If I give you anything, I expect gratitude. Whether on a personal level or an international level. I expected you to be grateful and if you have a disagreement, that it would be both respectful and civilized when you bring it up. If you're not getting anything from us, then approach it as you will. However, if you're getting anything, then keep in mind that the spigot can be turned off in a heartbeat, and it has nothing to do with us being greedy. Gratitude goes a long way to demonstrating thankfulness.

I agree with you that the martyr complex is a bit much. It's not so much that we are being "taken advantage of" so much that the "advantage is theirs." There's a subtle, but important difference. I see every dollar "lost" as something that can be reinvested in those living here. I can be very Blue (read: Democrat) about some things. One of which is poverty, especially in regards to children. I'm a firm believer that school lunches should be awesome. They should be healthy and nourishing. That could be the best meal of the day for some kids. While those kids are at school, they should be educated and fed as though they were at your own home. Good lessons, good play time, good creativity (read: arts program)...all from educated and caring professionals. All this needs money...so any money being given to thankless countries can be reallocated to take a step closer to this.

But well...yeah.
~Jeordam