I am looking at an Excel file created by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Titled The 2011 Statistical Abstract lists all the money the U.S. has given away over the last few years; it is available for downloading from http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/foreign_commerce_aid/foreign_aid.html.
The amount of money the United States gives away - not counting government waste - boggles the mind.
The biggest single beneficiary was Afghanistan, collecting $8,557 million. That $8,557,000,000,000!
Israel received $1,992 million.
But add it the total for all of Israel's neighbors, friendly and otherwise, and you come up with a total of $3,512 million.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) benefited to the tune of $70 million in 2009, down substantially from 2006 ($137 million), 2007 ($135 million), and 2008 ($160 million). Never mind that "Palestine" is a non-country or that the U.S. hides this as a separate item from the Gaza donation.
To their credit, Algeria, Burundi, Greece, and Turkey actually are paying down their debts to the American taxpayer.
I didn't add up all the money the U.S. gave away; when you're dealing with nearly $600 million for a few middle eastern countries - and the anti-Israel UN, the Grand Total is more than this scrivener can imagine.
My point is that the U.S. is borrowing money from other countries to give to still other countries.
Why?
If, say, Afghanistan needs aid, let it go directly to the Deep Pockets - now China and Japan. Let the Deep Pockets countries burden THEIR people.
Most countries are aware the U.S. is temporarily "out-of-pocket." The U.S. is not exactly "broke," the country's GNP still is healthy. We're like a family that has more debt that it can pay off at once; the adults HAVE incomes, but not sufficient to pay all the bills, including interest on the debt.
One option I see - although I doubt Washington sees it - is to pay off the U.S. debt by selling the IOUs from UNRWA, Afghanistan, et al, to those countries that hold U.S. obligations.
"Here's the deal, China," the U.S. State and Treasury ought to say, "The U.S. owes China "n" trillions. The U.S. is owed "n+" trillions. We'll give you (China) the "n+1" trillion debt owed the U.S. and you cancel the U.S.' debt to you (China)."
The U.S. could "package" the debts much like the mortgage swindlers packaged "toxic" mortgages; some sure to be repaid debt - say from Greece and Turkey - with some "greater risk" debt such as the money going to Gaza and Pakistan ($1,249 million).
The U.S. clears its debt, China makes a profit (the "+1") and the debtor nations now know they must pay up - or else. China seems less forgiving than Uncle Sam - anyone remember Tiananmen Square?
Something to consider.
