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People in many parts of the world will have the exact opposite impression. So far, Chinese domination looks like new roads, while US domination looks like coups

People in many parts of the world will have the exact opposite impression. So far, Chinese domination looks like new roads, while US domination looks like coups and war. Of course, this reflects the current relative advantages of both and I have no illusions about the risks of being dominated by any imperialistic power.

hcurtiss 5y ago
Which just blows my mind. At a total US development aid of $34 billion in 2019, China is the only country that even comes close. The US's giving in the last fifty years (including massive sums to China) has been unparalleled in recorded history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_development_aid_country_donors#:~:text=Net%20official%20development%20assistance%20by%20donor%20%20,%20%200.27%20%2025%20more%20rows%20 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_development_aid_countr... Of course, that's just development aid. US blows away all other countries in humanitarian aid too: https://www.statista.com/statistics/275597/largers-donor-countries-of-aid-worldwide/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/275597/largers-donor-cou...
- luckylion 5y ago
  > US blows away all other countries in humanitarian aid too The problem is that they often do blow stuff away, quite literally. People aren't going to sing your praise for the new well you've dug after you've bombed their wedding and killed all their friends and family.
  - hcurtiss 5y ago
    Such a cynical position. I predict there will be domestic calls in the near future to significantly curtail the US's extraordinary benevolence -- nobody seems to appreciate it anyway. And that will benefit nobody other than maybe China, which has its own history with killing innocents.
    - luckylion 5y ago
      If you reduced the development aid but also stopped bombing people, regime changes and all that good stuff that brings instability to a region, I'm sure everyone would be fine with that. If you want to do some good, take some refugees. Like, a significant number, not a homeopathic amount.

hcurtiss 5y ago

Which just blows my mind. At a total US development aid of $34 billion in 2019, China is the only country that even comes close. The US's giving in the last fifty years (including massive sums to China) has been unparalleled in recorded history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_development_aid_country_donors#:~:text=Net%20official%20development%20assistance%20by%20donor%20%20,%20%200.27%20%2025%20more%20rows%20 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_development_aid_countr... Of course, that's just development aid. US blows away all other countries in humanitarian aid too: https://www.statista.com/statistics/275597/largers-donor-countries-of-aid-worldwide/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/275597/largers-donor-cou...

luckylion 5y ago
> US blows away all other countries in humanitarian aid too The problem is that they often do blow stuff away, quite literally. People aren't going to sing your praise for the new well you've dug after you've bombed their wedding and killed all their friends and family.
- hcurtiss 5y ago
  Such a cynical position. I predict there will be domestic calls in the near future to significantly curtail the US's extraordinary benevolence -- nobody seems to appreciate it anyway. And that will benefit nobody other than maybe China, which has its own history with killing innocents.
  - luckylion 5y ago
    If you reduced the development aid but also stopped bombing people, regime changes and all that good stuff that brings instability to a region, I'm sure everyone would be fine with that. If you want to do some good, take some refugees. Like, a significant number, not a homeopathic amount.