Foreign Aid

            The United States is considered to be a wealthy country and many developing countries look to the United States for monetary aid.  The United States is often one of the first countries that send humanitarian aid following a natural disaster, such as the recent earthquake in Haiti and the Tsunami in Japan.  They also send aid following war or civil unrest.  Foreign aid can substantially improve the lives of people in underdeveloped countries.  Although Foreign Aid only takes up one percent of the federal budget, political leaders are currently discussing massive cuts to foreign aid or eliminating it entirely.  Foreign aid is a multi-billion dollar commitment that has both positive and negative aspects. 

Contaminated drinking water often causes diarrhea.  This is the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5.  (Sirleaf, p.1).  Fifty years ago, nearly 20 million children under the age of 5 died each year.  By the year 2010, that figure had dropped to 7.6 million.  In the past 10 years, millions of children have been saved from diseases such as measles and whooping cough by vaccines. (Pilot, p.1).  Because of the generosity of programs funded by the U.S., worldwide childhood deaths have significantly decreased.  Clearly, the foreign aid that the U.S. sends is improving the lives of children around the world. 

Foreign aid needs to continue to be sent to developing countries.  For example, improving sanitation in Africa can decrease the death rate due to malaria.  Currently, many countries in Africa have open sewers.  The water is stagnant and provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes that carry malaria.  Improving sanitation and getting rid of open sewers will decrease the instance of malaria.  Providing mosquito netting in rural villages will also protect people from contracting malaria.

Advances in agriculture, education, health and sanitation have been made possible by the generosity of the U.S.  Putting foreign aid to use in developing countries can greatly improve their access to food, education and employment.  Over time, these improvements will allow developing countries to increase production of commodities like food.  This will keep prices lower.  These countries can also become important markets for trade.  If we continue to provide foreign aid, it can be a strategic investment which will make the world safer.  If it is done right, we can shrink the number of countries that require aid to zero (Pilot, p.2).  Countries in Latin America and Asia were able to achieve growth after receiving foreign aid from the U.S.  Ten of the fifteen largest importers of American goods and services graduated from U.S. foreign aid programs (Norris, p.2).  If all countries that receive foreign aid are able to achieve growth, they will graduate from foreign aid programs as well.

The United States has been sending aid to Liberia since their civil war ended eight years ago.  Because of the support from the U.S., they have been able to rebuild roads, clinics and schools.  They have expanded access to electricity, water, and sanitation.  Clean water and sanitation are vital for improving global health and education.  (Sirleaf, p.1).  If a child lacks access to sanitation, it is likely that they will often be sick and miss school.  Missing school can impair their education and ability to get gainful employment.  Without educated people to improve the workforce, the economy will not improve. 

One purpose of U.S. foreign aid is to help increase government stability and develop reliability in services such as water and schools.  If countries are developed, then they are more stable and have better governance.  Stable countries will not require assistance from U.S. troops.  Improving reliability in services will hopefully make citizens less dissatisfied with their government and less apt to seek or be susceptible to alternatives (Bristol, p. 531).  The money sent in foreign aid has helped to reduce disease and increase food supply for millions of hungry people.  It has also helped improve childbirth safety for vulnerable women (Bristol, p.532).  There are benefits that are received from providing aid to other countries.  It strengthens political allies, and many countries allow the U.S. to build a military base in their country.  Foreign aid sent to troubled regions now can save money in the long term (Norris, p.2).

In reality, foreign aid is a tiny part of the federal budget, taking up only 1.1 percent.  (Bristol, p.532).  Many Americans are confused by the nature of foreign aid because it is used for many different purposes.  However, it is used not only for humanitarian aid, but for a variety of other purposes.  In 2010, U.S. foreign assistance totaled $39.4 billion (1.1 percent of the budget). That money was split into the following six categories:

1.      Bilateral Development Assistance, which is used for long-term projects supporting economic reform, private sector development, democracy promotion, environmental protection and human health.  This category took up 34 percent of the foreign aid budget, or $12.3 billion.

2.      Assistance serving both development and special political/strategic purposes includes the Economic Support Fund, which now largely goes to countries key to the war on terrorism.  These funds totaled $9.6 billion or 25 percent of the foreign aid budget.

