On Thursday, I spoke with my boss about how every dictator and junta America tries to help eventually spits in our eye. This morning, I read how Burma seized the aide sent by the UN for its own use, and not for that of the people.
During the Clinton administration, we fought two quasi-wars to help aide get to its intended recipients. First in Somalia, where a US Ranger was dragged behind a truck through the desert on national TV, US troops went in to help food and water reach the starving citizenry instead of simply filling the coffers of the potentate. Then in Yugoslavia, we went in to depose Milosevic when he seized UN aide and turned around and slaughtered his citizenry with wanton disabandon.
My boss, who originates in the Phillipines, told me how Marcos cares only about amassing as much as he can for himself. If as a side effect it helps his people so be it. It strikes me as odd to watch the Burmese leader handing out aide on TV Wednesday morning as if it CAME FROM HIM.
While as a missionary in Austria, I put an end to a service project helping Tibetan refugees in China/Mongolia. The woman for whom we came to work gathered donations from thousands of conscientious and caring Austrians, took them to Tibet, and handed them out, CLAIMING THEY CAME FROM HER. The Tibetans, by consequence, elevated her to the status of a demi-god, and small enclaves of people prayed to her. When she arrived, it was as an answer to prayer, even though a pittance if any of the donations came from her own closet.
For any and all of you out there who think America is evil and doesn't care, let this stand as an ensample to you. Uniquely US aide still stands outside Burma, having been denied entry. US-funded aide (we give almost $400 million to the UN world food program) was seized by the dictator and may never reach those who need it. America is the only nation that invades and conquers other countries, invests its own resources, and then withdraws, leaving them to self-rule. America is the first country to send aide to nations that can do nothing of value whatsoever to her.
CS Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity about the new men, how they will help people who cannot possibly do anything to pay them back. I suggest to you that America is the New Nation, whose denizens live as close as men can en masse to the Way of Truth and Light that will elevate all men. It is not we, but elitists, sadists, and mascohists, who stand in the way of peace and prosperity, regardless of how much money you think Big Oil is making.
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