56 billion in foreign aid while Americans sleep on the street

There are valid points on both sides of this issue.

What it comes down to is defining the role of gov't. Especially a federal gov't. Some believe that the gov't should fix things, create jobs, provide for the homeless, medical care, so on.

Others believe that the gov'ts role should be common defense, international issues, infrastructure like highways, bridges, etc. And stay the heck out of individual issues altogeather as it's not their business. You have your freedom, make it work on your own or not your call. Not anyone else's.

State gov'ts, IMHO, have more say in what direction to go in. Ideally, a balance point somewhere in the middle.

While I don't like this 55 Billion number, I'd rather see that go to our DEBT!!! Hello?? Remember that one??
It is a state issue to take care of, or not, the homeless. Not the federal gov't.

The usual emotional buttons pushed by connecting the homeless with foreign aid creating an even bigger stupidity than already exists.

The federal gov't's response should be "not my yob"

Originally posted by Spookycolt
You give poor people money they will just waste it and end up poor again.

The country cannot stop functioning because lazy folk can't get off their asses and improve their situations.

That foreign aid money buys us influence.

if you lose your job, if your job is your primary income - you will end up poor financially.

Try losing your job in a town / city or in the countryside where the factories / farms and employers have moved out .. try setting up a business where the consumers have all but left.

Worst case scenerio you live somewhere like the Sudan best case scenerio you live somewhere impoverished in a rich country.

Try going for job interviews and paying the trainfare when you can't pay the rent.

Try removing your blinkers and not judging until you have walked a mile in anothers shoes !!

BUT i do agree the foreign aid goes to the govt ministers to pay for their jobs and also to pay dictators and despots, it does not go to the people.

reply to post by sonnny1


i have to agree, now days credit has a lot to do with getting
a job. Sadly, if i survive and actually get to go back to work
i will be screwed because of all the medical bills.
Rough ball park, before everything is over it will cost some
where around $1.5 million to save my life.
Me being the realist iam i dont see that happening,but on the
off chance, my credit is going to be so screwed it will have a major
effect on me getting a job.
Until i got sick though i have never had a problem getting a job, in
my 46 years, started work when i was 12,been working ever since.

Although looking around now i have to wonder why... savings is gone,
all the toys are sold, not a heck of a lot left. Its amazing how fast things
will go when you are sick and cant work. At least we still have the house,
managed to keep payments up on it, although there were times i wondered
if we were going to make it.

I went from making $2500 a month to nothing for almost a year, now thanks to
disability i get a little each month. its no where near what i was making,but if we
squeeze by we can cover the bills and keep food on the table for the kids.

But other than disability, no govt assist here,we 'make to much' to qualify for any
help. Hell we make to much to qualify for medicare or medicade... now go figure..
which is why i say i'm screwed surviving long. Our insurance through the wifes work
is $5k deductible per person per year. ya like i have that to throw around.

There are jobs, i agree with the one poster, but sadly most of those jobs wont cover
the cost of living. and if you cant cover that what is the point.

reply to post by severdsoul


I feel for you bro. Your post really brought a question to my mind.

Does anyone see the decline of our economy, and the spending of our government, forcing people back into a tribal mentality? We see adults living with parents, families living together as "room mates", and more tent cities every day. Are we as a culture reverting to our roots?

Sorry to be so OT, but it really has me curious.

Originally posted by 200Plus
reply to post by severdsoul

 

I feel for you bro. Your post really brought a question to my mind.

Does anyone see the decline of our economy, and the spending of our government, forcing people back into a tribal mentality? We see adults living with parents, families living together as "room mates", and more tent cities every day. Are we as a culture reverting to our roots?

Sorry to be so OT, but it really has me curious.

I completely agree. I wish my mom wasn't crazy cause then that would be an option... I don't like it personally being a very independent person, but more and more it seems like we went wrong somewhere, and it's time to come back to base camp get resupplied and assess where we are going from there..

I've often wondered how much intelligence is lost in not talking to our elders over the campfire.. There is a golden lining everywhere. Closer families actually help fight the NWO agenda so..

reply to post by 200Plus


I have to agree, i see a lot more of that, epically the younger groups
that just got out of college, have a degree in their hand and now have
no job prospects, so they are stuck at home with parents until the economy
changes.

