The America the Charitable...

[JayATL]

Many a times people equate American aid as being large because they can afford it . But behind the economic power lies a fact that many people don't know about- the charity of the American people. The American people, in fact what you would consider as low middle class and middle class, are the most charitable people in the country and in the world. One has to look at the world's response to Haiti vs America to qualify this statement or look at what china gave Pakistan for the flood recovery - 10 millions vs 300 million from the US.

I was talking to my brother the other day, who happens to live in Pune and who happens to always crib about the US . ( I'm an American citizen of Indian decent and have lived in the US longer than in India) - asked him if knows why people still want to come its shores and want to live in this society or if he knew the resilience and character of the American people. Suffice to say all he knew was from its military expeditions and what he heard from the anti US crowd.

To show just how sincere our intentions have been this year, the USAID budget for 2010 was a monstrous $36.7 billion, an increase of 8 percent from the year before. An 8 percent increase during a Great Recession has got to show the world we're willing to put others ahead of ourselves, even when times are at there worst here at home. Perhaps this reality will muffle the wanton denigration of the U.S. by the many sitting in their sideline armchairs of apathy.

The America is almost 2.5 times more charitable than any other in the world , According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the countries giving the highest amounts of money (in absolute terms) are as follows:

* 1. United States - $28.67 billion
* 2. France - $12.43 billion
* 3. Germany - $11.98 billion
* 4. United Kingdom - $11.50 billion
* 5. Japan - $9.48 billion
* 6. Spain - $6.57 billion
* 7. Netherlands - $6.43 billion
* 8. Sweden - $4.55 billion
* 9. Norway - $4.09 billion
* 10. Canada - $4.01 billion
* 11. Italy - $3.31 billion
* 12. Denmark - $2.81 billion
* 13. Australia - $2.76 billion
* 14. Belgium - $2.60 billion
* 15. Switzerland - $2.31 billion
* 16. Finland - $1.29 billion
* 17. Austria - $1.15 billion
* 18. Ireland - $1.00 billion
* 19. South Korea - $0.82 billion
* 20. Greece - $0.61 billion
* 21. Portugal - $0.51 billion
* 22. Luxembourg - $0.40 billion
* 23. New Zealand - $0.31 billion

Americans are the most generous people in the world, measured by charitable giving as a percent of GDP. Americans give twice as much (1.67% of GDP) as the next most charitable country, the U.K. at 0.73%, according to this study by the Charities Aid Foundation (chart above is taken from the study). Americans give almost 12 times as much as the French and almost 8 times as much as the Germans. In fact, Americans give more as a percent of GDP than France, Germany, Turkey, New Zealand, Singapore and the Netherlands COMBINED!

And charitable giving in the U.S. set another record in 2006 at almost $300 billion, about the same amount as the GDP of Denmark, Greece, Austria or Norway.

http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2007/06/americans-are-most-generous-people-in.html



Some fun facts if your interested. Most charitable cities in the US during the holidays- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/...11 percent increase in giving during holidays

 

[S.A.T.A]

We in India believe that charity begins and stays at home : )

While charitable nature of individuals are ought to be welcomed,when societies and nations indulge in charity,evidently very substantially,they often,as it has proven in the past come with associated riders and hidden catch,these riders in the long run often overwhelm the positive effects that such charities may have generated.As a matter of fact OECd countries will have done enormous goodwill on developing countries lie in Asia and Africa,if they had not imposed unreasonable trade barriers,like agricultural subsidies for uncompetitive western farm produces,which often drives off from the market cheaper produces from developing countries like India,who simply cannot match those levels of subsidies.Many of the suicides committed by Indian farmers,after their produce dont fetch the price that returns their hard earned and often borrowed investments,has its premise in unfair agricultural practices enforced by dominant western economies,including America.

Americans definitely have a charitable heart,but i doubt that extends to their state,where the time honored dictum 'no free lunch' still holds true.

 

[JayATL]

Americans definitely have a charitable heart,but i doubt that extends to their state,where the time honored dictum 'no free lunch' still holds true.

in 2009 - About 26.8 percent of the U.S. population—or 63.4 million people—volunteered for an organization at least once between September 2008 and September 2009, said the report, up from 26.4 percent and 61.8 million in 2008. http://philanthropy.com/article/article-content/63750/

That over 1/4 of the country! volunteering for free... although I agree its also a no free lunch country