Australian Princeton philosopher Peter Singer needs to think about what foreign aid is before he asserts that America “is not paying its fair share.” Singer doesn’t like, or know, that America’s duty is to its citizens first, complying with his or the UN’s desires come down the line. Nor does the strict Utilitarian professor care about a donor country’s economics. America’s finances have flown out of control, its debt now at a dangerous unsustainable $20 trillion, twice that eight years ago. Every dollar cut helps in trying to restore a Federal government that American citizens are no longer fearful of its going essentially bankrupt. Where and when dollars are cut necessitates more effective use of those available.



Singer’s superficial analysis is basis for his unsuperficial denunciation of Trump. What is foreign aid? It is not the uninformative and simplistic UN and Singer’s “foreign aid as percentage of GNI”. Nor does Singer’s facile dismissal of “US geopolitical interests” mean that the broad military assistance to Afghanistan, Jordan, and Pakistan does not save lives and suffering. In the context of Singer’s article, look at Germany. Germany’s long-shirking of its NATO financial promise and obligation makes Germany a free-rider and allows Singer to claim it as an ethical rich country. This while America overspends to protect the lives and suffering of Germans.



Singer needs to totalize American foreign aid, not measure it by the artificial percentage of GNI. Consider the 30 million illegal immigrants in America, almost 10% of its population. They receive “domestic foreign aid”. Every year, Local, State, and Federal governments pay out a net billions of dollars in medical care, food, education, legal advice, driving licenses, etc. to illegals. And consider the remittances by American migrants and other American citizens who sent in 2015 US$133 billion in foreign aid to other countries. That is 0.7% of the Singer’s sacrosanct GNI (Germany’s was 0.6%), which must be added to Singer’s 0.18%. And don’t forget the private generosity of America, the private American citizens, companies, foundations, etc., who give up annually some $100 billion (0.5 of GNI) in foreign aid.

Countries' accounting, social, and economic systems vary widely, as do their ethical histories and stances, precluding simplistic measures of foreign aid. We must also keep foremost in mind that which is not, the cause of today’s suffering. The UN is loud in addressing the effects of suffering, but not the cause. The time and thought Singer required to put together his tinselly shameful anti-Trump political diatribe, would have been better spent trying to understand what causes the suffering and how to remedy it. A country can donate money, goods and services only if that country is economically strong and has the will to do so. America always has the will, but now the Federal government is broke.

