beholden to China even if they buy our dept. It's because of these assholes that we have lost or ability to produce. We have the land of milk and honey and won't even use it because the communist hippies hold it hostage...

[happinesson]

what is too much if you have more than enough? maybe people are ignorant for the statistics because all they know is that US government has the capacity to extend help for the benefit of humankind.

[cozyfoxstudio]

1% is a shit load of money better spent on American. We borrow to give so tack interest on to the figure and stop asking bullshit questions to trap ignorant people.

[TheNova1960]

I would love to ask him where would Americans go to get foreign aid when we are all living in FEMA tents eating out of tin cups. I volunteer at a homeless shelter and we have to turn citizens away for shelter, food, and medicine. However, our government keeps cutting checks to foreign countries...this man needs to work on a soup line for the US homeless!

[diln5]

@TheNova1960 Peter Singer has a world-view that is exceptionally strange to most people who haven't studied philosophy. He believes we should increase the maximum happiness of all sentient beings- regardless of their nationality (or even their species). Thus, a man who must eat from a tin can because he can't afford the prices in the wealthiest nation in the world is far better off than a man who has sickle-cell whose only livestock has been stolen by warloards. Regardless of nationality.

[TheNova1960]

@diln5 I'm sure Mr. Singer is a nice man, but at the moment our local shelter needs diapers, food, more shelters, and medicine! Kinda strange how we give billions to foreign countries with dictators...so those people never get the money any way and American Citizens go hungry!

[graysonTW]

what gives this chump the expertise to talk about foreign aid? i'll bet he's never been to APPALACHIA!

this is a guy who wants to sound so warm and cuddly sometimes.........and he's also the guy who favors eradicating BABIES born with Disabilities!

musta never heard of Andre Bocelli or Stevie Wonder!...........what a creep!

[XZohar123]

@graysonTW You should learn about someone's positions before talking about what they are.

[fuckooo]

@graysonTW You're a moron.

[MrFabregas1987]

Its the banksters faul(Rockefellers, Rothchilds and other insane rich banking families. They rule the world people and want enslave the world through New World Order and make way for Antichrist.. With only 1 % of USA military budget per year, it could stop the famine in the whole world. But these people are greedy and wants total power over humanity.

As mentioned in The Bible there will be a 7 empire with a cashless society with mark of the beast(RFID chips).

Repent people. Praise The Lord.

[jussvicious]

TAKE CARE OF HOME FIRST!!!!!! We have got children homeless and hungry here in America!!!! Common F*cking sense.

[MrFabregas1987]

@jussvicious

Why are USA sending jobs overseas?

[incaayoub]

@jussvicious Your government is causing massive suffering worldwide and its social policies inherently designed to enrich the rich and let the poor go to hell

[QuantumTuba]

It's quite possible to believe that a larger percentage of the US budget should go to foreign aid but the US government should spend less total on foreign aid if one favors a significant decrease in the federal budget across the board.

[manonthemount]

america gives entirely too much in foreign aid. we spend multiples more than every other nation combined on defending the secure shipping lanes they enjoy. we've rescued europe; twice. we pay egregious amounts of interest to china. we have a bigger trade deficit than any nation. we facilitate american corporations to evade taxes by chartering in countries with more favorable tax codes, yet reside and operate in america. we also simply give money away to the detriment of our children's deficit

[ghhgyjjuhjy]

America is ranked 22 out of 22 developed countries who give the most foreign aid in terms of GDP and 90% of the money they give to country's they make them spend with u.s companies.what a disgrace!!! they should bow their heads in shame.

[mizzoulibertarian]

@ghhgyjjuhjy we shouldn't give any. I WANT THE THEFT TO STOP!!! IT BELONGS TO ME I WORKED FOR IT!!!!

[johan3248]

@ghhgyjjuhjy You could add that most of the aid are bribes to make other countries further US interests. Buying votes in UN, or buying support to policy or even war, or to further sales of US products, or to further purchase of their natural resources.

And this is called aid.

It is also interesting to check who receives most of US military aid. Those are not really democratic, free or peacefull countries.

Someone was wondering why some people don't love USA.

[pseudonominous]

@johan3248 After scrolling down through the comments, yours are the first words that make any sense without this 'blind patriotism'

(Don't know what country you're from!? Will look at your profile in a mo')

[beaufortguy18]

Most of the world's governments don't even like us so let them starve to death. See how many Anti-Americans there are when the world is on it's knees, No other country in the world can produce the amount of surplus as the US.

