John,

> How many of these countries have we forgiven the
>debt of?  Is that counted?  Have they counted aid to rebuild Afghanistan?
>Japan?  Germany? etc.  We could argue this forever...the methodology used
>to compute the numbers in this study can be scrutinized a million different
>ways.  But we all know in our hearts that the US is the most generous
>nation on the planet.  We're not perfect, and I'm not certain we should go
>beat up Iraq, but I do know that we are the most generous nation on earth.

Let me offer a somewhat different perspective that partly agrees with and
partly challenges.
Is the US the most generous nation on earth?    The answer as you point out
is highly dependent on how one counts.  (I think that part of our military
spending ought to be counted.)
  As a political conservative I can tell you that I don't "know in my heart"
that my country is THE most generous.  The "who is the most generous game"
strikes me as vain.  What if we are not the most generous nation?   Does a
concern for our national interests necessarily invalidate our foreign
policy?   I say no.  A healthy nation darn well better watch out for it's
own interests.
  Don't freight the question of generosity down with questionable meanings
and implications.  The theory of Just War, for instance, takes little
account of how much money a nation spends on AIDs in Africa.

I suggest the argument about "generosity" often has more to do with feeling
good or feeling right than it has to do with true compassion, morality, or
effective foreign policy.   The psychological tendency is to project our own
shame and uncertainty onto our nation.  That statement applies to all sides.
IMO the harsh critics of the US feel better about themselves when they
criticize US policy.

If you want a better sense of how this dynamic works examine look at
yourself.   What areas of policy are you uncertain about?   Are there
actions that you are not proud of?   The flip side of being proud is often
shame.   In general I belief that the political left is partly motivated by
a unhealthy shame.  The political right often reacts to this shame and it's
own uncertainty by exaggerating the goodness of the US.   The dynamic can
become a mutual feedback loop, a escalating cycle of exaggeration.

Is the US a generous nation?  The most generous?  Not very generous?
Before one answers that kind of question I suggest you first ask:  so what?
If the answer comes out "wrong" what substantial difference will it make to
other issues of the day?


Cortlandt Wilson
(650) 966-8555

>-----Original Message-----
>From: HP-3000 Systems Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
>Behalf Of John Lee
>Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 3:05 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] OT : US uses Indian 'threat' to force Pak
>support on Iraq
>
>
>How many of these countries did we help rebuild after WWII?  Are they
>counting that as aid?  How many of these countries have we forgiven the
>debt of?  Is that counted?  Have they counted aid to rebuild Afghanistan?
>Japan?  Germany? etc.  We could argue this forever...the methodology used
>to compute the numbers in this study can be scrutinized a million different
>ways.  But we all know in our hearts that the US is the most generous
>nation on the planet.  We're not perfect, and I'm not certain we should go
>beat up Iraq, but I do know that we are the most generous nation on earth.
>And the money spent to be that is your's and mine, just as the money to
>build our military is.
>
>John Lee
>
>

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