It is time that we as a nation of people examine liberal spending policy before it is too late… This is but one example identified but coupled with our current out of control spending shows the beginnings of a trend that is utterly destructive to the American way of life. The European Recovery Program later to be called the Marshall Plan Is close to the 1st real example of U.S. aid doled out to other countries. For those who do not know what the Marshall Plan was; it was the United States answer to help stabilize a war ravaged Europe after the end of WWII. We feared that either the Soviets would move in on these destabilized countries, making them an extension of their already Communist state or that the voters in the mentioned ravaged countries would welcome Communist principles of their own. So Secretary of State George C. Marshall gained support for an idea to create a program funded by the United States to allow the European states to restabilize themselves and avoid Communist principles to sweep into lands that just fought hard to remove those damaging ideals. After WWII ended, Americans were all too happy to help in these efforts as we had just won a 2nd world war thus defeating the evil Axis powers. Little could we understand the liberal precedence this would begin? The Marshall plan was signed into effect by Democratic president Harry S Truman on April 3, 1948. Aid was given to many countries even those occupied by the Soviets. The Soviet Union participated in this effort a short time before pulling out which caused other countries to take part. There is much debate about whether this initiative by the United States was the engenderment that began the cold war. Was it the Soviets fault for not allowing these countries to be Free states? Or was it the United States fault for interfering in what the Soviets felt was security concerns on their side of the globe? Concerns that being the other world Super Power, the Soviets felt it was their place not ours? It all depends on what side you decide to ask? Here is a great case for debate over American intrusion into international affairs during non-war time. The Marshall Plan was in effect until December of 1951. On September 4, 1961 the 87th United States Congress enacted the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 which was signed into law by another Democratic president; John F. Kennedy. Now this act states that “NO” aid will be given to any government which "engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, including torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, prolonged detention without charges, causing the disappearance of persons by the abduction and clandestine detention of those persons, or other flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, and the security of person, unless such assistance will directly benefit the needy people in such country" How many nations are we in direct violation of our own written law for giving tax dollars to in consideration as to how this is written? Obama is in direct violation of this piece of law for sending Egypt $1.5 billion this year. Egypt is 4th in countries that receive aid from the United States followed by Afghanistan ($3.9 billion), Pakistan ($3.1 billion), and Israel ($3 billion). The way this money is categorized is far too broad being considered for “peace and security”. Here is no accountability or real scrutiny as to how these funds are spent! How is it that we turn over untold billions to countries that stay in turmoil, remain in military civil wars and noted human rights violations and We the people have been powerless to stop this? Is it not time to turn our attentions back on our own country and solve the problems at home? It is easily understood why we initiated the Marshall Plan when we did for the time we used it, but with strong allied powers in Europe why have we poured trillions of American tax dollars into countries that care nothing for America unless we threaten to cut off support? Here is another example of the will and want of the American people being casted aside by big government. How much money have we as a nation given to other countries since September 3, 1961? Untold amounts of money that we will never see again while our own deficit grows bigger? What would our deficit be in America if we had never begun giving always our tax dollars in 1961? That is something We as a nation must really ponder as the fiscal cliff of no return approaches… Foreign aid only represents 1% of our current federal spending but if we had that 1% from years past where could we be as a nation? That is what we must ask ourselves Egypt alone has received about $74 billion since 1948. It is time we force our leaders in this nation to enforce the laws of the land before creating any more. Liberal policy has proven time and again to do nothing more than weakens the United States but we allow it to go forward under the guise of progress. The only progress we are making is that of putting America in reverse, racing dangerously toward socialism ourselves. Big government is not the answer. Big government is the problem. We must stop Obama and those like him before there is no longer freedom in America.
By Eric Elliott
Comment by Eric Elliott on November 21, 2013 at 9:38pm
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