American Generosity Courtesy of China

The Bush Administration has proposed an increase in the level of food assistance provided by the United States. We should all feel proud of this latest example of American generosity.

Except, of course, that we're not paying for it. If George W. Bush had said to the American people, "There are folks starving all around the world. I want each of you to dig into your pockets and come up with $2 to help them," he would have received about almost nothing. If he had asked Congress to institute a new tax that would generate $770 million to cover the aid, he would have been denounced by his own party.

Instead, it's another appropriation with no funding, which means more public debt. Just doing back of an envelope work, it's looking like half a trillion annually to cover the never-ending rise in the monthly cost of Iraq/Afghanistan, the economic stimulus, and slowing revenues due to the recession.

I remember when half a trillion would have been serious money, enough to get people talking, political candidates posturing, and headlines blaring. Not anymore.