[GodTheHypothesis]

@beaufortguy18

Wow you sure gave them a reason to like you more! Have you never considered the fact that maybe it's an accident of birth that you're an American and not an Ethiopian?

[beaufortguy18]

@GodTheHypothesis Not my problem. It's their own fault their country sucks. If they don't want to suck then they need to do something about it.

[GodTheHypothesis]

@beaufortguy18

What?? So if someone is born in ethiopia, it automatically becomes their fault they were born in a shit country? What an absolutely terrible interpretation of poverty!

Haha, do you vote republican by any chance?

[pseudonominous]

@GodTheHypothesis If someone is born into poverty, it is not AUTOMATICALLY the persons fault.

It's the parents fault for conceiving initially.

[LtheGTR]

@beaufortguy18 Negative $1.4 trillion is not exactly what I call surplus.

Also, you ought to try to develop some compassion for your fellow human beings.

[beaufortguy18]

@LtheGTR Positive. The US produces more excess FOOD which it sends to countries who hate us. No other country can match the amount we are capable of cranking out. That's what I call surplus. If people burn the American flag and chant 'death to America' then they shouldn't be propped up by the country they hate. Also, you ought to try to develop some better internet arguing skills. Face.

[LtheGTR]

@beaufortguy18 The fact that you believe countries full of people should starve to death because of the political beliefs of a few (or even that those few should die because of their subversive politics) only proves my point. Did you ever consider that some people abroad dislike America for a reason? I would be willing to bet people like you have something to do with it.

[beaufortguy18]

@LtheGTR Don't give a shit. Some jerk off on youtube isn't going to change anyone's opinions. And only losers start arguments on old comments. Loser.

[jacktheledge]

@beaufortguy18

Mhmm... 'Some jerk off' Peter Singer, Bioethics chair/professor at Princeton. Probably one of the world's most famous conetemporary philosopher.

[pseudonominous]

@beaufortguy18 The US doesn't give out of the good of it's health.

It gives to countries that are strategic to them. There's no free handouts unless you are beneficial.

[oatnoid]

The US spends more than other countries in total dollars, as a percentage of its total annual budget it give 25 billion dollars away a year! Mostly to countries who dont need it, and or hate the USA. America needs to get its finances back on stable ground. If they are giving away 25 billion a year in foreign aid they can cut back on it and spend that money here.

[trallala]

@oatnoid did you even watch the video?

[oatnoid]

@trallala Yeah, so what? I have my own opinion. I don't care about the percentage. I care about the recipients and how they spend it. Giving money to Pakistan, Israel, etc that could be spent here is unwise and only benefits the the political elite. We give millions to a central African dictator to fight rape and what does he do? He puts up a few anti rape signs and pockets the rest. You are getting ripped off.

[trallala]

@oatnoid Well, no I'm not. I'm from Norway. And you are, of course, entitled to your own opinion - I never said you weren't! Here's a question, though: Rather than cutting foreign aid completely, shouldn't you try to follow the money and make sure it's used effectively? So far, the war in Iraq, widely condemned by the international community and a lot of people within the US itself, has cost the USA over 737 billion dollars. Why not cut there instead?

[mizzoulibertarian]

I WANT MY MONEY BACK! THIEF!!!

[sam199166]

This is plain BS, just look at the money the government spends on its military.... Everything else is nothing!

[szerszamos]

foreign aid is waste of money....they will be begging for next 500 years !!!

[TonylovesGod]

I think African countries should take care of themselves, financially. I also don't think America should pay Egypt not to attack Israel.

[ilovecrap]

its not right to say we should not give aid to Africa while supporting the ability of American and foreign companies to control African resources

[mellowtribe]

When we give foreign aid it ends up in the hands of terrists or dictators and almost never reaches where it was intended to go.

[ballzibub]

dickhead. i really dont think you see the problem here.

'world aid should be a charity and the govt should give nothing' for fucks sake its ignorant bastards like you that continue to fuck up our planet. your country PROFITS IMMENSELY off these poorer countries. your corporations KEEP THESE PEOPLE POOR for your own nationalistic gain. you are fucking selfish, and the rest of the world see you as not much more than fucking retarded.

