Why do so many Americans believe they supply more foreign aid than other countries?

In response to my last question, many Americans claimed that the USA does more to fight world poverty than other country.

Yet the statistics show they rate number 4 after Britain, France and Japan.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_ec...

And number 19 on the list when on a per capita basis.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_ec...

I'm sure the recipients and glad for every penny they recieve from the USA, but the claims of being the world's most generous country seem curious.

Being someone who lives outside of the USA, I can tell you that the rest of the world has been aware of this for many years.

Where do those who get these facts wrong get their information?

The wife..........Did you actually try the links? I just retested them & they lead you to a wonderful goldmine of statistial information. If you don't like what you see, perhaps you shold rethink your preconceptions.

Didn't read your data, did you?

"ODA is defined as financial assistance that is concessional in character, has the main objective to promote economic development and welfare of the less developed countries (LDCs), and contains a grant element of at least 25%. The entry does not cover other official flows (OOF) or private flows. "

Note the last sentence... excludes PRIVATE flows.

The US is by far a more charitable country than UK, France, and Japan with private funds. I'd like to see the overall data.

Because it's been a talking point of the right for so long. They also push the notion that the US single-handed won WW2...which is sad.

Any attempt to discuss these beliefs rationally are met with "Why do you hate your country?" attacks.

Frequently they also grudge spending on our own poor and helpless - the other big talking point is "personal responsibility" - something that was of no help when drowning in a flood, but then they have imaginary bus drivers, routes,pickup points and shelter destinations that they blame the victims for not using.

It is especially a problem because in Africa and in the middle east the Islamic charities are gobbling up supporters by tying food aid to madrassas attendance.

I blame our news agencies - we need our Fairness Doctrine back to put fear of rebuttal to the liars and propagandists that pose as newscasters.

DEFINITION: The net official development assistance (ODA) from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations to developing countries and multilateral organizations. ODA is defined as financial assistance that is concessional in character, has the main objective to promote economic development and welfare of the less developed countries (LDCs), and contains a grant element of at least 25%. The entry does not cover other official flows (OOF) or private flows.


show me the data that includes everything and we'll talk.

Because we do. Most of the U.N. budget comes from us. And whether you want to believe it or not, we are the wealthiest country this planet has ever seen.

Stop hating.

I guess their mistaken... but then again if you agree with the leftist idea that it was the Imperial system that is responsible for 3rd world poverty then the U.S. is not really responsible for poverty in the 3rd world and would not feel as obliged to help fix the situation because it was never really an Empire (at least not like the British or French).

Uh, ok number 4 isnt so bad - how many countries are there?

They think that because they are told that by their party leaders. I can't understand why they think that when it clearly isnt true. Its like almost everything else they think it just doesn't make sense.

It appears that your post is disproved by your first link.

Your numbers are based on government aid. I've read a couple months ago that private donations by the US are so great as to become #1. So they are more privately generous than governmentally.

here's a question for you...why haven't the countries that were rebuilt with US dollars after wwII paid us back?...

It is just a factiness we like to take as the truth. But you are right.

We're overpopulated on the earth anyway,

The problem is that not enough people are dying and too many people keep giving birth in places like Africa and India although they already had three or four children starve to death and about ten other children slowly getting there.
Then these animals can all massacre each other and we have to come in and keep the peace, risking our own lives.

Why encourage these people?

I'm not sure we should interfere anymore with nature,
any civilized Western country should stop funding their breeding habits,
let nature have it's way, it's evolutionary.

Why? So we can encourage their numbers so that they take over Western countries and become a pariah?
With our sickly reproductive practices, it will be the downfall of civilization before we know it.

Are you including Military aid along with the overall foreign aid? The US gives Billions of dollars in Military aid w/ their overall foreign aid as well especially to countries like Israel & Pakistan. The US also gives out Billions in low interest loans in Foreign aid as well & they give a lot of debt relief to poorer countries too. However, in the long run, the US knows that most of the aid that they send to help the poor of the world just goes right into the pockets of the corrupt Govts. of those countries so what's the point in sending a lot of aid to those people who will probably never see it?

we believe we are the best ,as with most citizens of any country. what you state is correct. leaving Iraq out of the picture,i find it strange that the top two recipients of US aid could live without it or at least get by with less than we give them.

edit. name any ally to the US in WW2 that hasn't repaid us

I think it would be interesting to see the percentage of private donations that go out of the US as compared to other countries.

The stats are decieving in that most donations made from the US come form private sources as opposed to government sources. The US Government may not be the most generous but I would stand by the fact that the American PEOPLE are.

I know this is a little thing and insignificant in the eyes of many, but I look at the Connex box full of things I get from the US from people I hardly know that are being distributed to the Iraqi people in the form of Humanitarian Assistance. How many other soldiers in Iraq hand out candy to the kids on the street? How many other soldiers give soccer balls out to kids and play in the street with them?

I still think Americans are probably more generous than any other people.

Brewers, good answer - beat me to it -

If you are going to have a reference - read it first - you undermined your whole argument.

Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less 鈥?Robert E Lee

I think it is the assumption that we have to be the "biggest and best in everything" attitude that most Americans have. I don't think most of them (Americans with said attitude) have ANY facts to base their information on; just the steadfast belief that if there isn't irrefutable concrete proof assembled by non biased third party agents not affiliated with any media source or outside nation, backed by our government shoved into their ocular sockets, that your information must be false.
Sad, huh?

i,as an American, have never heard that we give more than any other country,,,where do you get YOUR
information?

You're overfocusing on things so you can make a case to chide and insult Americans. How sad for you.