19870: Tjpershing: Re: 19856: Esser: Re: 19839: Tjpershing: Re: 19830: (Chamberlain) re 1982... (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tjpershing@aol.com

As for question #1- why should a country have to endure meddling in its
affairs? This is an obvious question, and readily addressed by supposing say, what
if China wanted to help  the Democrats . . . however, the powerful do what
they will, and weak endure what they must. Practically speaking, the GOH didn't
have much choice.
       As for the million- yes, it would go a long way in the right hands,
but it is US taxpayer money, and the concept of foreign aid is sold to congress
and the American people through the benefits, short and long term, to the US
(I'm not going into that here, that's a three day symposium by itself).Hence
the US citizens and their salaries etc. What trickles down isn't much- and its
doled out to specific groups (which in this case ends up with a lot of NGOs
being created, or as one friend called them, faux NGOs, to get a piece of the
pie).
       Take the info I provided as the published, public face of the effort,
by which discrepancies and contradictions, when they can be established, may
be judged. I also believe more fruitful avenues of research, in context of
covert funding for opposition activities, may be found elsewhere, as I think I
suggested. I do recommend reading some of the Carothers stuff on USAID, and how
it evolved.
             Tim