Our Foreign Policy is Basically a Jobs Program

[n_huffhines]

It's to the point that they can rub our noses in it. When 82% of Egyptians don't want US aid, and we give it to them anyways, there are certainly ulterior motives.

A delay or a cut in $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt risked breaking existing contracts with American arms manufacturers that could have shut down production lines in the middle of President Obama’s re-election campaign and involved significant financial penalties, according to officials involved in the debate.

Since the Pentagon buys weapons for foreign armed forces like Egypt’s, the cost of those penalties — which one senior official said could have reached $2 billion if all sales had been halted — would have been borne by the American taxpayer, not Egypt’s ruling generals.

The companies involved include Lockheed Martin, which is scheduled to ship the first of a batch of 20 new F-16 fighter jets next month, and General Dynamics, which last year signed a $395 million contract to deliver component parts for 125 Abrams M1A1 tanks that are being assembled at a plant in Egypt.

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis: Egyptian Opposition to US Aid Hits 82%; So Why Did Obama Restore Aid, and Why Did Hillary Insist Upon It?

 

[volinbham]

we are screwed

 

[utvolpj]

it's not like that's a lot of money. We should focus on the important things

 

[BearCat204]

I work a bit in FMS (Foreign Military Sales) and this is pretty much dead on.

 

[n_huffhines]

it's not like that's a lot of money. We should focus on the important things

I agree a few billion $ isn't a lot, but this isn't just happening in Egypt. We've been doing this sort of thing all over the world for decades. This is indicative of our counter-intuitive foreign policy.

Biggest threat to national security is fiscal insolvency
- America's Response: Let's outspend the rest of the world combined on defense

Israel is our ally
- America's Response: Let's give aid to her enemies

America's intervention creates blowback
- America's Resonse: Let's intervene more

 

[lawgator1]

Or are these contracts the result of lobbying by the defense industry? And if so, who, exactly, have they lobbied and how?

 

[utvolpj]

I agree a few billion $ isn't a lot, but this isn't just happening in Egypt. We've been doing this sort of thing all over the world for decades. This is indicative of our counter-intuitive foreign policy.

Biggest threat to national security is fiscal insolvency
- America's Response: Let's outspend the rest of the world combined on defense

Israel is our ally
- America's Response: Let's give aid to her enemies

America's intervention creates blowback
- America's Resonse: Let's intervene more

mine was really a joke. Should have put [LG][/LG] tags

It's not surprising we are just so stupid with our money. We have such an asinine foreign policy

Or are these contracts the result of lobbying by the defense industry? And if so, who, exactly, have they lobbied and how?

so you think lobbyists define our foreign policy now too?

 

[YorkVol]

I wish it was a true jobs program because if it was we'd be out of Afghanistan by now. In 03/04 we were pushing for getting some true technical training centers in Afghanistan as a way of keeping the boys from going to the Madrassas every Winter where they would be reindoctrinated for the Spring offensive. We figured if we could keep them busy learning how to build roads and bridges during the Winter months we could a) keep them employed the rest of the year and b) prevent them from doing the Spring offensive and c) ask the Chinese road builders to leave. Couldn't get the State Department to commit...

 

[PKT_VOL]

I was most surprised that we send brand new F-16's and M1A1 Abrams tank parts. I always figured it would be less technologically advanced weaponry.

 

[utvolpj]

I was most surprised that we send brand new F-16's and M1A1 Abrams tank parts. I always figured it would be less technologically advanced weaponry.

I was always under the impression they didn't include all the hardware "options" that the US troops get

 

[n_huffhines]

mine was really a joke. Should have put [LG][/LG] tags

It's not surprising we are just so stupid with our money. We have such an asinine foreign policy

Sarcasm meter broken

 

[PKT_VOL]

I was always under the impression they didn't include all the hardware "options" that the US troops get

Yeah, I am sure they are not "fully" loaded. I am just not sure where they draw the line to where it isn't giving up too much, but also makes it attractive for foreign government to buy.

 

[utvolpj]

we should just sell the same base model to every country and be done with it. Make money and no one can really be mad at us