by Ellend Heath

Created on: November 14, 2007

Foreign aid is a tremendous instrument that can be used in international politics. The premise of aid resembles a person who would help a homeless person. Grant them a monthly stipend, seeking to aid their discomfort through monetary means. Building upon that, we can look at the proliferation of soup kitchens at local charities and churches. Families can arrive and eat, filling their needs until supper-time. The ultimate expression of charity is aid for an entire nation. Granting a people group food, funds and other benefits, to help alleviate their suffering. I believe that international aid, according to our modern day definition, is hurtful in the majority of situations, as explained below.

Passing out items with no verification is not the wisest use of resources. Giving financial aid to a government (when it is prone to rampant corruption) is often times like throwing money into the wind. Africa is a pertinent example to this phenomenon. Warlords, corrupt military dictators, and "democrats" often will keep a portion of the money, with meager scraps thrown to the hurting populace.

There are better examples of foreign aid usage. I believe that the best example of foreign aid is the institution of the Marshall Plan in Europe. The Marshall Plan gave the people of Europe aid, and this aid was used to reconstruct Europe. Modern day foreign aid plans seek to construct their respective countries. Do you notice the difference? Europe had a history of democratic institutions, while many of the current countries have limited histories of transparencies of government. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule.

Aid can rarely be used to institute democratic governments or limit corruption. Aid can be used to alleviate pain, but it also causes pain through power controlling moves by corrupt forces. It is an utter shame that it occurs in African and South Asian countries. Foreign aid is best given through private charities, which have a "hands-on" approach and can apply the finances through a variety of direct approaches. They give education and nourishment through charitable contributions, and they often have oversight. Foreign Aid through a government often fails, but private charity is the key to solving many issues.

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