Love North Americans?

[DA]

Good reasons to love North Americans.
United States is the largest provider of Humanitarian Aid, foreign loans and grants in the world.
http://www.usaid.gov/
I am sure there are plenty more reasons so if you know of any post them here please.
If you disagree post your reasons why here too.

 

[steveinbsas]

Might as well get this going with a "politically incorrect" observation (at least in the eyes of a few "contributors" to this forum) as I add this link praising George W. Bush:

http://worldhaveyoursay.wordpress.c...applaud-what-george-bush-has-done-for-africa/

 

[Moxon]

United States is the largest provider of Humanitarian Aid, foreign loans and grants in the world.

...and consistently ranks last among industrialised countries in Overseas Development Assistence as a percentage of GNP.

 

[gouchobob]

...and consistently ranks last among industrialised countries in Overseas Development Assistence as a percentage of GNP.

I think you are right but I also look at it another way. Look the substantial military expenditures, the large number forces stationed in Europe and elsewhere, which in my mind have helped prevent another world war. Japan gives a very high percentage but hasn't had to spend a lot of money on defense as example.

Good things I would add from North American (U.S. and Canada) helped defeat fascism in WWII. The U.S. also provided the Marshall plan to rebuilt Europe ofter the War. In fact if Wilson had been listened to after WWI there might not have been WWII.

 

[ssr]

...and consistently ranks last among industrialised countries in Overseas Development Assistence as a percentage of GNP.

Isn't a tiny percentage of the GNP of the US a great deal more than a large percentage of the GNP of most other countries?

 

[steveinbsas]

Isn't a tiny percentage of the GNP of the US a great deal more than a large percentage of the GNP of most other countries?

Yes, and it demonstrates how statistics can be manipulated to create a "desired" impression.

 

[Moxon]

Isn't a tiny percentage of the GNP of the US a great deal more than a large percentage of the GNP of most other countries?

erm, yes, but that's already been stated here. If you want to compare countries with each other you have to use a statistical measure and in this case ODA as a percentage of GNP is generally agreed as the most useful.

 

[RWS]

erm, yes, but that's already been stated here. If you want to compare countries with each other you have to use a statistical measure and in this case ODA as a percentage of GNP is generally agreed as the most useful.

'Last I looked, ODA was defined as governmental funds. Private American donations to aid foreigners have long been significantly higher per capita than, say, private French or Italian donations, their governmental ODAs notwithstanding.

 

[Moxon]

I think you are right but I also look at it another way. Look the substantial military expenditures, the large number forces stationed in Europe and elsewhere, which in my mind have helped prevent another world war. Japan gives a very high percentage but hasn't had to spend a lot of money on defense as example.

The Philippines, Cuba, Korea, Greece, Vietnam, Congo, Iran, Guatemala, Laos, Cambodia, Libya, Sudan, El Salvador, Grenada, Honduras, Iraq, Afghanistan, Chile, Panama, Haiti, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Angola... I'm probably forgetting a few here but anyway, I'm not entirely sure it could be argued that all of these 'defense expenditures' were for the greater good.

 

[gouchobob]

The Philippines, Cuba, Korea, Greece, Vietnam, Congo, Iran, Guatemala, Laos, Cambodia, Libya, Sudan, El Salvador, Grenada, Honduras, Iraq, Afghanistan, Chile, Panama, Haiti, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Angola... I'm probably forgetting a few here but anyway, I'm not entirely sure it could be argued that all of these 'defense expenditures' were for the greater good.

I'll agree that American power hasn't always been used to the best advantage. But if it wasn't for the U.S. I wouldn't be surprised if the USSR was still in existence. My guess their western headquarters would be in Paris. It would be a very different world today.