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I haven't seen the appropriations for "fixing" Iraq yet

It's called a supplemental: $74.9 billion, and it went to Congress yesterday. While most of that is for the war effort itself, something on the order of $6 billion is for humanitarian aid and reconstruction.

judging by the pitiful quantities being spent on Afghanistan I won't hold my breath

Nearly a billion dollars is "pitiful quantities?"

and as I recall we are taking control of their fields to pay for rebuilding.

You recall incorrectly. No such plan has even been floated, must less approved. There's been talk of paying for the reconstruction out of unguaranteed loans against future Iraqi oil revenues, but that's just in the idea stages right now. At present, the plan is for the reconstruction to come out of the American taxpayer's pocket.

What was wrong with Jocelyn Elders? She had sensible but unpopular attitudes about masturbation and the war on drugs?

To the point: I'm not sure what's more disturbing; that you have no problem with "payback" as a means of appointing government officials or that you consider a board advising USAID (upon whom millions depend for food aid) to be a "waste of time." And isn't it obvious why it would be a bad idea to have as a board member advising USAID the CEO of a company who accidentally destroys soybeans by mixing them with diarrhea medicine?

This is an obscure trade board with little or no policy making power that is likely to do little more that waste some more money.

are you guessing, or do you know for a fact what this board does? link, please?

Here's your link. Looks like they do more than just sitting around. I'm not concerned, as I think industry experts are qualified, but I could see how you could be if you distrusted industry experts. As for the conspiracy angle, I don't get it. What's so suspicious about the current President appointing someone to a position in a federal agency? Who the hell else is going to do it? It wouldn't be naive to assume that Bush appointed him to the board for nothing, it would be fucking stupid. Of course he's to do what he was hired to do. Get a grip.

People who fortell doom due to the unforeseen effects of are just retelling the story of Frankenstein. Worthy, but it helps to learn the lesson: don't fear technology, fear those who would misuse it. Truth told, I'm a little leery of getting too happy with the code in too short of time. I'm still willing to see the studies done.

This is why the US has BILLIONS to give to nations crippled by socialism and communism.

Assuming the US actually has that money in the first place. The US currently has a budget deficit measured in the trillions of dollers. Also the first time I have heard Israel described as "crippled by socialism and communism."

This is why any time there is a problem in the Middle East, the World looks to the US.

Not usually to provide money, probably more often top stop providing money.

hrmmmm... found these interesting numbers at USAID: US humanitarian aid is hovering around USD$8,000,000,000 + 9,000,000,000 + 1,500,000,000 + $24,000,000,000 = $42,000,000,000 (yes, 42 Billion) of which 5 Billion is military assistance. This does not include any military budgets as obviously that is top secret or something rediculous like that.

This is why the US has BILLIONS to give to nations crippled by socialism and communism.

Assuming the US actually has that money in the first place. The US currently has a budget deficit measured in the trillions of dollers. Also the first time I have heard Israel described as "crippled by socialism and communism."

This is why any time there is a problem in the Middle East, the World looks to the US.

Not usually to provide money, probably more often top stop providing money.

hrmmmm... found these interesting numbers at USAID: US humanitarian aid is hovering around USD$8,000,000,000 + 9,000,000,000 + 1,500,000,000 + $24,000,000,000 = $42,000,000,000 (yes, 42 Billion) of which 5 Billion is military assistance. This does not include any military budgets as obviously that is top secret or something rediculous like that.

Internet in Africa is flaky at best. I work on a project called RANET . It is an effort of serveral partners (ACMAD , NOAA, and USAID to name a few) to make climate and weather related information more accessible to rural populations and communites.

We use the Worldspace Satellite system to send climate information in HTML format (it's a 1 way digital radio system, that when hooked up to your computer, acts as a modem). The villages get the information, then in turn translate it to the local language. We have set up low power FM radio stations and then they broadcast the updated data over the radio waves. Wind up radios made by Freeplay have been given to the villages, and they can tune in to the broadcast, and find out if some of the local watering holes have dried up for example.

