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February 10, 2005
Foreign Aid
Reading The Washington Monthly "Political Animal" I noted this item:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_02/005623.php
A few thoughts.
First, it is appaling that Americans are so... well bloody dim when it comes to knowing where their money is actually being spent. But that is not news.
Second, I am less excercised by the level of aide than by its conception. Having direct familiarity with European aide programs, I have to say that many are clearly bribes to the country in question rather than genuine aide. The EU joint facilities in particular seem to be doted with simultaneously slow and idiotic bureaucratic rubbish rules and little to know oversight on spending. Honeypots. So, my instinct is that the good Euro numbers are somewhat inflated.
Regardless, I do believe well conceived aide can help, and even where the revolutionary benefits often promised never show up, one may have avoided a downside. The US could likely profitably move money from defence projects conceived during the Cold War to various emerging markets economic reform initiatives, in my opinion. However, how to structure is perhaps another issue. This Millenium Challenge Corporation seems interesting but I wonder if it will work. (And although 2.5 billion sounds like a lot, it's really chickenfeed).
Posted by The Lounsbury at February 10, 2005 05:18 PM
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Jan-July 2005
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