It’s no secret: inequality aside, America is one of the richest countries out there. The United States government rakes in over 3.5 trillion (yes, trillion) dollars every year, and with this income bolstered by the world’s largest economy, it seems that there is nearly no limit to the spending power of America’s top officials. In short, the US has a lot of money. So why does so little of it go to other countries?
Call it what you want – xenophobia, racism, cultural intolerance, or just plain old bigotry – but the fact of the matter is that America and its citizens have a problem with other countries. From racist propaganda to a former president whose anti-Chinese rhetoric has resulted in all sorts of misconceptions among his millions of ignorant supporters, magnanimity and diversity are simply not American institutions. But that might be changing.
A Sign of The Times
As the new $900 billion dollar Coronavirus relief bill has made its way through congress over the past few weeks, finally being passed on 22 December, it may have impacted a change in mentality among the upper echelons of America’s government. Spurred on by president-elect Joe Biden’s win of the November presidential election, it seems that members of congress are finally feeling safe to express more tolerant and worldly intentions. With $700 billion of the relief bill going towards foreign countries, it may act as the first in a line of many bills like it to provide financial aid to struggling countries and populations around the world. Here are some of the highlights:
- $10 million – Pakistani gender equality & aid
- $500 million – Aid to Israel
- $250 million – Aid to Palestine
- $100 million – Worldwide poaching prevention
These programs and others in the bill add up to around one billion dollars in aid to a number of underprivileged countries like Saudi Arabia and Nepal. While the positive impact of this foreign aid cannot be understated, one elephant remains in the room while discussing the financials of the bill: the other $899 billion. With taxpayers set to receive around six hundred dollars, that amounts to around $200 billion dollars for the American, with the rest going to various domestic businesses and governmental programs. This is unacceptable.
Just How Bad Is It?
With only a fraction of the stimulus bill’s value going to other countries, the time has come to ask our lawmakers one simple question: What’s more important – America, or the billions of disenfranchised and oppressed people that America can help? The answer – to most – is obvious: We should focus on helping people, not furthering the selfish interests of an isolationist United States. It is for this reason that I asked the Cinch News team to help me create a comprehensive plan to redistribute the $900 billion relief bill among impoverished and disenfranchised people across the world.
Ultimately, the current outline for America’s new relief bill provides a look forward to a future in which the United States is focused less on itself and more on the world at large – a United States led by president-elect Joe Biden, unafraid to be inclusive and supportive of all. A United States recovered from the oppressive influence of the Trump years. That is what the relief bill represents – but it simply doesn’t do enough. Not yet, at least.
