Love North Americans?

[iStar]

Canada and Peacekeeping

During the first half of this century, some 1.5 million Canadians were called upon to defend peace and freedom around the world during the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War. More than 110,000 Canadians lost their lives. Following these terrible conflicts, Canada began looking for ways to prevent wars. Contemporary peacekeeping is a natural extension of Canada's longstanding commitment to the principles of peace and freedom.

Following the Second World War, Canada was involved in military observer missions in the late 1940s, particularly during the Arab-Israeli and the India-Pakistan conflicts. From 1950 to 1953, Canada joined other UN nations to resist aggression during the Korean War. However, it wasn't until 1956 that the term peacekeeping entered the popular vocabulary, thanks to a Canadian.

During the Suez Crisis of 1956, Secretary of State for External Affairs Lester B. Pearson - later Canada's 14th Prime Minister - proposed that a multinational UN peacekeeping force be sent to the Suez to separate the warring parties. For his visionary idea, Mr. Pearson was awarded the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize.

http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/youth/sub.cfm?source=teach_resources/peacefact

 

[jp]

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

Analyse the funding of client states and conditional aid packages (such the magnanimous military aid benignly doled out to Colombia) and a slightly less rosy picture emerges. Foreign aid is a tool of foreign policy, and foreign policy serves domestic interests.

But happily, on an individual level American citizens give more money to charity per capita than anyone else in the world. Plenty of generosity at an individual level, just markedly less altruism from government.

 

[Moxon]

'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.

That wasn't what was originally being referred to but cheers, do you have any links comparing all countries on this figure?

 

[sesamosinsal]

But happily, on an individual level American citizens give more money to charity per capita than anyone else in the world. Plenty of generosity at an individual level, just markedly less altruism from government.

Isn't this true in all countries? I'm not saying it's right, but I get quite tired of people criticizing the U.S. government for acting out of self-interest (as if selfishness is uniquely an "American problem") when that's how ALL states behave anyway.

 

[jp]

I still think its interesting that american citizens give the most per capita, whilst their goverments gives the least as a percentage of GNP, and spends more on defense than the rest of the world combined.

Thats a fairly unique combination - the most charitable people and the least charitable government on earth.

 

[Moxon]

I still think its interesting that american citizens give the most per capita, whilst their goverments gives the least as a percentage of GNP, and spends more on defense than the rest of the world combined.

Thats a fairly unique combination - the most charitable people and the least charitable government on earth.

Well it's actually neither - it consistently ranks last among the OECD countries but still higher than many others and I'm pretty sure Norway and a few others rank higher on private donations per capita to overseas aid but still, yes, it seems to say a lot about American individualism and mistrust of government.

 

[ssr]

I still think its interesting that american citizens give the most per capita, whilst their goverments gives the least as a percentage of GNP, and spends more on defense than the rest of the world combined.

Thats a fairly unique combination - the most charitable people and the least charitable government on earth.

jp, I believe that whether or not the US has the "the least charitable government on earth" is still being debated here. Our "defense" budget, however, is pretty damn big, no question about that.

 

[SusanB]

I don't really care if you love 'em or hate 'em... for me it depends mostly on my mood and the particular person or politic situation involved. However, I think these discussions would be much more accurately titled "Love/Hate US Citizens". I know a lot of Canadians and Mexicans who hate being lumped in with a categorical "North American" label and all it represents. Not to mention the number of Argentines I have encountered who are furious with the way the word "American" has come to represent citizens of the United States only.

 

[ReemsterCARP]

Thats a fairly unique combination - the most charitable people and the least charitable government on earth.

Well It might have a lot to do with the tax system. In Europe the tax system is pretty punitive. For instance, the average Dutch person pays about 42% income tax. After paying the bills, spending money on 'luxury' goods such as a car, computer etc. that leaves little money for charity. Then again, our government uses about 0.8% of the budget on foreign aid.

I'd rather have the government spend less in my name, and spend it myself on particular developmental projects I support.

 

[mini]

Isn't this true in all countries? I'm not saying it's right, but I get quite tired of people criticizing the U.S. government for acting out of self-interest (as if selfishness is uniquely an "American problem") when that's how ALL states behave anyway.

Some states focus on their own problems, ie mind their own business.