I was over in Niamey, Niger a few months ago training users from Ghana, Niger, Chad, and other african countries how to code HTML so then those local countries can upload their climate information to us so we can send it over the satellite system.

We ran into some interesting problems concerning the interent. The local internet provider charges by time spent on the internet. Well, since they understand they can make some money by doing this, they actually slowed down everyones internet speed so they would be on the net longer, and be charged more. When a local person complained about this, not only did they turn off his phones and internet at his workplace...they turned off his phones and internet at HIS HOUSE.

The US does send food and a lot of it, too. Get the details here. MT = metric tons

Excerpt from one of the reports: "A major shipment of U.S.-donated relief food for the Southern Africa region arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on May 26. The U.S.-chartered vessel "Liberty Glory" carried the 33,230 MT of food commodities, valued at $13.3 million. The shipment included 16,940 MT of maize, beans, and vegetable oil for Malawi, valued at $8.9 million, and 8,500 MT for Zambia, worth $2.9 million. These commodities were quickly off-loaded for onward transport to Malawi and Zambia via truck and rail. The "Liberty Glory" is scheduled to arrive in Maputo, Mozambique on June 5-7 in order to deliver the remaining 9,890 MT of food, valued at $4.8 million, for use in Mozambique. In addition, USAID/FFP is in the process of procuring approximately 36,450 MT of additional emergency food commodities, worth $16 million."

Could the US do more? Sure. If someone defeats the US with superior firepower, will they do better? Not a chance. Power acquired though violent means is rarely employed for the good of the majority.

I would prefer to see the US retain its abililty to defend itself against aggressors. If the US is defeated in war, the victor is not likely to be someone who does a better job fighting the "very serious problems of disease, starvation, and poverty." If that matters to you, you should be glad for the United States' military superiority.

We have superiority today, but if we stop developing bigger, better, badder weapons, that will change. Superiority is a process, not a result.

The actual amount may well be less meaningful than where and how it gets spent...

The United States Agency for International Development, which administers the U.S. foreign aid budget, lists these accomplishments:

• More than 3 million lives are saved every year through USAID immunization programs.
• Oral rehydration therapy, a low cost and easily administered solution developed through USAID programs in Bangladesh, is credited with saving tens of millions of lives around the globe.
• In the 28 countries with the largest USAID-sponsored family planning programs, the average number of children per family has dropped from 6.1 in the mid-1960s to 4.2 today.
• The United Nations Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade, in which USAID played a major role, resulted in 1.3 billion people receiving safe drinking water sources, and 750 million people receiving sanitation for the first time.
• Agricultural research sponsored by the United States sparked the "Green Revolution" in India. These breakthroughs in agricultural technology and practices resulted in the most dramatic increase in agricultural yields and production in the history of mankind, allowing nations like India and Bangladesh to become nearly food self-sufficient.
• More than 50 million couples worldwide use family planning as a direct result of USAID's population program.
• Since 1987, USAID has initiated HIV/AIDS prevention programs in 32 countries, and is the recognized technical leader in the design and development of these programs in the developing world. Over 850,000 people have been reached with USAID HIV prevention education, and 40,000 people have been trained to support HIV/AIDS programs in their own countries.
• USAID child survival programs have made a major contribution to a 10 percent reduction in infant mortality rates worldwide in just the past eight years.
• Investments by the U.S. and other donors in better seeds and agricultural techniques over the past two decades have helped make it possible to feed an extra billion people in the world.
• and more

The actual amount may well be less meaningful than where and how it gets spent...

