President Bush sent Congress a $2.77 trillion spending plan last Monday that would bolster the nation's War against Terrorism but squeeze many domestic government programs which will directly impact America’s quality of education and health.
Similar to patterns during the Cold War, the War on Terrorism (aka The Long War) will affect how much is spent internationally and what aid goes where.
For example:
>The total foreign aid proposal ... amounts to a mere percent of what Bush is requesting for the Pentagon.
>Where Bush’s foreign-aid plan appears to mark an increase over previous levels, much of the additional money is explained by greater spending on security for US embassies and personnel overseas.
>Credit for foreign militaries to buy US weapons and equipment will increase to the highest total in well over a decade. (An example of “aid” benefiting the donor!)
>Such military aid will come largely at the expense of humanitarian and development assistance.
The European Union is linking aid to fighting terrorism as well, with European Ministers warning countries that their relations with the economically powerful bloc will suffer if they fail to cooperate in the fight against terrorism. An EU official is quoted as saying, “aid and trade could be affected if the fight against terrorism was considered insufficient”, leading to accusations of “compromising the neutrality, impartiality and independence of humanitarian assistance”.
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