Americans Are Stupid?, page 1

Originally posted by standupamerica32

well americans will get what they want we have the power to do so, but as being selfish the u.s. has given more aid to the world than any other 10 countries combined so give me a break on being selfish do some reading on the facts

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!

In 1947, George Kennan, famed bureaucrat and planner, said (in, IIRC, policy planning document 23/1947) that the US has 5% of the world's population and uses 50% of the world's resources.

He went on to say that "if we are not to become the object of envy and resentment", the US must put aside romantic notions of self-determination for other peoples.

This is the obvious reality behind US foreign policy and has been since before Kennan. Yet dimwitted Americans insist on believing their comforting myths.

What the US has given the world is, basically, extortion and violence on a global scale. And lots of Hollywood films to gloss it over and take credit for others' achievements.

Watching the "debate" over health care has made me realise how truly infantilised and propagandised many US citizens are. It's making me think Americans are even stupider than I'd previously thought.

(Yes, these are generalisations. There are honourable exceptions, but honestly, I think even the sane and sensible people live in a culture that warps their world view.)

As for USAID, it's an instrument to further that foreign policy and to allow corporations huge wrtie-offs. It very seldom does any good and can actually wreck small countries' economies. Even putting that aside, the US, per head of population, is one of the least generous countries on earth, along with Australia and the UK. Tiny countries like Eire punch way above their weight in comparison.

One entirely typical example of USAID in action: USAID: making the world hungry for GM crops

This briefing examines how the US government uses USAID to actively promote GM agriculture. The focus is on USAID's major programmes for agricultural biotechnology and the regions where these programmes are most active in parts of Africa and Asia[1]. These USAID programmes are part of a multi-pronged strategy to advance US interests with GM crops. Increasingly the US government uses multilateral and bilateral free trade agreements and high-level diplomatic pressure to push countries towards the adoption of many key bits of corporate-friendly regulations related to GM crops. And this external pressure has been effectively complimented [sic] by lobbying and funding from national and regional USAID biotech networks.

I really wish more people knew the difference between "complimented" and "complemented", btw.

Wealthiest countries foreign aid per capita

As you can see (2002 figures, but typical) that Eire, the Netherlands, and above all the Scandinavian countries (with Norway in a commanding lead) are rather more generous.

What was that again....?

Originally posted by standupamerica32
... so give me a break on being selfish do some reading on the facts

Riiiight.

[edit on 16-8-2009 by rich23]