GIVE PEACE A CHANCE!!

What would happen if America retaliated against WAR itself? What would happen if America retaliates with LOVE and PEACE?! What would happen if America responded by sending food and medical supplies to the impoverished nations, instead of spending hundreds of billions on the war machine? I guess that's WAY too radical, hey? INNOCENT PEOPLE could get KILLED!! Let's start WWIII instead just to be on the SAFE side. After all, it has NEVER worked before.

You're hilariously ignorant of history and American foreign policy. We've given out more food, $, loans (that are not expected to be repaid), and other aid, than everybody else combined, for years. Sure, there were often ulterior motives, but the food was just as edible. What you're talking about has been done, and continues. Unless you meant we should give the store away...how much would that cost you?

Often, our foreign aid takes the form of food or other support. Sometimes, the food is surplus from US silos, and being able to dump the product is a *good* thing.

Critics say, accurately, that by feeding people, you're leaving the dictatorships free to continue with their wars.

I suppose it's better than sending weapons and bullets.

"Knowledgeable" says, "You're hilariously ignorant of history and American foreign policy. We've given out more food, $, loans (that are not expected to be repaid), and other aid, than everybody else combined, for years."

This represents a misperception that's extremely widespread amongst Americans, who routinely estimate that the US spends 20% of its budget on foreign aid. The actual amount is barely over 1%, and this includes both military and non-military aid.

That's the background mistake. On the specific foreground mistake, that the US spends more "than everybody else combined," the report "Americans on Foreign Aid and World Hunger: A Study of U.S. Public Attitudes" has this to say (http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/BFW/finding1.html):

"In the current poll respondents also overestimated the percentage given by the US of 'all of the aid given by wealthy countries to poor countries.' The median estimate was 33%. In 1999, the US was responsible for about 16% of all development assistance given by the major industrialized countries, and as a share of GDP gave the lowest amount of all."

So "Knowledgeable" turns out to be the one who's ignorant. But there's nothing hilarious about it.