Obama Administration to ask for $1 billion in debt relief for Egypt

I wonder if he will still ask for this? If so, given what is happening there, he has brass ones. I wonder when China relieves our debt?

The Obama administration hopes to go to Congress soon with a plan for using $1 billion in debt relief to help Egypt stabilize its economy and expand its private sector, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Friday.

President Barack Obama promised in May 2011 to relieve Egypt of up to $1 billion of the $3.2 billion debt it owes the United States, and to guarantee another $1 billion in loans for infrastructure and job creation programs.

U.S. debt relief plan for Egypt could go to Congress soon | Reuters

 

Would prefer the money be used to repair and renovate the embassy there, making it an ostentatious palace that dwarfs all other buildings in Cairo.

 

Yes, withdrawing money to build a monstrosity of a building to mock the poverty of the locals would be excellent diplomacy. I'm not sure why we have people thinking that the governments of these countries should be punished. The actions show that we should actually do the opposite. Many of these governments were put into place with the assistance of the US and have affinity for the US as a result. This episode really just suggests that they are still fairly weak and vulnerable, which means that supporting them would be preferential to punishing them. Unless, of course, if you think destabalizing countries in that region is sound foreign policy. It's certainly smarter than the "big stick" idea of that moron Palin and the other sycophants who have no idea how to deal with a situation other than start bombing and killing people, thinking that actually solves problems.

 

You got me. I was dead serious.

 

I say we drop $1B worth of bombs instead and tell them they can keep the scrap metal and see how much they can get salvage.

 

I think it makes a lot of sense to borrow money from China to give to Egypt.

 

I think we should do everything possible to make our way of life more acceptable to the modern equivalent of cave people.

 

"Just put it on our tab"

 

Ridiculous statement. One, giving a million dollars to help stabilize a country's government from al-qaeda type thugs has nothing to do with the idiotic idea put forth of "making our way of life more acceptable". And, two, an entire country is not "cave people" because a few hundred extremists caused some mayhem at our embassy. I'm hoping this type of non-thinking is not part of our current policy nor intentions in the region.

 

I'd like a list of the govts that have a affinity for the us?

 

You mean like Libya, where their existence as the ruling authority is a direct result of, in part, our assistance to them?

C'mon, people on this board are too smart to fall into the average yokel's concept of the Middle East as some giant monolith of "American-hating Arabs". I may certainly be wrong, but I'm at least expressing the realization that there are numerous factors at work in the region, an almost dizzying array of them, and thinking that just bombing them or calling them simple cave dwellers doesn't fit into the reality of Egypt and elsewhere.

 

"I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles -- principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings." -President Obama, Cairo, June 4, 2009

 

Are you seriously arguing the middle east doesn't dislike us? The polls lie?

 

I've been to the ME. Most people's concept of the region is so wrong in the US it is depressing. This really is about a minority of insane poorly educated hilljacks.

 

It is more complicated than that.

 

The poor uneducated people might be the hijackers, but the money to do it came from the rich and educated. Every poll I've seen shows the US viewed as unfavorably by the majority of middle east countries. A decent percentage of the population blames us for their children being whores, food prices, and their economy. Arguing throwing some money at these countries will make us look like saviors is not founded. We've already given Egypt billions, including feeding their people, and it's one of the most anti us countries in the middle east. The polls showed the majority of the country blamed the US for the recent uprising and now we should not learn our lesson and throw good money after bad?

 

If dropping $1B dollars is the answer to preventing Al-Qaeda from gaining a foothold in a region, I hope that their next target is the central/southern Appalachian region.

Or, Medicare.

Your insistence on the scalpel-precise excision of a few rogue nuts from an otherwise reasonable group of people is refreshing, but also confusing, considering your many broad-brushed comments on conservatives, Christians, Tea Party members, etc.

I hope that you'll express such diligent restraint in those future instances, as you have here.

In fact, I'll go ahead and book mark this post to use as a gentle reminder in the event that you ever attempt to define a whole sect of people or an entire movement based on the beliefs, statements or actions of only a small or marginalized group within their membership.

Not that it will ever be needed, what with your widely and well known reputation for unwavering objectivity, and in all things.

 

Poll: Most Egyptians think US aid billions have 'negative effect' - World News

6 in 10 Egyptians think our 1.3 bil a year in aid has a negative effect on their country. So I ask. Do we really want to throw billions at another group of ungrateful people who will blame us for their problems money or no money?

 

Were you there on some sort of research venture? If so, do you really think you weren't perhaps amongst a minority of highly educated folk?

 

TD bringing the heat.

(That's a baseball reference, btw. Apologies).