Medicine
Lodge High School
Medicine Lodge, Kansas
Teachers:
Devra Parker and Steve Germes
Orange
Peels
By Casey Long
12th Grade
The water splashed high
as the middle-aged man watched his hard work slowly disappear in the waves of
the aqua blue ocean. Homegrown
oranges bobbed up and down before finally drifting off to the point of no
return. Standing on the shore,
the man had thousands of thoughts running through his head.
Not understanding why his hard work had to be taken advantage of in
such a way, he returned home with fears of his future becoming inevitable.
This man’s situation relates heavily to our foreign aid problem
today. Hopes and dreams are often
crushed when one country becomes so greedy that a man is not able to freely
give his oranges to the poor because it would lower the prices in the grocery
store. How does this affect the
people of our own country? What
about the poor citizens in the United States who cannot afford to purchase
goods on their own by yet are not given anything because of the price of
inflation? At this time, the
United States of America gives less then 1% of its budget to foreign aid.
The actual figure is 0.0198% of the estimated budget.
That figure means that even though we gave the highest amount of
foreign aid in the year of 2002, it is still only a minute expense that is
dealt with daily.
Until I was assigned
this paper, I thought that foreign aid was a good issue.
Giving of what we have to someone in need is always a polite and just
action to help others. However,
after reading about many foreign aid-related stories in the last two weeks, I
have found foreign aid is not exactly what I have always believed it to be.
Many nations have criticized the United States for cutting back on its
promised obligations and responsibilities, and furthermore, when it has
provided aid, it have been tied to its own foreign
policy objectives. Can the United
States afford to increase its commitment to foreign aid?
In President Bush’s recent speech, he has brought about the newest
points of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA).
His vision is defined by a new partnership between all parties involved
in successful development: donor
and recipient governments, non-governmental and private voluntary
organizations, and business and multilateral organizations all working to
achieve measurable development results. This
offer proposes the commitment to increase current levels of core development
assistance by 50% over the next three years, thus providing an annual increase
of $5 billion by 2006. The United
States of America has always been a strong country that has been willing to
help in times of need. However, a
jump from less then 1% to over 7% is just one more chance for people to line
in poverty in our own nation.
Every day, the national
debt increases greatly. On
October 20th, 2003, the national debt was listed as
$6,835,752,004,131.39. The
population of the United States of America is 292,308,383.
This figure leads us to believe that, on average, each American is in
debt $23,385.41. Why, then, do we
need to increase our foreign aid when we have millions of people suffering in
our own nation numerous reasons? Yes,
I do agree that the MCA will bring great and wonderful advantages to those
countries who are ready to make improvements in
areas such as security and the fight against AIDS.
Yet, why make such an increase in funds so that American people have to
struggle for every dollar, paying off debts of interest rather then principle.
President Bush’s new
plan for the Millennium Challenge Account may be a step in the right
direction, but it also may have the same characteristics as the much famed
country western dance, the two step.
While many countries may view this plan as two steps forward, the
American people see it as one step back.
The MCA plans to require nations to certify that there is a need for
funding and also how money will be properly used.
One area of focus will be health care and more specifically, AIDS
relief. Yet, America’s AIDS
sufferers do not have the benefit of home field advantage.
Millions of dollars are spent in foreign aid to help with AIDS.
Actually, Kofi Annan
stated that $9.2 billion will be needed annually by the year 2005 to help
treat this disease, $4 billion of which will go to small countries in Africa
such as Malawi. Here, thousands
of educators die each year from AIDS and the life expectancy has dropped to 38
short years. What about those who
live in America who suffer from AIDS daily?
Where is the relief for those in pain on our own homeland?
We help those in need in other countries and small nations, but while
people undergo the same tragedies here, we do not lend a helping hand.
On March 14th,
2002, President Bush presented a $5 billion plan to help nations who are
undergoing change and doing the best prosper on their own.
However, before we can reach out a helping hand to others, we need to
grow a strong arm in our own nation. America
is a nation who is striving to stand on her own.
To do this, we must have a testimony of strength throughout the United
States. This can only be
effective by aiding those in our country so that we can later broaden our
horizons to help others.
Questions
Q1.
President Bush claimed that most funds for development do not come from
international aid. He mentions three things that do fund development. What are
they?
