Thus Spake Mungowitz

The Mungowitz said: If you want to help poor people in other countries, then cut U.S. barriers to buying their stuff. And stop giving them "free" stuff that we buy up as surplus (i.e., politically motivated subsidies) from farmers or clothing manufacturers. All that does is bankrupt the small businesses in developing nations that are trying to supply the domestic market.

and verily his voice was heard:

CARE Turns Down Federal Funds for Food Aid

CARE, one of the world’s biggest charities, is walking away from some $45 million a year in federal financing, saying American food aid is not only plagued with inefficiencies, but also may hurt some of the very poor people it aims to help.

CARE’s decision is focused on the practice of selling tons of often heavily subsidized American farm products in African countries that in some cases, it says, compete with the crops of struggling local farmers.

The charity says it will phase out its use of the practice by 2009. But it has already deeply divided the world of food aid and has spurred growing criticism of the practice as Congress considers a new farm bill.

“If someone wants to help you, they shouldn’t do it by destroying the very thing that they’re trying to promote,” said George Odo, a CARE official who grew disillusioned with the practice while supervising the sale of American wheat and vegetable oil in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.

Now if he would only tell Robin to buy me an IPhone!!!!!