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8 Pros and Cons of Foreign Aid

navajocodetalkersadmin on August 6, 2015 - 5:29 pm in Pros and Cons

Foreign aid is something that has caused quite the debate in the world. If you saw your neighbor in need of something vital, such as food, would you give it to them? This is the idea of foreign aid. One country helping another with food, money, medical supplies, or any other resource that they are in dire need of. Many people argue that giving large amounts of foreign aid takes away from the people in the same country who need it and causes economic stress. Others, however, believe that it is something that has been practiced forever and helps to build meaningful relationships. Let’s look at all of the possible good and bad effects that providing foreign aid to a country could result.

The Pros of Foreign Aid

1. A Little Bit Can Go A Long Way
The aid that is given to a country, helps the country to get back on it’s feet. Many times they are able to take the resources loaned to them, and multiply them by quite a bit. This is beneficial for the country in many ways, as well as for the country that aided them.

2. It’s Just Right
If you saw people that where in need you would help them, not just the people residing in your house. This same idea goes for countries as well. To an extent, all countries should be willing to help each other with major problems. In the end, it is not just the country you are helping, but human beings.

3. Your Scratch Their Back, They’ll Scratch Yours
No matter how successful or established a country is, a time could come at any time when they are in need of help. When you help other countries in the form of foreign aid you are bettering your chances of them helping you in the future when you are in need.

4. Better Citizen Relations
When countries are open and willing to help each other, it isn’t just the government that takes notice, but the people that live in them as well. When this happens, the citizens of other countries are humanized and relationships begin to build. This is a beautiful thing that strengthens the harmony among all humans.

5. It’s a Small Piece of the Pie
When you really look at it, the majority of countries only give foreign aid that is equal to less than one percent of their entire year’s budget. This is a very small price to pay to help people that are in need.

The Cons of Foreign Aid

1. Results in Dependency
There is an old saying: “If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he’ll eats for a lifetime.” Running to the rescue of countries that are in trouble may help them in the short term, but in the long run, it can cause quite the air of dependency. The country needs to be given aid in the form of knowledge and information rather than tangible supplies like money.

2. It Could Be Used At Home
When there are internal problems within a country, it isn’t a good idea to give resources to other countries. People within the country who the resources truly belong to could often use it much more than the country that it is being given to. This causes a mistrust of the government and sense of bitterness among people who are still struggling.

3. Come Back To Bite You
You never know the true intentions of a country, which is why providing foreign aid can be very dangerous. The person who the aid is being given to is left in debt to the country that helped them, which may leave them vulnerable for exploitation. The country that is providing the aid is left susceptible to a country that they helped to strengthen.

Important Facts About Foreign Aid

  • Middle eastern countries, such as Afghanistan and Iraq, are given the most aid from the United States.
  • Norway, Sweden, and Denmark give the largest percentage of their national income to foreign aid.
  • Japan provides 285,000 dollars of aid each year, while the United States gives over 30 trillion dollars of aid.
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