so much for draining the swamp

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(11-22-2016, 01:31 AM)Mike M (the other one) Wrote: Absolutely not the only thing involved in rebuilding. 
Money does help get a country on the fast track to recovering though. 

In the 3 examples provided, we specifically marked money for Panama aid in rebuilding.

The annual money we give to Israel is not for rebuilding, it's for defensive purposes. 

So you are trying to compare apples to oranges there.

Panama's GDP dropped approximately 25% due to US sanctions during the two years prior to the invasion. The estimated economic impact to Panama due to the invasion was between $1-2 billion dollars. Over half of that $1 billion aid package was in the form of loan payments or loan guarantees of defaulted loans caused by the economic sanctions. The remainder wasn't even enough to cover the cost of the shit we broke. Panama couldn't even break even with $1 billion in aid (especially when over half went to banks.)

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-02-07/news/mn-251_1_aid-package

Forty-two million dollars went to aid a humanitarian "emergency" while $125 million went to pay Panama's debts to The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.  I don't know about you, but when I'm helping a friend in need of food, water, shelter, medical care, and sanitation; the first thing I think of is, "Oh, shit!  Their credit rating!  I better get that check to the bank in the mail." C'mon, man. 

By comparison, we have spent more than $60 billion in Iraq. We have lost about $6 billion.