I dunno, in a way this is a good thing, getting back to a village raising a child,
rather than 'its not my kid' attitude we have got so use to.
But i can also see the damage.
I could not imagine being fresh out of school, degree in hand who knows how
many thousands in debt, only to find out there is no work, or you have to take
mc donalds just for spending money to cover your student loans.

Originally posted by spy66
reply to post by GoalPoster

 

There is a saying that goes: To make money you have to spend money.

This is exactly what government aid is all about.

Based on the balance sheet to date, I'd say they're pretty damn good at spending it, but have some serious issues regarding the 'making' part of the program.

reply to post by Spookycolt


The CIA with its monster budget already does a good job propping up people in power all over the globe that are pro-usa. So why the additional 56 billion?

Originally posted by GoalPoster

Originally posted by spy66
reply to post by GoalPoster

 

There is a saying that goes: To make money you have to spend money.

This is exactly what government aid is all about.

Based on the balance sheet to date, I'd say they're pretty damn good at spending it, but have some serious issues regarding the 'making' part of the program.

The US government earn a load of money. Its just that the American people are not on top of the handout list.
On top you will find the items that keep the US government secure.

They will even sepend a # load to keep the American people from interfearing with their business.

There will not be much left after that to hand out. The US government expects that you will get a education, job and serve them well.
When you are to old to serve. They hope you only have a few years left of your life, so that you wont cost them to much.

reply to post by Heisenberg59


Okay, so all the ones foreclosed on and that aside, there are other on the streets that just like to live in piss and filth and not shower nor upkeep a place, they come in with all there stinking stuff and rent rooms here with the money they have (when it's too cold to stay outside) and then stink and piss up our rooms. This is probably why they can't or won't stay in a real place because they were either evicted/foreclosed on because they were nasty or just left it go because it got too filthy even though they live in squallor on the streets. Pray tell what is their problem? Is it mental or is it rebelliousness??? WHAT IS IT Cause I can't even think I'd ever be able to live like this, and how does society fix those ones?

And how do you even tell the difference between respectable displaced people and hobo's who just want to live on the street because they don't wanna keep clean or have responsibility?

Some of the comments here are unbelievable.

Poor does not always equal lazy.

Keep in mind, that it could happen to YOU, and it could happen in the blink of an eye.

A major accident or illness could render anyone of you unable to work. And then what? You would be grateful for the programs in place that are intended to help those that truly need it.

I do realize that far too many take advantage of these programs, but, there are people that honestly need them; people that paid into these systems for their entire working lives before a major life event robbed them of the ability to work.

Walk a mile in someone else's shoes and think before you speak.

Originally posted by angellicview
I couldn't agree with you more!

Now, where shall we get started?

People should be marching in the streets in every city. Yet they are not. Why?

I don't get it.

I agree. People arent marching cause they are more worried about using their sick leave/vacation. Besides, marching is work and cost money. Easier to go b1tch about it on ATS

[edit] Forgot to mention, the govt has made it scary to be a protestor. They have also made protesting more difficult. I remember marching in the MayDay protest to resist the war in Viet Nam. No barricades. We flooded the streets of DC. Now in DC they cordon you off in a park surrounded by police. Pretty sad. I went to the occupy protest in DC. Also pitiful. The people were commited but the govt really stifled the protest.

No real freedom to protest in America anymore. Very very sad...

Cut foreign aid, but also shutter any military base that's open in a country that has been an ally for 20 years or more.

Will save billions, which are badly needed at home.

How does anyone even know if throwing money at the problem will work? See, that's my point there are real displaced people and then there are the nasty lazy filth who don't want to change, how do we distinguish? Where will the money go? We know government subsidies epically fail, it's usually the non deserving fraudulent aholes who get help and the ones who really need it and are respectable civilians get shafted so how would this even work???

Originally posted by tnhiker

Originally posted by Spookycolt
You give poor people money they will just waste it and end up poor again.

The country cannot stop functioning because lazy folk can't get off their asses and improve their situations.