These
funds come from domestic capital, foreign investment, and especially trade.
Q2. President
Bush reminded his audience that successful development in a third world
country requires more than funds. What two items did he mention in this
regard?
The foundation of
development is security, because there can be no development in an atmosphere
of chaos and violence. Also,
successful development requires citizens who are literate, healthy, and
prepared and able to work.
Q3. When
is money sometimes counterproductive, according to President Bush?
More aid money can
actually be counterproductive because it subsidizes bad policies, delays
reform, and crowds out private investment in situations when nations refuse to
enact sound polices.
Q4.
Describe the Millennium Challenge Account and include in your description what
is anticipated from donors and recipients.
In
March of 2002, President Bush called for “a new compact for global
development, defined by new accountability for both rich and poor nations
alike. Greater contributions from
developed nations must be linked to greater responsibility from developing
nations.” The United States was
then planned to increase its core development assistance by 50 percent over
the next three years. This
brought about the Millennium Challenge Account.
It will be devoted to projects in nations that govern justly, invest in
their people and encourage freedom.
Q5. What
are the three broad standards that President Bush expects the leaders of the
developing nations to adopt?
Forming a good
government is an essential condition of development.
The Million Challenge Account will reward nations that get rid of
corruption, respect human rights, and adhere to the rule of law.
Health and literate citizens are also agents that are leading to
development. The three broad
standards that these Countries must live by are ruling justly, investing in
their people, and encouraging economic freedom.
Q6. Describe
President Bush’s challenge to development banks and explain why or why not
you favor it.
While adopting a growth
agenda, support will be increased for private sector enterprises and focusing
more on education as the Inter-American Development Bank has done.
President Bush has challenged the other nations and development banks
to adopt this approach as well. American
support from the World Bank will increase by almost 20 percent.
Q7. What
percentage of our national income (GNP) do
you think the United States government committed to foreign aid in 2002?
First answer this question and then
use the Internet to find the answer.
After reviewing the
information that is available, it looks like we gave about 3% of our GNP to
foreign aid in the year 2002. Later,
after finding the internet information, it is obvious that we only give .108%
of our GNP to foreign aid.
Q8. Describe
and defend a “Me First” attitude.
The “me first
attitude” is described when one country views itself as high above the
others, making sure that its economy lives safely in a country that is
protected by security. As far as
a defending this attitude goes, many countries believe that the United States
posses this attitude as a high society.
Q9.
Describe and defend a “Mutual Benefit” attitude.
This attitude is
portrayed when multiple countries can gain advantages at the same time. This attitude
contributes to ranking economy as the number one concern.
If all countries flowed along with this attitude, the world would be a
much safer place to live in since they would have to rely on each other and
trust each other for their success.
Q10. Describe
three unsuccessful foreign aid programs operated by the U.S. government
or private American citizens.
Foreign aid has been an
up and down problem for some time. Nestle
was once used for foreign aid. The
United States sent Nestle milk to Africa in two installments.
This milk was canned and cleaner then anything the African people had
ever experienced. That was the
first wrong move in this operation. Next
came the new shipment and the people fought hard
for this new treat. Then it
suddenly stopped and the mothers who had once
breast fed and stopped, now had no actions that they could take to save their
children. Next, foreign aid given
from America often hurts people in America also.
A man in California was unable to give oranges to the people of his
community because it would raise the price of oranges in the grocery stores.
He had to throw away thousands of oranges into the ocean because of
American greed. Also, in a small
town in Malawi, Africa, a group of natives were given a small shipment of
condoms and no rules for knowing how to use them.
What is the point of sending foreign aid when the money is just wasting
away because of people who are uneducated.
Q11.
Describe three successful foreign aid programs operated by the U.S.
government or private American citizens.
Over the past three
years, Mr. Bill Gates has given large sums of his own hard earned money to go
to the foreign aid area that he chooses to help out.
Also, a small outreach in Mexico, Mission Heartbeat, reaches out to
those less fortunate around them so that they can be given opportunities such
as they are given daily. They
give of time, money, resources, and talent to help others around them.
Q12. Steve
Radelet, Senior Fellow at the Center for Global
Development, believes we can do both ¾ take care of our own people and lend a
helping hand to citizens of less developed countries. Explain why you think we
can or cannot offer aid to both.
