Osama bin Laden is dead

**wombat2u2004** · 05-06-2011, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by cassiesmom

I also heard that the government of Pakistan was not notified in advance that this would be taking place and some people who live in the area felt that the U.S. forces involved should not have done what they did in a country that was not their own.

Fair enough. If that's the way they feel then they can put their hand out for foreign aid from some other country, and the next time there is a flood and all of their little straw houses get washed away, they can ask for money from somewhere else.

**wombat2u2004** · 05-07-2011, 06:24 AM

**pomtzu** · 05-07-2011, 06:40 AM

Originally Posted by wombat2u2004

Fair enough. If that's the way they feel then they can put their hand out for foreign aid from some other country, and the next time there is a flood and all of their little straw houses get washed away, they can ask for money from somewhere else.

You got it mate!!!! That's exactly what I think. How many billions of $$$ in aid does the U.S. provide to Pakistan???? - and now we're on the top of their doo-doo list! How about spreading some of that money around at home first - to our own people that need aid. I still believe in the old saying that "charity begins at home"!

**kokopup** · 05-07-2011, 07:14 AM

Our Giving to Pakistan goes way back. I was a part of a task force back in the late 50's/early 60's where the US government had given Pakistan several of our older destroyers. We were there to train them on those ships so they could defend themselves from the ENEMY OY THE DAY. I was aboard a Carrier so I wasn't directly involved with the actial training. I was just there trapped in Hell (Karachi) for a very long time. It may not be common knowledge that most of the piping for everything onboard ships is made of brass. In the months I was there the ships finally were not sea worthy because the Pakistani's had stripped the ship of all piping, including those necessary to run their engines. Those ships became floating blobs. I'm sure any aid sent there today, 50 years later, is still going down the same rat hole.

**pomtzu** · 05-07-2011, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by kokopup

Our Giving to Pakistan goes way back. I was a part of a task force back in the late 50's/early 60's where the US government had given Pakistan several of our older destroyers. We were there to train them on those ships so they could defend themselves from the ENEMY OY THE DAY. I was aboard a Carrier so I wasn't directly involved with the actial training. I was just there trapped in Hell (Karachi) for a very long time. It may not be common knowledge that most of the piping for everything onboard ships is made of brass. In the months I was there the ships finally were not sea worthy because the Pakistani's had stripped the ship of all piping, including those necessary to run their engines. Those ships became floating blobs. I'm sure any aid sent there today, 50 years later, is still going down the same rat hole.

Okay - I'm not the sharpest when it comes to politics and government, but how do we do what we (U.S.) do?? Our own government is working in the red - a big deficit - so how can we provide any aid to anybody when we don't have it to give???? The U.S. wants to cut funding for projects and programs here in our own country to help "balance the budget", and at the expense of deserving people and programs, but the handouts continue to everybody and his brother outside of the country. There is the on-going aid (such as to Pakistan), and the emergency aid to countries that fall victim to natural disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, and the like. If we don't have - how can we give? Maybe there's someone a lot wiser than I am that can explain it to me,, cause I don't get it!!!

**Lady's Human** · 05-07-2011, 07:45 AM

Let's put the total foreign aid budget in perspective:

It was roughly $32 billion last year.

Much of that comes back to the US through the countries spending it on materials from US corporations, especially the foreign military aid.

While Pakistan is an arguably undeserving recipient of US foreign aid, they receive a pittance compared to others (and I doubt they're going to get much down the road). Without what foreign aid they are given, chances are we wouldn't be able to resupply troops in Afghanistan without invading another impossible country, and UBL would still be alive, as they would have had no reason to allow us to operate anywhere near their boarders.

The deficit for FY 2010 was $1.2 trillion dollars. That foreign aid is a drop in the bucket.

**pomtzu** · 05-07-2011, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by Lady's Human

Let's put the total foreign aid budget in perspective:

It was roughly $32 billion last year.

Much of that comes back to the US through the countries spending it on materials from US corporations, especially the foreign military aid.

While Pakistan is an arguably undeserving recipient of US foreign aid, they receive a pittance compared to others (and I doubt they're going to get much down the road). Without what foreign aid they are given, chances are we wouldn't be able to resupply troops in Afghanistan without invading another impossible country, and UBL would still be alive, as they would have had no reason to allow us to operate anywhere near their boarders.

The deficit for FY 2010 was $1.2 trillion dollars. That foreign aid is a drop in the bucket.

But we're still spending money that we don't have - right??? - be it at home or abroad. Wish I knew how to do that - other than with a credit card - which has to be paid back.

**Lady's Human** · 05-07-2011, 08:54 AM

No one wants their pet project cut.

No one wants to touch Medicaid and Medicare.

No one wants to touch Social Security.

Discretionary and defense spending only account for 39% of the budget. That leaves 61% of the budget as sacred cows. Time to slaughter a few. We're beyond the point of being able to please everyone.