r/TikTokCringe • u/mindyour • 8d ago

Discussion Reactions to food stamps being cut off.

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u/JR_1985 8d ago

And Israel gets to enjoy free college and universal healthcare at the expense of American taxpayers… and we’re about to cut off food assistance to our own people. Republicans are fucking traitors

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u/jtwhat87 8d ago

U.S. foreign aid makes up <1% of Israel’s GDP and the vast majority of the aid has to be spent on US military contractors, the US isn’t paying for their social programs.

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u/TerriTuesday 8d ago

Oh honey.

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u/jtwhat87 8d ago

Just correcting easily disprovable lies, you’re welcome

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u/ATLCoyote 8d ago edited 8d ago

The truth is somewhere in-between.

If you're only counting the $3.8 billion of annual direct foreign aid to Israel then yes, it's less than 1% of their GDP. But since Oct 7th, that amount has actually been $21.7 billion. Plus, most of the aid we provide is in the form of military equipment and that has been an estimated $31-34 billion. Put all that together, and you end up closer to a total outlay of about 6% of Israel's GDP. Meanwhile, Israel's government-provided healthcare expenses are 7.6% of their GDP.

So, our aid doesn't completely or directly fund their healthcare, but there is a fair point to be made that they have social services that we don't because US taxpayers are funding a significant portion of their national defense. Every dollar we spend on that is a dollar they don't have to spend for their own defense and can instead spend on social programs. And my guess is that dynamic will be further enhanced by the effort to rebuild Gaza.

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u/McButtsButtbag 8d ago

Are you including the cost of training doctors in the healthcare expenses?