Power Play: The Hidden Motives of Foreign Aid

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The allocation of foreign aid in international society is not predicated by notions of necessity and development, but rather by self interest and power. Foreign aid’s altruistic façade can often serve to mask a vehement power struggle between the super powers of global politics. In such a struggle aid is used as a currency to purchase power and influence. These powerful gains can be broken into three different categories, the first and most tangible of these gains is the economic dominance that foreign aid grants the donor nation, this is then followed by the security and stability that accompanies strategic aid allocation and finally the gain of soft power through the spread of norms, values and ideologies is prevalent in this ostensibly …show more content…

It is often maintained that poverty is a principal trigger of political instability. Hence counteracting poverty through foreign aid is an integral security tool. This is endorsed in Australia’s foreign aid program, which is often touted alongside, military and defense strategy and has been integrated into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Australian foreign aid is often used to strengthen national security by trying to resurrect situation that provide terrorists with easy recruiting grounds in doing so aid disables the forces that threaten Australian power. Additionally foreign aid can act as a form of biological security. Large numbers of destitute people in the international system can often lead to the spread of illness and disease. By stabilising weak and failing states this can be preventing consequentially disabling another threat to power and stability. Moreover aid can also serve to improve tangible security resources. Foreign assistance frequently serves to improve the military resources of allied nations with military orientated training and assistance making up one fifth of the US foreign aid budget (Han and Rane, 2013). Consequentially leaving allies better equip to support donor nations. Once again the hard power that accompanies a secure nation fits with in the mold of realist tradition particularly …show more content…

The donation of foreign aid unequivocally carries with it benefits in three different spheres of power economic, security and referent, soft power. Each of these types of power also fall with in models of power laid out by the liberal and realist traditions, with the coercive power of security and economics falling inside realist boundaries while soft power adheres to the liberal

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