Are Americans Cheap?

That’s the question ABC correspondent and 20/20 anchor John Stossel considers in an column posted at Realclearpolitics.com. Excerpts:

The New York Times and Washington Post editorialize about America's "stinginess." Former President Jimmy Carter says when it comes to helping others, "The rich states don't give a damn."

Standing outside the White House, the singer Bono told the press that America doesn't do enough to help the needy.

It seems obvious to Bono and President Carter that America offers "crumbs" because the governments of most other wealthy countries distribute a larger percentage of their nations' wealth in foreign aid.

Yes, the U.S. government gave out $20 billion last year, much more than other countries give, but that's only because we are so stupendously wealthy. If you calculate foreign aid as a percentage of our wealth, the United States gives much less than others.[…]

I hope nobody’s getting “steamed” at Stossel. He’s just laying out the case.

Stossel continues:

But wait a second ... when talking aid,[why]talk just about what the government gives? Why conflate America with our government? America is the people. …

America is 300 million private individuals, and their contributions far exceed what government gives. When you include those, America is anything but cheap.

After the Asian Tsunami two years ago, the U.S. government pledged $900 million to tsunami relief. American individuals donated $2 billion -- three times what government gave -- in food, clothing, and cash. Private charities could barely keep up with the donations.

Americans' preference for voluntary contributions over forced giving through government is one way in which Americans differ from other people. (Don't think it's forced? See what happens if you don't pay your taxes.)

Syracuse University professor Arthur Brooks's new book, "Who Really Cares", points out that Americans give more than the citizens of any other country.

Individually, Americans give seven times more money than people in Germany and 14 times more than Italians give. We also volunteer more. …

Strossel says a lot more before closing with:

America is a uniquely charitable country. So when you hear that "Americans are cheap," just remember: We gave $260 billion in charity last year. That's almost $900 for every man, woman, and child.

Of course some people give nothing. Some people are cheap. Which raises the question: Who gives and who doesn't? I'll report on that in my next column.

I’ll be looking for Stossel’s next column. If you see it first, please give me a heads up. I want to post on it. You can read all of his first column here.

Meanwhile, some thoughts:

A huge part of America’s “giving” is the human and finaccial costs of our military. Without America's military sheilding it , what would most of the rest of the world be like?

We know the answer: Darfur, Zimbabwe and North Korea. It certainly wouldn’t be like Europe, Berkeley or your nearby comfy college campus where military recruiters are banned.

The military services and sacrifices of literally tens of millions of Americans during the last century and through today have made the world a much better place than it would otherwise be.

What price can you put on that service and those sacrifices? The trillions Americans have spent since WW II shielding much of the world doesn’t begin to get at the real “costs” Americans have paid out.

American higher education is heavily taxpayer subsidized. Contribute to your favorite private college and you take a tax deduction for what you gave. The burden of the lost tax revenue resulting from your contribution is passed on to other taxpayers.

Americans cheer those who give to private colleges. That’s fine. But people like Jimmy Carter and Bono should keep that in mind when they’re doing their “giving math.”

The Carters and Bonos should also remember that each year Americans welcome to our shores great numbers of foreign citizens who come here and study and train at taxpayer subsidized colleges and universities.

When they complete their educations, most of those foreign citizens will return to their home countries where they’ll offer their fellow citizens the benefits of the education and training they received in America.

Has anyone ever calculated the amount of the taxpayer subsidized dollars that in any given year go into the cost of the education and training of foreign citizens?

That most of us haven’t even thought of that question is a testament to the generosity and good will of the American people.

There is a lot more I could say, but I’ll end here.

What are your thoughts on all of this?