Hi Stan,

Quote Originally Posted by Stan Reber View Post
Those so-called laws are in place to protect America's interests. It wasn't too long ago, that anything the Embassy or DoD elements needed also had to be... made by, shipped by... and... used by Americans. From vehicles to toilet paper. I think the laws are apropriate and should remain in place.
The technical term for this is "tied aid", something that Canada has done for a long time. Honestly, I think it's a bad policy on the whole for a number of reasons.
  1. It encourages a "dependency" mentality in the host country. Think of this in COIN terms, even if there are no overt kinetic ops going on, and you can see that it will produce a whole lot of resentment.
  2. It doesn't encourage the local economy. Since the late 1970's, there has been a fairly major move in development agencies that is based on the idea of teaching a person to fish rather than giving them a fish (you know the old adage...). After all, I'd rather that these countries be able to feed themselves....
  3. It makes economic sense for "us". Hey, if we are going to feed 50k people, would you rather spend $5,000,000 or $1,000,000? Personally, I'd rather have my charity money (and tax dollars) going directly to people who need it in the most efficient way (it's why I look at admin charges and won't support any charity tha doesn't have open books).
Quote Originally Posted by Stan Reber View Post
A quick scan of the U.S. Embassy's Public Affairs section for Lusaka, Zambia reveals mucho bucks being donated.
So? Ever tried to eat a greenback ? Stan, think of this in military terms for a minute. If you were out at the sharp end, would you rather know that there is a company following on ready to support you or that there is a battalion 300 miles away that could reach you in a week?

Quote Originally Posted by Stan Reber View Post
I mean c'mon, if there's soo much chow available in Zambia to buy, why don't they get a tad more involved in donations ?
I'd be interested to find out how much they actually are donating. Still and all, the fact that there is a bumper crop there tells me that agricultural development programs are working. Why not buy it there?

Marc