Because Americans offer
much generosity when others are in need, I do believe that America can offer
aid to both its citizens as well as countries in need.
Although it is often viewed as a struggle, the United States has the
power and support to aid many. However,
to comply with this belief, the American people must forgo their luxuries and
make sacrifices to be able to help others.
Also, the United States must be aware of its economy and spending
limitations while forgoing these future foreign aid programs.
Q13. - What
do you think about Mr. Radelet’s assertion that
“the administration is leaning towards a system in which eligible countries
would write proposals (or business plans) describing their objectives and
strategy, how they would use the money, the benchmarks used for evaluation.
Giving recipient countries this responsibility is a revolutionary change in US
foreign assistance.”?
It is in agreement that
countries who are requesting foreign aid should
have to meet certain criteria and write written proposals in order to obtain
aid from the United States. It
would be very useful to find out exactly how our money is being used when we
ship it to these countries. This
would help to build a right government that would help the basic good of a
country in the area of management. It
would help to make that countries government run a just system as they learn
the requirements to run a proper and safe nation.
Q14- Which
of Mr. Radelet’s three concerns regarding the
MCA concerns you and why?
1.
As more countries in this
income range become eligible, there will be fewer MCA funds available for the
poorest countries that are implementing sound development strategies.
2.
The make-or-break requirement
may unnecessarily eliminate some countries.
3.
The
separation of US foreign assistance into two agencies could lead to a lack of
coordination and overlapping functions.
The
first of Mr. Radelet’s concerns regarding the
MCA concerns me the most. If the
requirements of writing proposals and describing their strategies stay in
place, many countries will meet the criteria and the foreign aid will
disappear too quickly. There are
many countries who meet these requirements and after applying for these funds
from the MCA, they will be expecting the aid from our country to bring them
happiness. However, the funds are
not available to be given to each nation.
Some countries will be left to find aid elsewhere.
Q15- There
is evidence of an increase in negative world opinion towards U.S. foreign
policy, not necessarily the American people. To counter this negative
perception of the U.S. some people want the U.S. to concentrate more on
weapons of mass assistance (WMA) and less on weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Please comment.
Weapons of mass
destruction (WMA) bring fright to people across the world everyday.
The negative opinions toward the United States foreign policy often
have to do with this fright. By
adding to more mass assistance, neighboring nations will be more apt to change
to a more positive attitude towards our country.
Q16- What
does the World Bank recommend as the United State’s “just and appropriate
share” to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015? Do you think our
citizens can afford that kind of increase? Defend your views.
The World Bank has
recently issued a report noting that “if countries improve their policies
and institutions, the additional foreign aid required to reach the Millennium
Development Goals by 2015 is between $40-$60 billion a
year”. This would add
approximately an additional $10-$15 billion annually for these programs.
With our economy now being at an all time long, the idea of adding an
extra $10-$15 billion a year would put an even greater strain on our economic
limits in this nation. However,
other income streams are being looked into.
Everyday, millions of
American’s work hard to put food on the table for their own families and
children. Taxes are taken from
the paychecks of these American’s to help build roads and make our country
better. Why should this money be
given to other nations when it is our day to day actions that provide for us
each day. It
is not ethical to send everything we work towards to another nation who only
appreciates us for our investments.
The Commission analyzed
the impact of health on development and determined that certain health-related
investments, including a robust response to the AIDS pandemic would have a
positive effect on economic growth and equity in 83 countries.
Between
the years 2015 and 2020, $360 billion would be gained yearly due to lives
saved and increased economic growth. Investing
high amounts of money now would pay for itself in the long term.
It is said that the United States should devote $2.5 billion in FY03 to
the effort to stop global AIDS. This
is based on the United State percentage of global GNP(25-30%).
Q20- Use
the Internet for your research and name the two congressmen who introduced
H.R. 4524. Give a 2-line synopsis of that bill.
Using the internet, it
was found that the two congressmen at Representative Chris Smith and
Representative John LaFalce. To
amend the Agricultural Market Transition Act to increase the number of farmers
eligible for no recourse marketing assistance loans or loan deficiency
payments and the amount of production for which such loans and payments are
available.