Liberty Maven

In a recent press release from the Barr campaign, Bob Barr expresses his opposition to foreign aid legislation introduced by Sen. Barack Obama.

The measure, already passed in one form by the House, calls on the president to develop a strategy to “cut global poverty in half by 2015 through aid, trade, debt relief,” and other policies.  “But Sen. Obama is hostile to free trade, along with much of his Party.  And debt relief is just a synonym for more aid.  The bill’s most important – and outrageous — provision dedicates 0.7 percent of America’s GDP to foreign aid, which would be roughly an extra $800 billion over the next dozen years,” notes Barr.

Read the full press release here.

There are many documented reasons why foreign aid is a bad idea.  History has shown that the money usually doesn’t make it to those in need; the foreign governments steal the money or otherwise hinder the aid in some way.  And, of course, foreign aid is unconstitutional.  There’s no provision in the ultimate law of the land known as the Constitution for Congress to spend money in this manner.  But most importantly, the concept of nationally-sponsored foreign aid (and any other kind of welfare) is utterly unconscionable.   It is simply unethical for someone to stick a gun in my face and force me to give my hard-earned money to someone else, no matter how good a cause it may be.  (What’s this about a gun in the face?  What do you think will happen if you continually resist paying your taxes and stand up for your right to keep the money you earn?  You will, eventually, be staring into the muzzle of a firearm and led off to prison).  I should, of course, be free to donate my money voluntarily at any time — through nongovernmental, nonprofit entities — but I should never be compelled to give away my money against my will.  How dare these politicians (like Senator Obama) presume to spend my money, to rob me, for any reason whatsoever. Foreign aid is no exception.