STING2 said:
But the USA also benefits by providing humanitarian aid. Economic development of the third world is very beneficial to key US foreign policy interest.
The USA spends nearly 400 Billion dollars every year on essentially international security! Few countries come close to this level of spending even as a percentage of GDP. International Security is extremely important as it helps prevent anarchy and war and can protect regions and countries from the actions and moves of other countries. Without the international security and stability that the USA provides many regions of the world, discussions of and or actions to develop the third world would not be possible, because of the instability and war that would exist in several other countries and regions of the world.
These two factors more than make up or balance out the USA's lower level of development aid.
I agree with 1); Economic development of the third world is very beneficial to key US foreign policy interest. But its often not beneficial to the interests of the third world country. Sometimes it is (f.e. less unemployment bc third world location of U.S. Corporation - see the foreign direct investment discussion), sometimes it isn?t, because to profit long term third world has to have its own companies, its own economists (who should be allowed to go the way they want, and don?t have to fall on their knees for the IMF, the IMF in which the U.S.A. has the ONLY, EXCLUSIVE veto power, in all the world), its own development concepts, its own research and development, its own banks, its own control.
2) The U.S. has provoked more wars than prevented. Without U.S. military training, paid by the Pentagon in 70 states scattered all over the globe, this world would be a much safer place. We all know that very often countries are against the U.S. mixing into their affairs because U.S. wants to secure its "interests". Nobody else is interested! You are fooling yourself (if not lying). If you are another opinion, please list 35 countries (the half of the number of where the U.S. currently does military training) where U.S. (and only U.S., not U.N., thats us alltogether, right) keeps peace, provides international security and stability.
3) Those two factors don?t make up or balance out nothing. If you?d like to see things balanced out, we (Europe and U.s.) have to pay back what we have stolen (colonies, natives et al), and still steal (hidden under unfair terms of trade).