The United States Agency for International Development, which administers the U.S. foreign aid budget, lists these accomplishments:

• More than 3 million lives are saved every year through USAID immunization programs.
• Oral rehydration therapy, a low cost and easily administered solution developed through USAID programs in Bangladesh, is credited with saving tens of millions of lives around the globe.
• In the 28 countries with the largest USAID-sponsored family planning programs, the average number of children per family has dropped from 6.1 in the mid-1960s to 4.2 today.
• The United Nations Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade, in which USAID played a major role, resulted in 1.3 billion people receiving safe drinking water sources, and 750 million people receiving sanitation for the first time.
• Agricultural research sponsored by the United States sparked the "Green Revolution" in India. These breakthroughs in agricultural technology and practices resulted in the most dramatic increase in agricultural yields and production in the history of mankind, allowing nations like India and Bangladesh to become nearly food self-sufficient.
• More than 50 million couples worldwide use family planning as a direct result of USAID's population program.
• Since 1987, USAID has initiated HIV/AIDS prevention programs in 32 countries, and is the recognized technical leader in the design and development of these programs in the developing world. Over 850,000 people have been reached with USAID HIV prevention education, and 40,000 people have been trained to support HIV/AIDS programs in their own countries.
• USAID child survival programs have made a major contribution to a 10 percent reduction in infant mortality rates worldwide in just the past eight years.
• Investments by the U.S. and other donors in better seeds and agricultural techniques over the past two decades have helped make it possible to feed an extra billion people in the world.
• and more

Example 2

yeah! fuck those fucking U.S. pigs! they are so fucking self-involved and xenophobic it makes me want to fucking puke.

oh wait. then again....i forgot to mention this page. Kind of interesting when I hear all the facts and figures about the united states fucking over every country, giving them cash to train them as terrorists and only spending money when it suits our own interests. God forbid we should only give countries like Afghanistan a measly $178 million in humanitarian aid. Yes...the same afghanistan that harbors the infamous OBL.

Oh yeah - we also gave $158 million to Sudan in humanitarian aid and $13 million to Indonesia, among other noteables.

Seems to me the rest of the world has no problem with the U.S. when we're acting as their rich uncle Sam dolling out cash like a fucking ATM. Of course, if we tell them they're wrong about something they're doing, or miss a payment, it explains why they drop planes into the midst of 100,000 civillians. Yes, i know this wasn't the work of a country, but the idea that U.S. foreign policy needs to change in order to somehow appease terrorist organizations is laughable. someone is always going to be pissed off at the U.S. because of something we're doing. If it isn't the Arabs, it'll be the Israelis. And if people aren't shouting "get the fuck out," then they're shouting "why haven't you come to save us" at twice the volume.

I'm not saying the U.S. is perfect, but we're doing a whole helluvalot better than any country i've seen so far. I tend to agree with a quote from one of the brits on the show - to paraphrase: of course the U.S. is being attacked, they're standing in front.

I love these kind of posts. Here's some reference material for you:

http://kosovo.info.usaid.gov/
http://www.usaid.gov/
http://www.usaid.gov/press/releases/970220.htm
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/sasia/afghan/ fact/07dec00.htm
http://www.interaction.org/
http://usembassy.state.gov/pretoria/wwwham4f.html

Yeah, our politics overseas is a real killer. Maybe it is you who should be examining your government and media for propoganda. You obviously haven't gotten the full story. Painting all Americans with the same broad brush is the kind of thinking that causes these maniacs to pilot aircraft into large populated areas.

I love these kind of posts. Here's some reference material for you:

http://kosovo.info.usaid.gov/
http://www.usaid.gov/
http://www.usaid.gov/press/releases/970220.htm
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/sasia/afghan/ fact/07dec00.htm
http://www.interaction.org/
http://usembassy.state.gov/pretoria/wwwham4f.html

Yeah, our politics overseas is a real killer. Maybe it is you who should be examining your government and media for propoganda. You obviously haven't gotten the full story. Painting all Americans with the same broad brush is the kind of thinking that causes these maniacs to pilot aircraft into large populated areas.

I love these kind of posts. Here's some reference material for you:

http://kosovo.info.usaid.gov/
http://www.usaid.gov/
http://www.usaid.gov/press/releases/970220.htm
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/sasia/afghan/ fact/07dec00.htm
http://www.interaction.org/
http://usembassy.state.gov/pretoria/wwwham4f.html

Yeah, our politics overseas is a real killer. Maybe it is you who should be examining your government and media for propoganda. You obviously haven't gotten the full story. Painting all Americans with the same broad brush is the kind of thinking that causes these maniacs to pilot aircraft into large populated areas.