That foreign aid money buys us influence.

Thats a huge generalization, and for the most part pretty much not accurate. With the economy tanking, prices rising, and as the OP stated, the banks we bailed out foreclosing, a lot of people are losing their jobs and homes. Last year the local charities and shelters were at record numbers.

Granted there are some that are lazy, or who let drugs/alcohol control their life, but there are also people who lost their jobs, couldn't find a new one in time to save their house and are now homeless and without transportation or money or food. Try getting a job in second hand clothes, with no phone, no residence, and no transportation. For most people it takes years to get back out of that situation.

Every time we send foreign aid to another country it makes me sick. Take care of home first, we are not the worlds nanny, military, or provider.

agreed! I have been saying the exact same thing even before we got into this mess

Originally posted by severdsoul
reply to post by sonnny1

 

i have to agree, now days credit has a lot to do with getting
a job. Sadly, if i survive and actually get to go back to work
i will be screwed because of all the medical bills.
Rough ball park, before everything is over it will cost some
where around $1.5 million to save my life.
Me being the realist iam i dont see that happening,but on the
off chance, my credit is going to be so screwed it will have a major
effect on me getting a job.
Until i got sick though i have never had a problem getting a job, in
my 46 years, started work when i was 12,been working ever since.

Although looking around now i have to wonder why... savings is gone,
all the toys are sold, not a heck of a lot left. Its amazing how fast things
will go when you are sick and cant work. At least we still have the house,
managed to keep payments up on it, although there were times i wondered
if we were going to make it.

I went from making $2500 a month to nothing for almost a year, now thanks to
disability i get a little each month. its no where near what i was making,but if we
squeeze by we can cover the bills and keep food on the table for the kids.

But other than disability, no govt assist here,we 'make to much' to qualify for any
help. Hell we make to much to qualify for medicare or medicade... now go figure..
which is why i say i'm screwed surviving long. Our insurance through the wifes work
is $5k deductible per person per year. ya like i have that to throw around.

There are jobs, i agree with the one poster, but sadly most of those jobs wont cover
the cost of living. and if you cant cover that what is the point.

See your response is exactly what I am talking about, they give to the filth here and to the filth overseas while the people who bust their butts and fall ill or on hard times (Lay offs, offshoring etc) Never get help. What is it that makes people think that if they throw money at garbage it's ever going to get in the right hands? Government has proven time and time again they're incapable of distinguishing who is truly deserving and in need!

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000

Originally posted by Heisenberg59
reply to post by Spookycolt

 

Sure it's not hard to find work at Mcdonalds when you already have a job, residence, transportation and contact information. Try doing the same thing from a park bench. Even better, try living off just that Mcdonalds wage.

edit on 4-2-2013 by Heisenberg59 because: (no reason given)

Hey, you must be one of those special 1% types there talking about getting a McDonalds job. It takes connections these days!

McDonalds Hires 62,000, Turns Away Over 938,000 Applicants For Minimum Wage, Part-Time Jobs

Who would ever have thought we'd see the nation go so low as to FIGHT over the right to ask if you'd like fries with your order?

^^^ Thats from 2011 by the way. It's gotten considerably worse. Crazy world we're in right now, isn't it?

This is a bit misleading. This was a McDonalds "national hiring day", not all of 2011. They received this many applications in a very short time due to the advertisement to hire 50k people. Although as a former Mcdonalds manager, I agree with you that %75 of applications are turned down just from the sheer number of applicants.

Originally posted by Spookycolt
You give poor people money they will just waste it and end up poor again.

The country cannot stop functioning because lazy folk can't get off their asses and improve their situations.

That foreign aid money buys us influence.

Influence in WHAT? Please elaborate so I can TOTALLY agree with you!

we get out dated school books, africa gets laptops

makes sense to me


thanks uncle sam

reply to post by daryllyn

I do realize that far too many take advantage of these programs, but, there are people that honestly need them; people that paid into these systems for their entire working lives before a major life event robbed them of the ability to work.

Ever notice that the people who did "pay into these systems" for years, are many times the ones that have the hardest time collecting what's due them? Why is that?