A lot of American friends (of all skin hues and ethnicities) wonder why all of America's giving to Pakistan (and other countries) doesn't really buy goodwill. Well, besides the whole idea of "buying goodwill", here are some facts, via Naeem Sadiq's email signature of why the current "aid" system should just be discontinued, as it does neither nation any good:

• 50 percent of the aid has to be spent on US ‘contractors’ under US law, so this goes back to America.
• 25 percent is wasted on administrative expenses.
• The rest is given to the US Ambassador’s favorite NGO to be deposited in US accounts.

Almost none makes it to Pakistanis.