Reality and fiction meet in a bad way

[Omnirizon]

Foodstamp said:

The United States as a country donates more money and time to Africa than any other non African country in the world. It's still not enough, but it should be enough that we are not the whipping boy for Africa's problems. That being said, as my generation gets older and begins to take public offices in the United States, I think that Africa will become the number one foreign issue as things come to a close in the middle east.

a perfect example of lying with statistics

although america donates a larger absolute value, they donate among the lowest proportional value as measured in GNI (gross national income). further, it is worth looking at exactly how this "aid" is being used. american aid is typically used to further american hegemony; and in the end often does more harm than good. example: in the 70's american aid in africa was used to encourage rapid industrialization of urban centers. all this did was create catastrophic urban growth leading to ignored rural areas, homelessness, poverty, disease, and a huge rich-poor gap. further, this industrialization was always in the interest of american business and hegemony, profits and resources were siphoned out of africa, and in return africans were given slums and a host of social problems.

before we toss about numbers about whose helping out the most, its worth looking at what this "help" is really all about. more appropriate avenues of development (such as the so called "appropriate technology", alternative technology, and soft energy paths) are squelched by politically entrenched opposing advocates coming from american business and commercial sectors, with interests invested in these sectors. because of the way american economy is organized (around shareholders), there is pressure for these advocates to make the quick buck, rather than go for the sustainable development. So they move for direct transfer of technology and resources that can allow for rapid industrialization or digitization (no matter the future consequences).