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itaewonguy
Joined: 25 Mar 2003
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 Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:25 pm Post subject: Bush says U.S. will send extra $1 billion in aid to Georgia |
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Why not use that 1 billion dollars at home?? I dont get it...
America could use money like that in other ways..I mean they give out so much money every year why not use it in the country..
when Americans read that US gives 1 billion to georgia.. dont think thats terrible for Americans..? |
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saw6436
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Daejeon, ROK
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| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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I'd agree with you except for the fact that most US aid is given with strings attached. The aid money is usually required to be spent buying US products from US businesses.
In grad school we looked at studies that showed that for every $1 given in aid, $5-$7 was generated back in the USA. |
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mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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$1 billion is about the same amount that the recent war will cost Georgia, so it's an amount that says that Georgia will be able to get back to their previous state before the war, plus some extra from other countries. The previous amount from last yeas was $64 million, so this is over 15 times that.
I think it's a good idea because it doesn't just help Georgia but also Azerbaijan, because they've been scrambling to find places to send their oil after a pipeline in Georgia went down, and have been using Iran and Russia to send off the excess. Georgia, unlike Iraq, is a place where you can actually sink some money into and see a drop in oil prices.
I think Georgia will end up like Cyprus for the next while. |
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mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:33 am Post subject: |
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| This is also probably the first time I've agreed with something Cheney's done. Of course, Biden proposed the exact same amount two weeks ago after his visit to the country so there's no difference between the two parties when it comes to Georgian aid. |
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bacasper
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:42 am Post subject: |
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| mithridates wrote: |
| Of course, Biden proposed the exact same amount two weeks ago after his visit to the country so there's no difference between the two parties when it comes to Georgian aid. |
Gee, there's a shocker.  |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:13 am Post subject: |
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Hell, a billion here, and billion there. Soon enough we're talking about real money!
Though, when the US is running a massive deficit, one has to wonder if maybe this money couldn't be better spent (or not spent) elsewhere. |
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mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:33 am Post subject: |
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| Generally I'd agree, but in this case $1 billion goes pretty far considering that two of Azerbaijan's pipelines go through Georgia and the second goes through Turkey and into Europe afterward, and the war was causing Azerbaijan to think about sending oil through other countries, so here a billion can do a lot. |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:36 am Post subject: |
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| Perhaps you're right. But then, wouldn't it be Europe that should be sending money to them? |
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mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:58 am Post subject: |
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| mises wrote: |
| Perhaps you're right. But then, wouldn't it be Europe that should be sending money to them? |
Yeah. I've read bits and pieces about some European countries sending them aid but I don't remember how much in total. Small countries like Slovenia and Bulgaria and Greece have been giving a few hundred thousand Euros.
Hmm..
http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/2008/08/eu-increases-aid-to-georgia/62038.aspx
Only 5 million Euros? That is pretty weak. |
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TexasPete
Joined: 24 May 2006
Location: Koreatown
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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| mithridates wrote: |
| mises wrote: |
| Perhaps you're right. But then, wouldn't it be Europe that should be sending money to them? |
Yeah. I've read bits and pieces about some European countries sending them aid but I don't remember how much in total. Small countries like Slovenia and Bulgaria and Greece have been giving a few hundred thousand Euros.
Hmm..
http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/2008/08/eu-increases-aid-to-georgia/62038.aspx
Only 5 million Euros? That is pretty weak. |
One would think that the EU would be doing anything they could to get off their reliance of energy from Russia. Contributing a ton of money to Ex-Soviet satelites that make great strides towards democracy would be a good start.
On the other hand, giving $1B in aid to Georgie is basically rewarding Saakashvili's idiocy in falling right into Putin/Russia's trap. |
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bacasper
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 4:54 am Post subject: |
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| mithridates wrote: |
| $1 billion is about the same amount that the recent war will cost Georgia, so it's an amount that says that Georgia will be able to get back to their previous state before the war, plus some extra from other countries. The previous amount from last yeas was $64 million, so this is over 15 times that. |
Why should Georgia be rewarded for its aggression? That is like telling countries that you can start all the wars you want, and the US will bail you out. Or maybe it is because it was the US behind the attack after all.
See Putin interview on CNN. |
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mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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| Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 5:25 am Post subject: |
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| bacasper wrote: |
| mithridates wrote: |
| $1 billion is about the same amount that the recent war will cost Georgia, so it's an amount that says that Georgia will be able to get back to their previous state before the war, plus some extra from other countries. The previous amount from last yeas was $64 million, so this is over 15 times that. |
Why should Georgia be rewarded for its aggression? That is like telling countries that you can start all the wars you want, and the US will bail you out. Or maybe it is because it was the US behind the attack after all.
See Putin interview on CNN. |
Are you under the impression that the war started just because Georgia felt like it? Read up, neither side is clean in this conflict.
| Quote: |
# August 1 - A couple of days prior, two roadside bombs hit a Georgian police vehicle on a detour road connecting Georgian-populated villages near the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali. The six policemen[nb 2] were wounded.[57][58] Late in the evening, intense fighting began between Georgian troops and the forces of South Ossetia. Georgia claimed that South Ossetian separatists[59] had shelled Georgian villages in violation of a ceasefire. South Ossetia denied provoking the conflict. The regional command reported that a militiaman was killed by hostile (Georgian) sniper fire at 6:17pm and that at least 3 civilians were executed[60] around 9pm.[61]
# August 2 - The Russian military exercise Caucasus Frontier 2008 ends after roughly one month of operations.[62]
# August 5 - Russian ambassador-at-large Yuri Popov warned that Russia would intervene in the event of military conflict.[63][64] Dmitry Medoyev declared from Moscow that volunteers were already arriving, primarily "from North Ossetia", in the Republic of South Ossetia.[65][66]
# August 6 - According to the eyewitness account of Nezavisimaya gazeta correspondent, on August 6, Russia troops and amoured vehicles were en route towards Tskhinvali, moving along the road between the town of Alagir and the border post of Nizhny Zaramag.[67] |
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Justin Hale
Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Location: the Straight Talk Express
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| Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 5:38 am Post subject: |
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| 1 billion is 0.007% of annual US GDP |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:39 am Post subject: |
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| mises wrote: |
| Perhaps you're right. But then, wouldn't it be Europe that should be sending money to them? |
Europe should match American contributions.
As an American, I'm so sick it being our responsibility (North America's) to hold up NATO, to show leadership in squarely European conflicts, and basically foot the bill for military prowess.
Europe's total GDP is on par with North America's. I want to see more European military investment. Europe's voice should, aggregated, be equal to North America's, but they should also pay the same amount. Now it doesn't have to be the current ratio as set by America, America could afford to spend less on defense and have Europe match it. But c'mon. |
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JMO
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Kuros wrote: |
Europe should match American contributions.
As an American, I'm so sick it being our responsibility (North America's) to hold up NATO, to show leadership in squarely European conflicts, and basically foot the bill for military prowess.
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Nope. I say we let America do the military prowess thing, and we stay the hell out. Seems like the smart play. |
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