[calimar28]

People say 10% or 20% would be a good number to give away to the world...WHY??????

Why should America automatically give away 10% of it's GDP? Are you fuking kidding me? What is that, a "world tax"? I say BULLSHIT!

[ahabthewhaler]

okay genius. you are looking dumber every time. 10-20% is not mentioned. it is 5-10% and thats what people in america, i think they are called americans, think they should give in foreign aid. and why give to the world? because america is a wealthy nation and there are people dying from simple diseases. just man up a bit and think about other people

[calimar28]

We should give ZERO

[godlessKnowledge]

And you Americans wonder why the world hates you...

[calimar28]

Why? Because we dont give enough? When will it end? How long does this nation have to give it's money away to the world welfare state?

I'll tell you why the world hates us. It hates us because we stick our noses in other business and go to war needlesly.

[godlessKnowledge]

That too.

[calimar28]

Ok, we agree. But what about the other point...the money? How much more burden should the American taxpayers bare to give money away to the world? 40%? 50%? We struggle mightly now, we are in serious debt and have no money...many here are losing everything they own...but we are expected to give away more billions so the world wont hate us?

How much should we give? You still havent answered that.

[godlessKnowledge]

Dont expect me 2 feel sympathy 4 the capital of capitalism that has been bleeding developing countries dry 4decades while corporations control the politicans + hold the majority of the Earths power in their stinking, green stained hands. I neither feel sympathy 4 any taxpayer nor do I expect sympathy 4 myself while the world falls apart under the monetary system.

[godlessKnowledge]

I pray 4 a nuclear holocaust which enables r species 2 start ovr + build 1 single society based on rational thought, logic + humanist morailty. Ur question is irrelevant.

[calimar28]

your a sick idiot. Dont you DARE lump corporations with the taxpayer.

[godlessKnowledge]

I hope your killed when the first bomb drops!!!!

YOU TITTY FUCKY CUMWANK FACE LICKER PIECE OF FUCKWANK!!!

[calimar28]

i am reporting you to the FBI, you sound like a terrorist to me. Plus, your garbage on top of it.

[godlessKnowledge]

I''m not even from your country you stupid fuck! I thought you would have checked that!!

Ur right of course, all terrorist wants a new society based on rational thought and have acess to nuclear weapons!!

HAHAHAHA!!! YOU'RE WHY I HATE DUMB YANKS YOU STUPID FUCKTARD!!!

[ahabthewhaler]

seriously man did you watch the fucking clip or not. this is getting stupid. you give around 1 percent. people in the poll replied they should give 5-10%. where the fuck are you pulling 40 or 50% from? watch the damn clip. seriously. then talk. if you already watched it then just dont talk because you are clearly to dumb to do so

[calimar28]

1% of Americas GDP is damn high. And does that include all the money we taxpayers spend on hospitals, schools, and jails and other social services for illegal aliens? OF COURSE NOT! Those are not in the figures are they?

What about our military being in 1340 nations which cost us a TRILLION a year? That in those "figures"?

[ahabthewhaler]

i only commented because the 40% - 50% was a ridiculous number you pulled out of nowhere. And of course it doesn't include domestic spending like the things you named, it is a reference to foreign aid. foreign aid. other countries. outside the united states. And again, talking about numbers pulled from nowhere, 1340 countries? are you counting other planets? the world only has less than 200 countries. you should stop smoking whatever you are smoking mate

[calimar28]

I meant 130 nations, I typo'd and you cannot edit YouTube comments.

If we taxpayers are paying welfare to illegal aliens who are FOREIGN NATIONALS, then yes, that is also giving FOREIGN AID! You have to include that. That also includes the free education we give them, and their chirldren here in America. You cannot just pull out a number like 2% without including everything, like the huge Mexican population here. Do some research, and then we can talk about the real number, its not 2%.

[ahabthewhaler]

you can edit you tube comments by looking at them before you post. also i dont think america would be paying welfare to illegal aliens, you would need a social security number to get welfare wouldnt you? and illegal aliens wouldnt have one. also if their kids go to public school they would pay their fees like everyone else. and stop saying 2% the number is under 1%. seriously watch the damn video. there is something wrong with you

[calimar28]

Illegal aliens do get welfare here...all you need is kids to get it. And still there are the schools, jails, roads, hospitals, that provide for illegals that the taxpayers have to pay for. That isnt foreign aid?

