U.S. cuts aid to food charities

[Karmadillo]

But first, a word from Noam Chomsky: "Throughout history, Adam Smith observed, we find the workings of "the vile maxim of the masters of mankind": "All for ourselves, and nothing for other People." He had few illusions about the consequences. The invisible hand, he wrote, will destroy the possibility of a decent human existence "unless government takes pains to prevent" this outcome, as must be assured in "every improved and civilized society." It will destroy community, the environment and human values generally -- and even the masters themselves, which is why the business classes have regularly called for state intervention to protect them from market forces."

http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/12/22/news/aid.html

In one of the first signs of the effects of the tightening U.S. budget, in the past two months the Bush administration has reduced its contributions to global food aid programs aimed at helping millions of people climb out of poverty.

With the federal budget deficit expanding and President George W. Bush promising to reduce spending, the administration has told representatives of several charities that it is unable to honor some promises.

Groups have been told they will have money for food only in emergencies like that in Darfur, in western Sudan.

The cuts to charities, estimated by some charities at up to $100 million, come at a time when the number of hungry in the world is rising for the first time in years and all food programs are being stretched.

As a result, Save The Children, Catholic Relief Services and other charities have suspended or eliminated programs that were intended to help the poor feed themselves.

The programs helped with food supplies through improvements in farming, education and health.

"We have between five and seven million people who have been affected by these cuts," Lisa Kuennen, a food aid expert at Catholic Relief Services, said.

more...

[liberal N proud]

1. God Help the USA if we ever need help from abroad.

What a compassionate asshole!

[Union Thug]

2. The Bushies have an interest in keeping people desperate...

it's called cheap labor sweatshops. These allow the falling-wage american to buy cheap, low quality garbage at Wal-mart on their high interest credit cards. Gotta keep the Gilded age, credit card capitalism steaming into the future!

[progressiveBadger]

8. This is a tactic of the ruling class

since the beginning of modern civilization.

[lebkuchen]

3. What does the US give in food aid?

Something like .02% of GNP? Other countries give over 1% of GNP.

[0007]

4. Thank you for the Norm Chomsky link

I would hope that everyone that has an interest in this country read this important wirting by Mr. Chomsky. It is time to start yelling our heads off before its too late!!

"The trade agreements override the rights of workers, consumers, and the future generations who cannot "vote" in the market on environmental issues. They help keep the public "in its place." These are not necessary features of such agreements, but they are natural consequences of the great successes of the past years in reducing democracy to empty forms, so that the vile maxim of the masters can be pursued without undue interference."

http://www.chomsky.info/articles/199303--.htm

[Skittles]

5. YUP, courtesy of red America

the ones with "morals", ya know :puke:

[Zenlitened]

6. As usual, red voters can't see the connection to their own interests.

Want to dry up the roots of terrorism? Want to ease immigration pressures on the US? (Or, to put it in red-speak, "Keep them ferners out!")

Uh... mightn't it be wise, then, to ease suffering and help create prosperity around the globe?

[Deja Q]

7. How many other ways can he make the US look bad in the eyes of the world?!

:shakes head in shame:

I bet he'll increase spending in abstinence-only education too...

[OnlyInAmerica]

9. Good

I don't want any gov't funds/food/resources going to a religious charity like the Catholic Relief Services. This is merely an attempt by Shrub to back door us with his Faith Based Initiative.

[peacebird]

13. no - this is a way for shrub to cut his budget

and preserve his tax cuts for the wealthy. he has no interest in feeding the poorest of the poor around the world. He does however, want to appease some of his conservative base who are screaming about the huge federal budget and deficits he has brought. Since he cares not a fig for the poor of the world (and is too foolish to consider how much GOOD it does for US interests that we fund programs to FEED the poorest of the poor) he is willing to cut funds.

His faith based initiative is repulsive to me because I do not like groups which attempt to shove religion down the throats of people who happen to be having a hard time making ends meet. if those religious groups which want federal funds to help the folks are willing to abide by federally mandated hiring rules (can't refuse work to people of other faiths or because of color, or sexual preference) and are willing to dispense with aid without attempting to browbeat and coerce people into their religious beliefs, well then give them federal funds.

i don't believe catholic charities requires a litmus test prior to giving aid to people, which would make it one of the good guys. Am I wrong about that?

