>It's more like evangelical Christianity--the belief that we can uplift people not only by giving aid, but by teaching them to live and govern themselves like w

>It's more like evangelical Christianity--the belief that we can uplift people not only by giving aid, but by teaching them to live and govern themselves like we do. That sort of comparison is going to only get you into trouble. Foreign aid is very often tied to foreign policy, especially security policies like maintaining bases, to keep "friendly" regimes in power, to "tied" aid, etc. Certainly, not everything is Machiavellian about it, and ofcource people recognize the huge benefits and impact it has had in uplifting poor people, lets also not forget that there is a whole lotta grey in there.