What abotu the IMF? And the UN? How much money do those two places get from the USA, and are you even counting that? You throw it all together, and we are at 8% or better right now!

World welfare should be charity, and nothing from the govt.

[ahabthewhaler]

domestic spending, including roads jails etc is not foreign aid. not i am not counting it. it is not foreign aid. you are under 1%. that is a fact

[calimar28]

BS. Roads, jails, schools, hospitals for ILLEGAL ALIENS do damn well count for foreign aid, since illegals are foreign. You better damn well count that or it isnt a proper result. It is far past 1%...and what about the IMF and UN? Didnt count that did you?

[qrqrqrqr1]

@calimar28 He didn't say 1% of GDP, he said 1% of the federal budget. Big difference.

[fjoo]

Depends on how much you have. If you often go and buy crap you don't need, then you can give more. 2-3% to feed the hungry would be good for a start, and then when the starving and sick kids has been taken care of, it can be re-evaluated.

[ahabthewhaler]

the wars aren't helpful, that's for sure.. however if you actually paid any attention to the clip you could see that people dislike americans because of the arrogance you just showed in your little comment. Also the ignorance about simple things like what america does for other countries. "How long does this nation have to give it's money away to the world welfare state" for example is a damn hilarious comment to make after seeing this clip. it shows you maintain the delusion that you give a lot

[jiyx4]

This is a great example why people hate the USA, it's that incredible ignorance.

Constantly I get to hear; "Yes, but our country gives the most foreigh aid"

Not. When we look at GDP per capita, it's Denmark followed by The Netherlands who give most; 52% and 38%. Compare that with the USA, a lousy 3%....

It's this magic number of 310 (milion people) that always used to their advantage when comparing their accomplishments with smaller countries (most of them).

[phzinhodej]

There is a lot of ignorance, indeed. But Singer's snippet doesn't clarify anything either.

Perhaps a more appropriate question would be:

is there any other country in the world that spend more (in terms of percentage pf GDP) in foreign aid than the US?

[fjoo]

Yes, Go watch his whole lecture, I believe he talks about it there.

Lot's of countries in western europe gives lots more, and some of them has the highest GDP in the world compared to their population.

[wernerbh]

Singer is right and the USA should spend 100% of its federal budget in foreign aid. Yeah.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

singer is a fool.  I'm not american but I know how much % of GDP is spent on foreign aid, and I would rather it be around .005% .... that's a respectiable yearly dole out for foreign aid

[collapseofthedollar]

it's still a lot of money

[milfrie]

you have to teach a man to fish.. people under oppressive regimes will not have the power to create nor keep wealth. The goverments take it and fail to do anything constructive with it. I became a vegetarian after reading his book, but I don't agree with his views on much else. His paper a New Darwinian Left was interesting.

[PseudoAdministrator]

Yes, the voters are completely ignorant. We are still nonetheless giving to much foreign aide. It should be 0.00%.

[DeletedDelusion]

Foreign aid could help fighting terrorism.

[n8iveidiot13]

i was trying to say this to my school about 2-3 weeks ago... im new to the school they thought i was wrong and being greedy but in this time i dont think we can afford to help other countries when we ourselves cant even help outselves like in jerselum america or canada was trying to help them out there but i said we should just let them help them selves resolve this because we gotten nowhere when we were sticking our noses everywhere in the middle east

[sccoast1700]

I think the figure should be zero%. We should take care of ourselves. Foreign aid should be in the form of private charities that people who feel inclined give out.

[DeletedDelusion]

You want other nations to cooperate with your contry? They need an incentive from your country.

[sccoast1700]

If that is true, then they should also pay us to cooperate with them.

[DeletedDelusion]

Are you sure you want to be in their debt?

I'd rather be the dealer then the junkie or the wooer then the whore, you get the point.

Besides those who give aid often dictate what the aid has to be used for, plus they demand cooperation without having to return the favor. Aid is rarely free.

Many countries who receive aid later purchase military equipment from the country they got the money from. or they have to secure a constant flow of commodities or support the US in the UN.

[glennd7962]

The other thing Mr. Singer doesn't mention is the tens of billions privately given by U.S. citizens to aid the developing world.

