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The week's question
In March 2025, in the thread "Re: OT, out", Umm asked the members: "Do you think it is because America is made up of magical soil that makes businesses based in America magically profitable?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Author: commonone ✹✹ HONORARY
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Number: of 86277 
Subject: Re: We Don't Know Who We're Deporting
Date: 03/18/25 6:07 PM
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bighairymike: Most taxpayers would never be willing to support the non sense [sic] coming out of USAID but they get it anyway because the advocates are committed to keeping the gravy train running.

How do you remain so willfully misinformed?

In fiscal 2023, the most recent fiscal year for which data is largely complete, the U.S. government disbursed $71.9 billion in foreign aid with 27% of all disbursed aid in direct monetary support for economic development, including $14.4 billion of that total to the Ukrainian government for its war with Russia.

Disaster relief and other humanitarian aid accounted for $15.6 billion, or 21.7% of total aid disbursements in fiscal 2023.

$10.6 billion, or 14.7% was spent on fighting HIV/AIDS and another 7.7% for other health initiatives.

Combatting “pandemic influenza” and other emerging public health threats cost us $1.5 billion, or 2.0%.

Promoting democracy, good governance and the rule of law throughout the world accounted for $2.3 billion, or 3.2%.

“Multi-sector” programs that crossed several subject areas was $2.9 billion, or 4.0%.

Israel received $3.3 billion in military aid in fiscal 2023.

U.S. aid dollars supported programs and activities in 177 individual countries and 29 regions. They also helped fund global endeavors. In fiscal 2023, foreign aid accounted for 1.2% of that year’s total federal outlays, which were more than $6.1 trillion.

BTW, we spent a high percentage of our annual budget on foreign aid during the Cold War.

In short, I think you're completely wrong to claim that "most taxpayers would never be willing to support the non sense [sic] coming out of USAID" because, unless, you're an idiot, it's not nonsense, it's money well spent.

pewresearch.org - What the data says about US foreign aid
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This community has written 86,214 posts about US Policy. The article-length ones it recommended most:
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