[Mabeline]

10. Irregardless of the president or his stand here,

I have for many years (even before the 2000 election) thought it was awful how the US sends many millions of our tax dollars to other countries and all they do is sneer in our faces and would just as likely stab us in the back anytime they could. I don't want them to fall down and worship us or anything, but they could be a little nicer to us.

[gratuitous]

12. Other countries COULD be nicer to us

Unfortunately, as I found out to my own personal embarrassment on a trip to Chiapas Mexico with Christian Peacemaking Teams a few years ago, folks in those third world countries have a very clear understanding of what the major policies of the United States are doing to them. Whatever pittance we send them in amelioration hardly makes up for the damage we've inflicted.

Just one f'rinstance: Mexico used to have some 60 domestic sugar companies. There was healthy competition, lots of folks worked in the sugar refineries, and the Mexican consumer had good quality sugar at a fair price. Then Pepsi and Coca-Cola moved in, and insisted that all their soft drinks be made with high fructose corn syrup. Well, Mexico couldn't supply that, so the market for sugar in soft drinks went totally bust. However, mega-farms in the U.S., many owned or operating under the aegis of Archer-Daniels-Midland could bring in enough high fructose corn syrup.

Sugar companies went bust, and more and more foodstuffs were made with corn syrup rather than sugar. Whole communities were impoverished by the rapacious marketing techniques of Pepsi and Coca-Cola, who bribed government officials and ran other companies out of business.

Yes, it's nice of us to supply some food and other basics of life to some of these poor folks; but quite a number of them were doing just fine on their own prior to our benevolent intervention.

[bleedingheart]

11. Another fine example of Christian Morals...

[mom cat]

14. And the RW Xians chant: let them eat dirt....

[Disturbed]

16. Starve the poor. Feed the rich.

This has been the Rethug motto for ages.

[AngryOldDem]

21. The government cuts money so these groups can't feed the poor

...and the groups themselves get blamed.

Private donations cannot do it all. Some public assistance is needed to help do the work that needs to be done.

[pinniped]

15. More proof the entire world suffers because of this asshole*.

.

[ashmanonar]

17. guh

well, just another sign that * has no freaking clue how to fight the people he labels as "turrists"...

for one, he's legitimized these people...instead of calling them common criminals, he's giving them political labels and saying that their attacks represent nation-states...(wrong move, nothing hurts a "terrorist" more than calling him (her) a criminal and taking away any political legitimacy that they once had...)

2, by bombing the FUCK out of 3rd world countries, (Iraq, Afghanistan) the shrub has denied hundreds of thousands of people their homes and security, and killed hundreds of thousands...for every "terrorist" you kill, you gain two (the brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, etc of the innocents killed as "collateral damage")

3...the key to ending people using terrorist tactics, is not by attacking the terrorists militarily, but by going after their support bases politically and economically...blowing the shit out of terror bases doesn't help, drying up their economic support and pressuring the governments of the support bases to end their support of "terrorists"...

but then, i doubt the shrub can pronounce or understand 90% of the words up there...

there's also the political aspect of losing anyone we might have had as a friend...any political allies we had before the first admin are now officially gone...

anyone who wants to read up on exactly HOW the shrub is fucking up his wars, look at D-N-I, Bill Lind has some incredible writings on there about 4th generation warfare and also the On War series that Lind wrote.

[Moderator]

18. duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1091363

[ZanZaBar]

19. Hmm isn't that nice...

"Bush Calls for Compassion on Christmas - 12-25-2004

President Bush on Saturday urged Americans to help the neediest among them by volunteering to care for the sick, the elderly and the poor in a Christmas day call for compassion."

-Yahoo!




Cut the budget and then urge people to volunteer their chrismas time to help the poor. Thanks BÜSH..

[The Zanti Regent]

20. Once again, clear proof that Christians follow Ayn Rand.

Oh they will bullshit about Jesus for one hour every Sunday in a segregated church, but the rest of the time they follow Ayn as in Mine Rand and her Get Yours and F everyone else shit.