3.      Humanitarian assistance is used to help victims of earthquakes, floods, and other crises.  A large portion addresses uses related to refugees and internally displaced persons.  This took up $5.1 billion or 13.5 percent of the foreign aid budget.

4.      Military Assistance is provided to U.S. friends and allies to help them purchase U.S. military equipment and training.  In 2010, this totaled $4.7 billion or 12.5 percent of total foreign aid.

5.      Civilian Security Assistance focuses on terrorism, illicit narcotics, crimes and weapons proliferation and totaled 9 percent of the foreign aid budget in 2010.

6.      Multilateral Development Assistance totaled $2.6 billion, or 7 percent of the foreign aid budget. This category is combined with contributions from other donor nations and is implemented by international organizations such as the United Nations. (Bristol, p.535.)

In the last year, foreign aid sent to Pakistan totaled $1.8 billion.  Nobody in the government can account for where that money went.  Also, the government cannot link a single project to that money.  With very little oversight, billions of dollars are turned over each year with no central repository or easy mechanism for tracking progress, completion or even location of projects (Chaffetz, p.1).  In Haiti, foreign aid administrators could not say where foreign aid money had been spent.  They were not able to answer basic questions about the use of funds sent from the U.S. to aid the people in Haiti.  There were requirements for the number of shelters to be built in Haiti by January 2010.  That requirement was not met.  In 2010, the U.S. has sent $1.2 billion in aid to Haiti.  There is no documentation of what was accomplished with those funds.   Audits regarding aid money sent to Iraq and Pakistan show possible waste or misuse of the funds.  We need to have accountability regarding foreign aid dollars.  It is disappointing that countries who receive money from the U.S. do not use it to benefit their citizens.  Every time foreign aid money is sent, there should be requirements as to how the money is to be used.  Also, there needs to be an agency that checks on the use of the funds and is able to find physical proof that the money was used appropriately.

In the Middle East, large amounts of foreign aid have been used to support corrupt regimes.  It has been used to suppress freedom.  This has reduced the moral influence of the U.S. in this region.  Approximately $1.3 billion per year has been sent to Egypt since 1978.  This money came from U.S. Taxpayers.  (Eddlem, p. 19).  It was used to support a corrupt government.  Foreign aid in the form of military aid was used to train those who oppressed the people of Tunisia.  In Afghanistan, rebel groups that became part of the Taliban received U.S. weapons.  These rebel groups that became part of the Taliban are part of the same group that sponsored Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda organization.  The U.S. has sent more than half a billion dollars in aid to Jordan since 2002.  It is a waste to send foreign aid money to regimes that are corrupt and abusive to their citizens.  If the money sent to Egypt and Tunisia was a political strategy to purchase an ally, then it was clearly wasted as both governments have fallen.

With the current budget crisis and incredible national debt, the United States is looking to cut programs from the budget.  One of the programs many people talk about cutting is foreign aid.  Given the relatively small foreign aid budget the effect of the cuts could be disproportional (Myers, p.1).  However, foreign aid makes up a small portion of the current budget – only one percent.  So the effect of cutting foreign aid could be disproportionate.  Republicans have suggested that aid be cut to specific countries suc h as Pakistan and China.  Aid to Iraq and Afghanistan will also be cut under the Republican proposal.  It is very important to send humanitarian aid.  If a national disaster occurs and people need food, clothing and shelter, then the U.S. should help.  However, sending billions of dollars in military aid to a country that could then use that military aid against us is a bad idea.  Parts of foreign aid could be cut but the program should not be completely eliminated.  

The U.S. spends billions of dollars in foreign aid each year.  The use of foreign aid funds is currently helping Liberia to rebuild following civil war.  It has decreased the childhood mortality rate by providing sanitation and clean water.  Foreign aid has made advances in agriculture, education, health and sanitation possible for developing countries.  It has strengthened political allies and provided a way for the U.S. to build military bases in developing countries.  However, foreign aid money has been used to support corrupt governments.  And there is no accountability.  The U.S. does not have a program to track the funds sent to various countries and until it does this will be a source of contention in the debate about foreign aid.

