Was purusing CNN.com when I came across this headline:  "Bush Budget Stints Poor Countries on Education"

The Bush administration's proposed 2004 budget does not include any money for an international program to put primary school children in poor countries in school and earmarks just $75 million for the fund financing debt relief for poor nations.

What a weird headline.   And article.  It isn't about some program getting cut.   Or some debate about the worthiness of a particular program.   It's simply about some activist group that wants to extract $$$ out of Uncle Sam for their pet project:

"There is nothing in the budget designated for the education fast track initiative," said George Ingram, the executive director fo the Basic Education Coalition, a group of 16 development organizations.

The supposed sin here is one of perceived ommission.   We didn't recognize the Basic Education Coalition at the level they felt they deserved -- federal funds.  While we're at it, the San Francisco Queer Motorcycle Renegades probably have the same beef with the feds.  

What angers me is the matter-of-fact, righteous attitude by the group which was faithfully channeled by the reporter.    And the cheap opportunity Reuters used to put forth an anti-Bush headline.

Domestically, the Feds (generally) don't pay for education, the states and local communities do.  But when it comes to the education of some foreign kids calling the Feds to task is suddenly apropos.

International aid isn't something that is "demanded" by a group of poorer nations -- or activist organizations acting as their proxy.   It is something that is charitably handed over -- preferably at an individual / sub-national level.