Topic: Foreign Policy
Yes We Can or No We Can't? America pledges millions to rebuild foreign countries while its own infrastructure is crumbling.by John Kozy
(centrist liberal libertarian)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
ABC News reports that in 2006, the U.S. and other international donors spent more than $10 million to create what was meant to be a sort of Emerald City, in New Qalat City, Zabul Province, Afghanistan.
"A new hospital. A new governor's house. A fire station. A justice center. A visitor's center. A cultural affairs building. Today, nearly all of those buildings are empty and crumbling. The power director's building has no water, so nobody works there. The hospital is collapsing, reeks of urine, and its equipment lies unused since the staff was never trained on it. The governor's house has no security and he refuses to move in. And the fire station was never going to be filled. Qalat has never had a single firefighter. . . . Building New Qalat City was like 'giving them a fishing pole and a boat without telling them what fishing was,' said one member of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team."
A ten million dollar Afghan flop! But why is anyone surprised?
On August 27, 2008 Vice President Dick Cheney visited the Republic of Georgia after the White House announced a $1 billion economic aid package for the country to help Georgia rebuild. As I also understand it, the United States is also pledged to contribute to the rebuilding of Iraq.
So the United States is funding foreign wars and pledging to fund the rebuilding of the countries being destroyed but in four years, Americans have been unable to rebuild the destruction hurricane Katrina inflicted on New Orleans. Worse yet, America's own infrastructure is crumbling.
In May 1999, USA Today reported, "It will take more than a trillion dollars to upgrade roads, bridges, mass transit, airports, schools, dams, water purity, and waste disposal facilities in the next century." The American Society of Civil Engineers gave letter grades to America's Infrastructure. The U.S. was given an average grade of "D." The worst grade went to schools, which received an "F." The best grade was given to mass transit, which was rated a "C." Hazardous waste and roads got a "D-"; drinking water and dams a "D"; wastewater a "D "; and bridges, solid waste, and aviation a "C-."
Isn't it gratifying to know how generous our government is? Has anyone asked what America will look like by the time we have rebuilt these foreign lands? Will there be an America left worth saving?
The views expressed in this
article are those of John Kozy only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. John Kozy is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
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