 

Works Cited

Bristol, Nellie.  (2011, June 17). Foreign Aid and National Security.  CQ Researcher.  Vol. 21, No. 23.  529-552.

Chaffetz, Jason.  (2011, July 1). Accountability Lacking in U.S. Foreign Aid.  The Washington Times, 07/01/2011, P.4-4.

Eddlem, Thomas R.  (2011, March 7).  The Toll of U.S. Foreign Aid.  The New American. p. 18-22.

Myers, Steven Lee (2011, Oct. 5).  U.S. Budget Crunch Imperils Aid to Other Nations.  International Herald Tribune.

Norris, John.  (2011, May 1).  5 Myths About Foreign Aid.  The Washington Post.

Sirleaf, Ellen Johnson. (2011, Aug. 14). In Liberia, U.S. Aid Works.  The Washington Post.

Virginian Pilot.  “How Foreign Aid Pays Off.”  2011, Nov. 6. Pg B.11

 

Rhetorical Self-Analysis

            It is important to consider your strategies before writing a paper.  One thing I try to consider is the age group of the audience.  Obviously, you will write in a different style if your intended audience is children than you would if your audience is adults.  It is also important to consider the educational background of the audience.  Are they going to understand the vocabulary you are using?  Will they understand the ideology of the message I am writing?  Another important consideration is whether or not you are writing to a particular political or religious group. 

            When you are writing a paper, you also need to consider the delivery of your message.  Are you writing to educate about a subject, to inform of an event, or to motivate someone to action?

For the political cartoon analysis, I wanted my audience to understand my perspective on the things portrayed in the cartoon.  I wanted the audience to understand the message that the cartoonist was trying to send.  I tried to write in a way that would inform an adult audience of the message contained in the cartoon.  I also wanted the audience to understand that the cartoonist wanted to motivate people to action.  I think that most people in this country are aware that civility in Washington, D.C. is declining.  In some cases, it does not exist at all. 

I considered the Pathos and Logos of the message inside the political cartoon.  I thought it was important for the reader to understand the Pathos of the message.  In order to motivate people to action, you need to evoke their emotions.  People are not going to act on something that they feel nothing about.  You have to have emotion to encourage action.  The logic behind my writing had to be something that the audience would identify with.  So I needed to write in a way they would understand and feel that they had something in common with me. 

I did additional research on the internet in order to give information that supported my perspective on the cartoon.  It is important for my audience to know that I believe that progress in this nation requires civility and compromise.  Otherwise, we will not continue to move forward. 

In the analysis paper, I wrote regarding the Death Penalty and Troy Davis.  I tried to be unbiased.  I didn’t want my audience to think that I believed Mr. Davis was innocent.  Nor did I want them to think I believed he was guilty.  My intended audience was again, the average adult and those who hold political power in our government. 

I wanted to educate my audience on the possibility of the inequality in the justice system.  Because I am a minority in this community, I find it important to have equal justice.  If something was to happen to me and I had to deal with the legal system, I would want to have the same justice as someone who is part of the majority group.  At the same time, I don’t want to offend people who are sensitive about racial issues.  That is why it is important to understand a person’s feelings before you write.

In this article, I included Pathos and Ethos in my writing.  In my analysis, I appealed to the Pathos of the reader by including emotion-evoking vocabulary from the original article.  I quoted vocabulary such as “sickening” and “reasonable” in order to evoke emotion in the reader. I tried to be sensitive to the feelings of the audience, but at the same time stir up their emotions. 

It is important to include the Ethos to give credibility to the message you are sending.  The original article had multiple quotes from law professors and those who are experts on the judicial system, the death penalty, and sentencing.  I wanted to include some of those quotes in order to help the audience to understand the credibility of the article. 

When writing a paper, I always try to understand the perspective of the audience.  I think about their age, their life experiences, their ability to understand the vocabulary, and their educational level.  I analyze my motives for writing and determine whether I want to inform, educate, or motivate.  Sometimes when I write, I include my own life experiences in order to help the audience identify with me.  After I finish writing, I read through the article to see if I have accomplished my objectives.