[glennd7962]

While I agree with his sentiment about the ignorance of our citizenry, it's clear he is using a very narrow definition of foreign aid. If you were to include all state, commerce, military, intelligence, law enforcement and the like, the number is greater than 1% but certainly not more than 10%, What's most interesting about Mr. Singer is his flawed moral argument about our obligation to the rest of the world. His collectivist impulses just aren't enough to convince me.

[peacetrees]

Stop foreign aid right now especially to countries who do not need it and have enough to support themselves. Israel is one of these countries. Bring our resources home. We are broke.

[hurataimad]

i have to agree with many others here, foriegn aid is used as a political tool, the word "aid" here is deceptive, there is nothing moral or altruistic about it. and i found the 900 million they gave to gaza was synical, and rotten to the core, especially when the gulf had already made moves to allocate all the aid for pure altrustic reasons. and the altruism was the problem for america, "we can't allow hamas any free money without strings attached".

[LeviathanXX]

Foreign aid is used to get political concessions from foreign nations. There's nothing wrong with that. Strategically, it is very important for any superpower to have that kind of flexibility. Sometimes it's more useful to throw dollars at a potential problem than guided missiles

[asperin]

US Foreign aid = Funding of puppet regimes

[kalbininkas]

I think more than 0 % is too much, since the money, aid, etc. is given to corrupt local governments and not to the people who actually need it.

[eksdem]

Will Obama's daughter Malia get angry when she is a teenager and her father takes 39% of her babysitting earnings and gives it to Sasha?

[arequipa1]

lol

[eksdem]

Imagine the mess if Obama ran the White House the way he runs the country.

OBAMA'S WHITE HOUSE RULE #1:

Malia will have to give 39% of her babysitting earnings to her sister Sasha.

Sasha will get  merely 30% of Malia's earnings because a government bureaucrat will skim off the other 9% for salary, office rental, office furniture, and payment of utilities bills.

[Slug99]

So basically you'd rather have no taxes at all?

[eksdem]

Sug99 wrote: "So basically you'd rather have no taxes at all?"

--

Why would you assume I want NO taxes?

For starters we should get rid of taxes that are

1) used to modify our behavior and are

2) used to punish successful behavior

[fatmanprime]

Probably not, if she doesn't ever have to pay for healthcare or education.

[Sardonac]

Peter Singer is an okay philosopher. His arguments often rely too much on intuition and lead to the inevitable conclusion of absolute patronage. And I heard the guy gives 20% of his income to charities which, in his case, is almost nothing. If he truly stood by his propositions then he should be giving far more.

[fjoo]

That's retarded logic.

[Sardonac]

No. A guy who believes in the highest minimum standard is in fact proposing the moral obligation of equalizing charity.

[fjoo]

That's just a Ad Hominem Tu Quoque, basic fallacy. How a person lives his life does not falsify his argument.

Maybe you should listen to his whole lecture, not just a 1 min clip, and you will see that he is talking about an ideal standard we, as a whole, should work towards. He points out that very few, not even him self (though he does more than most people), doesn't live up to that standard yet.

[PeterPancrease]

3 billion dollars a year to Israel is a still a large number even if the total amount is less than 1 percent.  Billions of dollars are being dwarfed and being made acceptable, especially when we are now spending Trillions of dollars for the stimulus/bailout packages.

[Theprinceofponeage]

i would have said 0%

[jak1428]

20%??? lol... those stupid rednecks probably consider the occupation of foreign countries as  "foreign aid" as well... ;)

[goldgrif]

why give anything to a developed nation like isreal????

[ferrozm]

foreign aid given by the government goes to the military of the countries and they waste it. individuals should give it. Singer is ignorant

[baskil]

Not all of it is.  The State, Labor, and Commerce Departments give a lot of developmental aid.

[ferrozm]

maybe so. but when the govt gives foreign aid it comes with all sorts of strings attached and only 1/4 of the funds go to the actual cause it is supposed to help because it has to through useless govt employees. private donations would replace foreign aid

[baskil]

Are you familiar with Live AID? That was a private donation, and the consequences of it was that the dictatorship in Ethiopia was propped up for a few more years. Just because a donation is private doesn't mean that it's immune or even less susceptible to corruption.

[ferrozm]

of course it would be less susceptible to corruption. It wouldn't be perfect but at least individual donors would have the choice not to donate to those organizations if they are found to be corrupt with the govt you have no choice at all