Rick Perry: Cut Foreign Aid 'To Zero,' Even For Israel

[oberliner]

Rick Perry called for a radical new approach to American foreign aid spending in the GOP debate Saturday night, proposing that all aid be reduced "to zero," and then be re-implemented only once the country made a good case for their aid. Asked later in the night if he included Israel in that plan, Perry said he did.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/12/rick-perry-cut-foreign-aid-israel_n_1090535.html

[grantcart]

1. Yes and with that 1/2 of 1% of the federal government reduced the budget would

be miraculously balanced.


Idiots.

[teddy51]

2. The only thing to date that I agree with this moran on. n/t

[ProSense]

6. But

"The only thing to date that I agree with this moran on."

...can you be sure that he agrees with you?

Another great ad for Democrats via the brazillionth GOP debate.

[MADem]

3. Well, he can kiss Florida goodbye--not that he'll be the nominee! nt

[liberal N proud]

4. That stand will insure he is not the candidate.

[pocoloco]

5. He can expect a visit from aipac......

[Fridays Child]

7. At which point, he will explain that he didn't mean THAT Israel. He meant the other Israel.

You know. Israel, West Virginia. :eyes:

[bullwinkle428]

23. "Gov. Perry? Aipac is on line 1!"

"OOPS!"

[dballance]

8. He's Really Toast Now That he Insulted Israel

Not just the obvious display of stupid in the last debate - now he's insulted Israel. He's done. You can't not support Israel 100% and win the US presidency.

I'm not anti-Semitic, but I am anti-favoritism. We need to treat all our allies the same. But we don't. Israel can do no wrong in the eyes of the US State Department. No matter how many Palestinians they exterminate or how many Palestinian settlements they obliterate.

It's wrong and we're wrong.

[oberliner]

14. No matter how many Palestinians they exterminate?

Wow.

[NOMOREDRUGWAR]

17. Are you really surprised?

I agree -- wow. You'd think, reading some of the posts on here, that Israel is basically an apartheid state or analogous to Nazi Germany. Nothing could be further from the truth.

[oberliner]

18. Shocked by the use of the word "exterminate" in this context

I don't even think the South African apartheid regime was accused of "extermination".

[krispos42]

9. So we'd stop selling bombs and guns and artillery to foreign countries?

Well, Perry, it was nice having you running. Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.

[Historic NY]

10. Rick Perry friend of Israel.........Tel Aviv groans.

[Ter]

11. Good for him

I'd take it a step further and demand Israel pay us foreign aid for all we've done for them.

[Cali_Democrat]

12. The US SHOULD cut off aid to all rogue nations

That includes Israel since they are indeed a rogue nation that occupies foreign territory and violates UN resolutions. The US is also a rogue nation that is constantly on the war path and likes to occupy foreign territory, but I don't think we can cut off aid to ourselves. :shrug:

However, I don't think the US should cut off aid to nations that act within the bounds of international law.

[oberliner]

19. Cut off aid to ourselves

Interesting conundrum.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

13. The weekly "oops"

[Mosaic]

15. He gets two brownie buttons.

He would have a sort of Dream Act, and doesn't care what fellow conservatives think. And now this. He gets two brownie buttons from this Democratic Socialist.

[enuegii]

16. But I bet he still wants to keep the what-- 700? 800?

military bases we have in other countries.

"We're cuttin' you moochers off! But, uh, we're gonna keep our bases in your country, okay?"

I'm sure that'll work out just fine.

[Harmony Blue]

20. Perry simply doesn't understand the world

outside of Texas. Clueless...I suppose ignorance is bliss for Perry.

[Laelth]

21. Did he really say that?

If so, he is either colossally stupid or colossally craven. There's no way we're reducing our foreign aid budget to zero, nor should we. Perry must know this--i.e. he's colossally craven and willing to say anything to get elected.

-Laelth

[Mass]

22. This is not what he said. He said foreign aid should not be automatic, but renegotiated every year.

(and yes, even for Israel).

This said, like most Republicans, he is trying to use foreign aid as a cut, even though it is only a drop in the deficit and it is an useful spending.

[oberliner]

24. Yes it is exactly what he said

Did you read the article? Or even just the one paragraph included in the excerpt?

[Mass]

25. I saw the debate, and whoever wrote this article missed the point.

As much as I am sure I would not agree with Perry about who would get the foreign aid or not, his point was that NO foreign aid should be automatic and it should be renegotiated every year. Listen to the debate yourself. (or do you think that Israel has to have a preferential treatment that means they are entitled to US aid whatever?) Actually, my MIL, who is Jewish and a starch supporter of Israel, was not even bothered by this statement (she was more bothered by the calls to attack Iran).

[oberliner]

26. I think they both say the same thing

The article says what you are describing.

Anyway, I don't like Perry and I certainly don't agree with his idea to cut foreign aid.

That's the least of our problems.