Annette Nestor

However, I don’t believe I could satisfy Regnery with my viewpoints on the question of whether foreign aid has stopped Communist revolutions. What history seems to tell me is that apart from the very first countries to industrialise (Britain, the US, Australia, perhaps Canada), Communism has always become dominant among the masses when a nation transforms to an industrial society.

Thomas Woods, whom I had thought would write The Politically Incorrect Guide to Foreign Aid (and the Marshall Plan), has said consistently that such a title would not sell because people are not interested enough in foreign aid. I have trouble doubting his view even if the topic is (and even leftists like Susan George admit this) highly important.

Julien Peter Benney

Yes it would make for a good volume in the series. And given that this is an ongoing series, it may yet appear one day. It just awaits an author – perhaps yourself?

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

For a long time I have tried to persuade Regnery to write a Politically Incorrect Guide to Foreign Aid (and the Marshall Plan), not only to show how foreign aid has brought the culture of dependence you describe for sub-Saharan Africa, but also to try and deal with the common argument found in my own school textbooks that foreign aid has saved many countries (in Europe and Latin America especially) from Communist revolutions. I have read that preventing Communist revolutions (by no means necessarily Soviet-sponsored) has been the raison d’etre for much foreign aid, and a Politically Incorrect Guide to Foreign Aid (and the Marshall Plan) would be the perfect vehicle to refute the argument if it is wrong.

People like Thomas Woods have in e-mails with me tackled the question superficially. Thus I have concluded that to make the argument foreign aid has accomplished nothing (as Woods does in 33 Questions About American History you’re Not Supposed to Ask) one would have to write a full-length book on foreign aid, and others to whom I have suggested the question are sympatheitc to the idea of a Politically Incorrect Guide to Foreign Aid (and the Marshall Plan). What are your thoughts? Is it a major omission from the series?

Julien Peter Benney

I have grave misgivings about the ethics and practicalities of your position. How is it right to make a distinction between Christian and non-Christian in, say, the event of an earthquake? I cannot countenance the refusal to help someone in such a desperate situation because they are not followers of Christ.

In such cases, I think the Christian’s responsibility is to those who have been made in God’s image – whether they are in Christ or not. If it’s evangelism you’re concerned about, then I think Christians reaching out to all who are desperate – regardless of religious belief or ethnic hue – is a far more powerful presentation of divine love than somehow reserving aid for those who identify as Christian. Do you think that those who miss out on such aid will be challenged to ask why we love each other so much, or do you think that they may perhaps have other, more pressing, issues on their minds?

In addition, concern for the stranger is amply encouraged in Scripture. Just think of the parable of the good Samaritan: he helped a Jewish man, a member of the community he had been taught to think of as apostate (and vice versa). Surely this is a model for how we are to live and to act in the world.

Even if reserving aid for Christians could somehow be legitimated ethically and Scripturally, how does a Christian aid group distinguish between Christian and non-Christian in a disaster zone? How would the logistics of such a project actually work in such a chaotic environment? And how would one guard against individuals who are not Christian, but who pose as followers of Jesus, in order to get for themselves desperately-needed aid?

Rob, I would encourage you to re-think your position.

Sorry Bill to take the discussion away from the article.

Scott Buchanan

Afghanistan is surely out of control politically, militarily, financially, morally, etc.

Zimbabwe is a basket case instaed of the bread basket of Southern Africa.

Possibly micro-financing is the only other viable solution, other than prayer?

Shalom, Michael Evans

You make a good point. Socialism and the welfare state are just ‘foreign aid’ applied domestically. Makes one wonder whether switched on socialists (if that isn’t an oxymoron) are also motivated by the reasons I outline in my previous post.

Mansel Rogerson

Call me cynical, but I’ve often suspected rich countries really use foreign aid as a way of controlling rather than helping poorer countries.

If control is the aim, then there could hardly be a more effective tool than the “giving” of foreign aid. Consider:

If you want to keep a neighbouring country poor so that it will never become a military or economic threat, simply keep a modest amount of general foreign aid flowing in. As Moyo says “corruption is simply subsidised and perpetuated; dependency is created and maintained”.

Or if you want to destroy any particular nascent industry, then targeted foreign aid is your answer. If you are concerned, for example, that country X is starting to build decent cars which could threaten your domestic production, simply offer large prizes to their auto industry for, say, ‘environmental innovation’. Before long, they’re not putting their energy into designing and building cars that anyone actually wants to buy, but chasing the big aid dollars. You don’t have to do this for long before that industry collapses.

The dependence on foreign aid also buys enormous political influence with the country’s leaders whenever you need it. Even the hint that their foreign aid is “up for review” will ensure ready compliance.

And the best thing about foreign aid (from a Machiavellian politician’s perspective) is that not only can you do all this completely openly but most people will actually think your motives are only selfless and noble!

Mansel Rogerson

Ah, but you don’t have to wonder any longer! I share your views – see a number of my articles on population control here: www.billmuehlenberg.com/category/population-issues/

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch