America is broke we have our own Poor

[margypops]

HOW much is this COSTING AMERICA???  how come we cant look after the poor here in the US yet we are sending troops and help and foreign aid tto other countries ?
Aiding Education One Backpack at a Time


ALI SABIEH, Djibouti,

Jan 24, 2012 — More than 800 students at Ali Sabieh Primary School 3 and Doudoubalalah Primary School 81 in Ali Sabieh, Djibouti, received backpacks Jan. 16.
The children were among more than 5,000 students at 16 schools in the Ali Sabieh area to receive backpacks from U.S. service members from the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, who spent two weeks delivering the backpacks.
The backpacks, which are inscribed with a phrase in French which means, "Education is a fundamental right of every citizen," were donated for distribution by the U.S. Embassy in cooperation with the Djiboutian Ministry of Education.  
The Djiboutian Ministry of Education wanted to encourage the children to continue their education and send the message that it was their right and privilege to do so, said U.S. Army Major Edward Palacios, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion executive officer, CJTF-HOA.
"These backpacks are very beneficial to the children," said Aden Ismael Hersi, an Ali Sabieh resident. "Most children here come from very poor families."

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THE following is from the Fact sheet

Service members from each branch of the U.S. military, civilian employees and representatives of coalition and partner countries serve on behalf of CJTF-HOA. The task force, along with coalition and other U.S. defense components, provide support to regional organizations to help foster cooperation, enhance collective peace keeping, improve humanitarian assistance and support civil-military operations. The CJTF-HOA area of operations includes the countries of Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti, and Seychelles. The CJTF-HOA area of interest includes Yemen, Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique, Comoros, Chad, Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

[adgal]

I fully agree with that.  I think the problem though lies with another big issue, your National Security.  For example, look at Pakistan.  Right now the gov't is "pro American'.  Now, we all know that they have not really and truly co operated with the US in dealing with Al Quaida they way they said they would, but the big problem is the alternative should this current gov't get ousted (and that is a very real possibility), or should the aid stop and this current gov't become hostile toward the US.  In so many of these countries there is an extreme amount of hatred in certain factions, and it's very important to US security for them not to get power.  Pakistan especially as it is a nuclear armed country.  So the US essentially is paying off the current gov'ts to both keep them on side and to keep them in power.  For that to change could (and probably would) become a very very large problem.  And debt now?  Think what would happen if you needed to physically protect yourselves from these currently "friendly" countries, or worse case, go to war with them.  I mean, the cost of Iraq and Afghanistan would be nothing compared to Pakistan.  So truthfully, the US is really caught between a rock and a hard place here.  Yes, the money would be far better kept at home, no argument, but the reality of what could happen if aid stopped to some of these countries could cost 100 times more then it does right now.  It's a really big problem for sure.

[margypops]

Normally I wouldn't object but we are broke and actually a lot of money is going to countries better off than the US  like the middle east to pay for Arms ..we have reached a poverty line unheard of in the US ..Charity begins at home .

[adgal]

The reason the US sends money to these unstable countries (and always has, both Repulican and Democrotic administrations alike) is to help maintain people in power that serve the US' best interests.  These areas are in political turmoil, and gov't overthrows could easily happen.  The US does not want someone getting in power that is hostile toward the US.  So it helps finance the gov't it wants there.  Same thing in Pakistan, and you can guarantee it will happen for a good long time in Iraq and Afghanistan.  But again, this is certainly not something exclusive to Obama's administration.  This happened under Republicans as well.  I suspect it always will.

[margypops]

Hillary Clinton 2 days ago, said that the US will continue financing Egypt,we also finance Libya   I ask Why when we are a bankrupt nation