CBS: Pennies for Haiti, Billions for Israel

[MikeWB]

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/01/16/blogs/coopscorner/entry6102995.shtml

Pennies for Haiti, Billions for Israel, Egypt
Font size Print E-mail Share 39 comments Posted by Charles Cooper

(CBS)
Rush Limbaugh is quite right to question why American taxpayers ought to be required to spend another red cent on Haiti. The problem is that El Rushbo -as well as his critics - are looking at the wrong data and so the debate has gone off in a fruitless direction.

"We've already donated to Haiti. It's called the U.S. income tax,'" Limbaugh said earlier this week. Considering the enormity of the Haitian tragedy, which is unfolding in real-time across our television sets and computer screens, that was pure Ebenezer Scrooge. Limbaugh's suggestion invited reproach from many. Even Republicans like Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanan expressed dismay. But making this into a referendum on whether Limbaugh has a heart of lead leads nowhere. He was doing what he gets paid to do as a radio provocateur. Besides, he relishes the attention.

Actually, Limbaugh deserves a thank you - even from his harshest detractors -because his rant inadvertently raises an important issue that demands a closer look. I'm talking about the outdated calculus of considerations Washington uses to decide how to spend its foreign aid budget. Foreign aid is a long-standing instrument of U. S. foreign policy. In fiscal 2008, the government offered financial assistance to 154 nations. Starting with the Marshall Plan (1948-1951) and the rebuilding of Europe, development assistance was viewed as a way to check Soviet growth. In the aftermath of the end of the Cold War, however, Washington refocused its foreign aid on more regional issues, and since 2001 the new emphasis has included the battle against terrorism.

But consider this: in fiscal 1998 Haiti received $106 million from the U.S, the No. 9 nation among foreign aid recipients. Ten years later, it didn't even make the top 15 list.

Compare that to the more than $5 billion paid out to Israel and Egypt.

For much of the last 20-plus years, those two nations have ranked as the biggest recipients of our largesse. (Afghanistan is now No. 2 on the list reflecting the war and reconstruction costs from our involvement there post-9/11.) This began during the Carter administration to help solidify the Camp David Treaty. Israel withdrew from bases in the Sinai and Egypt left the Soviet sphere to become a U.S. client state. The treaty held. While a cold peace prevails between the two neighbors, they remain at peace, nonetheless.

Israel has since built one of the most dynamic and entrepreneurial economies in the world. At the same time, the country is now led by a free-market prime minister who ideologically understands the risks of economic dependence. Is there any overarching reason why the training wheels can't come off?

Same question applies to Egypt. The argument you hear time and again is that U.S. aid has helped avoid destabilization. So what have we received for our investment? Hosni Mubarak has been in charge since Anwar Sadat's assassination in 1981. This is a corrupt and authoritarian regime that physically strong-arms political opponents. Some argue that Egypt would fall to the Islamists and turn rabidly anti-American if we stopped bribing them.

That's probably the best argument why it's a good time to reassess.

In a very changed world, the argument for keeping Egypt and Israel on the dole does not hold up, especially when we're paying them do what's in their best interests anyway. With the U.S. fighting back from recession and Haiti laid waste by ill fortune, here's a chance to do a lot of good without reaching any deeper into taxpayer pockets for another penny. The money's already there. Now it's up to Washington how to spend it more wisely.

[ehpg]

one of the comments

Hey Coop
You just opened a can of worms. I know you mean well and you are absolutely right. I predict we won't see you mention the word "Israel" anymore in the future. Unless someone higher up forces you to write an article of what a "wonderful nation" that is ("a beacon of democracy") and that we should keep on supporting them. Nevermind that Israel is an Apartheid State which tries new weaponry on Palestinians civilians and then calls anyone criticizing this biased or of course, 'anti-semitic'. Flesh burning phosphorus anyone ?

You will see lots of commenters confirming how wonderful Israel is but this is just a concerted and coordinated attempt (mostly directed from NYC and Tel Aviv) to try to demonstrate that many Americans disagree with you. This has been going on for years, what they don't control in the media, the settle that way. Your editor will also get a lot of angry e-mails and he/she will relent and put pressure on you to apologize or write a nice pro-Israel propaganda piece. Or of course, you could be asked to pack your bags but since this is probably your first transgression, you will be able to play innocent as long as you do the propaganda thing. Best case scenario, you don't have to do the pro-Israel thing but you will not be allowed to mention Israel ever again.

You see, in the US, when it comes to Israel, there is no such thing as freedom of speech. For more information, you can read: http://mondoweiss.net/

The truth of the matter is that the US only supports Israel because the Israel Lobby controls US Congress and most of the media as well (except for you but like I said, you'll be feeling some sign. pressure very soon...).

And by the way, you can count the billions given to Egypt as actually being given to Israel as well. Those very billions are meant to keep dictator Mubarak in place, courtesy of the Israel Lobby, providing he doesn't mess with Israel. That way, Israel can keep on bombing Palestinian and Lebanese civilians unchallenged.

PS: For "YoureSoWrong25": "The media controlled by Petrodollars". Really? Have a close look at media ownership in the US starting with the "newspaper of record", the NYT. Check the owner, columnists and who writes about Israel and who never does.

Some democracy.
Cheers, to the Land of the Free.