"JGK" wrote in message
.. .

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

If we send a few hundred million dollars to certain countries and it's
used wisely, it may
buy us allies we might need at a later date.

1. Still Can't buy Friends
2. This is pretty close to extortion. We'll pay you to be nice to us.
3. In the last hundred or so years have we done anything wisely with money
we give to other countries. Seems that other than setting up a dictator
or
two for life, the money never seems to get where it is needed.

Combine that thought with this: A couple of months ago, Time Magazine
reported that our government has found connections between Al Qaeda and
other terrorist groups like the Irish Republican Army, and the FARQ (in
Colombia). Do you need me to extrapolate for you, or can you see why
money
flowing out of the U.S. isn't such a bad thing?

So you are saying we couldn't spend the money wisely in the US for
homeland
security, but we can spend it wisely by giving it away to foriegn
dictators?
Seems that the amount of money spent in foriegn aid could be well used in
beefing up the boarders and security checks on people traveling to
questionable countries.



Well, let's loop back to my first response. If illegal aliens send money
back to their families, and that enables 3 cousins to go to college instead
of getting involved with street gangs, or worse, an organization like the
FARQ (Colombia), hasn't the money done something good? Turn a blind eye to
the illegal alien status and their money displaces funds the government
would probably spend.

You're right when you say that we shouldn't have to try and buy allies. But,
if we don't, someone else will. This game was invented by us and the USSR
and we're probably stuck with it. I think the USSR has been replaced by drug
cartels and perhaps political terrorist groups. The latter appeal to teenage
males who, at that age, are psychologically ripe for blowing things up as a
solution to their problems. No different than inner city kids here who think
it's cool to be initiated into a street gang by being required to kill a
complete stranger.