Should we send foreign aid to countries that don't honor the most basic right?

[A18]

Option 2

[Richard]

NO foreign aid until all debt is written off.

[Alcon]

You know, I support the Right to Bear Arms, but really, I do not find it a basic worldwide right. It's in our Constitution, and that's all that matters to me.

[A18]

There's no such thing as a "worldwide right," but there are such things as good policies and bad policies. Why aid the kind of thinking that enabled Hitler?

[Alcon]

There's no such thing as a "worldwide right," but there are such things as good policies and bad policies. Why aid the kind of thinking that enabled Hitler?

I agree on your first point.

On your second, although guns being outlawed may have contributed to the result, I think that it was hardly the primary factor - it was just a method through which it was achieved.

In a developing democracy, to avoid easy terrorism, it may be necessary to put restrictions on gun ownership temporarily. I don't think that alone should define aid.

[A18]

I meant countries with rational people.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Well that would've meant no aid to Pinochet's Chile. Would've been ifine by me if implemented back then.

[Lunar]

I don't see how the right to bear arms could be considered 'the most basic right.'  Wouldn't it have to transcend contemporary society?

Anyway, the ability to purchase firearms is a CHECK on the government.  Other governments have different systems of checks and balances - perhaps not tilted as much to the populace since they're not armed - but there are still checks.  Even if you consider this check to be a vital one, it's only really a problem after the government abuses  it and becomes tyrannical - plenty of governments have restricted firearms and been progressive and democratic.

Once a government starts attacking its citizens, then we should restrict foreign aid.

[David S]

I am opposed to foreign aid period. Why the hell are we sending money to other countries when we are going deeper and deeper in debt here? Why should the US government take the hard earned money from Americans and send it to foreign countries.

[phk]

Here's a deal, we give every foreign country a certain amount of money to buy our exports with.

[ragnar]

Here's a deal, we give every foreign country a certain amount of money to buy our exports with.

Most of your foeign aid already works that way (like most other first world countries).

[David S]

Here's a deal, we give every foreign country a certain amount of money to buy our exports with.

Ok lets try this out. Your are the United States. You have ten bucks in your pocket and a brand new hammer. I am a third world country with no money, no hammer and no nothing. You give me ten bucks in foreign aid. I use the ten bucks to buy the hammer. I'm happy because I have a hammer which I did not have before. You on the other hand, started out with ten bucks and a hammer, but now you only have ten bucks. How smart is that?

[ragnar]

Here's a deal, we give every foreign country a certain amount of money to buy our exports with.

Ok lets try this out. Your are the United States. You have ten bucks in your pocket and a brand new hammer. I am a third world country with no money, no hammer and no nothing. You give me ten bucks in foreign aid. I use the ten bucks to buy the hammer. I'm happy because I have a hammer which I did not have before. You on the other hand, started out with ten bucks and a hammer, but now you only have ten bucks. How smart is that?

You succesed in destroying their hammerproducingindustri, and keeps the job in USA.

[Beet]

We should stop giving foreign aid to Israel and Egypt. That would solve 90% of the problem.

[Emsworth]

I would hardly describe the right to bear arms as "the most basic right," the phrase used in the title of this thread. I think that there are several rights that are somewhat more important.

Secondly, I would like to note that I am not generally in favor of giving foreign aid, except where it is in the U.S.'s national interest to do so. If aid will help American foreign policy, then it hardly matters to me if the recipient country denies the right to firearms or not.

[David S]

Here's a deal, we give every foreign country a certain amount of money to buy our exports with.

Ok lets try this out. Your are the United States. You have ten bucks in your pocket and a brand new hammer. I am a third world country with no money, no hammer and no nothing. You give me ten bucks in foreign aid. I use the ten bucks to buy the hammer. I'm happy because I have a hammer which I did not have before. You on the other hand, started out with ten bucks and a hammer, but now you only have ten bucks. How smart is that?

You succesed in destroying their hammerproducingindustri, and keeps the job in USA.

You should have put a smiley face after after that one.

We are giving foreign aid and losing industry.