In the narrow sense of independent individuals/states, you are correct. A country does not have a responsibility to run foreign aid programs. However, once you do, you enter into a agreement that involves some responsibility because now others are relying on you to fulfill your commitment.
Put simply, say you want to climb up a ladder and need someone to help, say, keep their finger on a button that prevents the ladder from toppling over. I have no responsibility to help you. However, to be nice I agree to help you. I press the button down and you climb up. Now say I change my mind and I want to go do something else. I now have a responsibility to tell you so you can safely come down and find another solution. What the US is doing now is shouting up at you while you’re on the ladder and saying “hey, I changed my mind. Sorry, but I actually have no responsibility to help you out”
This is a good point, well articulated and I agree with you.
When I say “it has nothing to do with responsibility” I’m thinking of what motivates the USA to provide this aid. Maybe I’m a cynic but I don’t believe they would ever spend money in a foreign nation simply because it’s the responsible thing to do.
But yeah, they are responsible for multiple reasons, as the ladder analogy explains, and as another commenter mentioned, for the part the USA and other privileged nations have played in creating the problems these aid programs are addressing, through colonialism and climate change. The USA specifically also did immeasurable damage to this part of the world going to war with Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
In the narrow sense of independent individuals/states, you are correct. A country does not have a responsibility to run foreign aid programs. However, once you do, you enter into a agreement that involves some responsibility because now others are relying on you to fulfill your commitment.
Put simply, say you want to climb up a ladder and need someone to help, say, keep their finger on a button that prevents the ladder from toppling over. I have no responsibility to help you. However, to be nice I agree to help you. I press the button down and you climb up. Now say I change my mind and I want to go do something else. I now have a responsibility to tell you so you can safely come down and find another solution. What the US is doing now is shouting up at you while you’re on the ladder and saying “hey, I changed my mind. Sorry, but I actually have no responsibility to help you out”
This is a good point, well articulated and I agree with you.
When I say “it has nothing to do with responsibility” I’m thinking of what motivates the USA to provide this aid. Maybe I’m a cynic but I don’t believe they would ever spend money in a foreign nation simply because it’s the responsible thing to do.
But yeah, they are responsible for multiple reasons, as the ladder analogy explains, and as another commenter mentioned, for the part the USA and other privileged nations have played in creating the problems these aid programs are addressing, through colonialism and climate change. The USA specifically also did immeasurable damage to this part of the world going to war with Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.