President Donald Trump’s decision to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem was likely the smartest political maneuver in his first year in office.
He accomplished quite a few things: dispelling the idea that he is LITERALLY HITLER, showcased the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics, the violence of Palestinian supporters, and much more.
Last week, more than 100 countries in the United Nations voted to condemn the U.S. decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem. As a result, the Trump administration has said that it could cut off aid to states that disapprove of the move.
Hallelujah!
Should the president move ahead on this threat, the U.S. government could save an estimated $25 billion per year.
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul was the only presidential candidate in 2016 to point out this ridiculous policy. He continues to advocate this proposal.
Of course, three-time presidential candidate Ron Paul regularly stated that he wanted to cut off funding to foreign countries. He wrote in September 2016:
All US foreign aid is immoral and counterproductive. As I have often said, it is money taken from poor people in the US and sent to rich people overseas. That is because US assistance money goes to foreign governments to hand out as they see fit. Often that assistance is stolen outright or it goes to the politically connected in the recipient country.
Just as bad is the fact that much of what we call “foreign aid” is actually welfare for the wealthy here at home. The aid package to Israel is a very good example. According to the agreement, this $38 billion will all go to US weapons manufacturers. So the real beneficiaries are not the American people, and not even Israeli citizens. The real beneficiaries are the US military-industrial complex. Perhaps the money won’t even leave Washington – it may simply go across town, from the Fed to the Beltway bomb-makers.
While even US government aid to desperately poor countries should be opposed on moral and practical grounds, it is even harder to understand US aid to relatively rich countries. At a nominal per capita GDP of over $35,000, Israel is richer than Japan, Italy, and South Korea. Not long ago Business Insider published a report by the Institute for the Study of War showing that the Israel is the most powerful military force in the Middle East. We know they have hundreds of nuclear weapons, a sophisticated air force, drones, and even nuclear weapons-equipped submarines.
Foreign aid doesn’t work, it doesn’t buy any loyalty, and it is more government waste. Israel is one of the few advanced nations in the Middle East, but it shouldn’t receive any aid either.
Although Trump never campaigned on this pledge, he will likely please many libertarians and conservatives if he pulls aid to dozens of other nations.
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