Tsunami

[Beethoven]

Just came back from a trip to Europe. I know most of you guys hate them chardonnay-sipping bastards, but boy did they ever come around on organizing and pleding help for the tsunami victims. People are donating, two prime ministers asked that everybody cut down on new year's celebrations, and generally everybody is hugely concerned.
I don't want to harp on Bush's tardy response, and on initially pleding half the sum they're planning to spend on his swearing-in--maybe he didn't know yet how big this was. But generally I don't get the impression that this is high on the administration's agenda and, it seems like, on people's mind in this country. I'm disappointed, but not surprised.

[dd74]

Welcome back. But before anyone harps on Bush and/or the U.S., just know that that the $35 million dollar in aid has just been increased to $350 million dollars.

[Beethoven]

Thatäs good to know. I just think this would be such a good opportunity to show everybody what we're made of...

[Dan Mc Intyre]

Sadly, this shows everybody what else we're made of.


Dan

[Beethoven]

Bloody hell!
Thanks for the link.

[fintstone]

IT'S ABOUT THE TRAGEDY - NOT MORE BUSH-BASHING

By JOHN PODHORETZ
NY Post
December 31, 2004 --

THE political and ideological exploitation of perhaps the worst natural disaster in all our lifetimes is almost beyond belief — were it not for the fact that nothing these days is beyond belief.

Even as tears spring into the most hard-hearted person's eyes at both the unimaginable scope of the tragedy and at the wrenching individual stories of loss, opinion leaders just can't help themselves.

They are using this cataclysm as little more than cheap debate fodder about the nature and character of the United States, its president and its citizens.

Don't misunderstand.

It is fine and proper to have a debate and discussion about the degree of generosity the United States could, should and must show in the wake of this literally earth-shaking event.

But at this moment, the United States is not the issue.

The foreign-aid budget of the United States is not the issue.

Our government should not be the focal point of the discussion right now.

Don't we owe the dead, dying and injured the minimal grace not to convert their suffering into a chat-show segment — the latest left-right clash over the Bush presidency?

And couldn't the editorialists at The New York Times have forborne — even just for a week — making use of the tsunami to complain about U.S. government spending on "development aid"?

Development aid is the blanket term for American grant money handed out to other countries, supposedly to help their economies grow. Development aid has nothing — nothing — to do with what has happened.

The aid at issue now is disaster relief.

Secretary of State Colin Powell found himself in the position of having to remind the world that over the past four years the United States has provided more such aid than all other nations on the planet combined.

It is appalling that he had to mention this, and that President Bush was compelled to cite the same information on Wednesday, because you're not supposed to brag about how charitable you are. But once a United Nations official decried the American aid pledge as "stingy," the administration had little choice.


Any rational person would have understood without having to be told what the president told the world on Wednesday morning, which is that the $35 million pledge "is only the beginning of our help."

But maybe people are looking for a sideshow to distract them from the sickening pictures and the keening cries of the untold numbers of mothers whose babies were swept away.

[fintstone]

If our initial donataion was about $35 million...and France's was abou $135 thousand....seems you are blasting the wrong country. Cutting back on celebrations does not a relief effort make.

[Moneyguy1]

No matter where the money comes from in the US..private or federal, it is the citizens who supply it. This goes for any country. Consider the source of the funds.

This is a tragedy of "biblical" proportions (meaning that it is wide spread and devestating, not religious in nature). As such, it will be years before the effects are totally addressed. Whether the money comes from the US or Europe or anywhere else, money by itself will not alleviate the suffering of the survivors. Carping about the sources is petty and should not even be an issue. Death and destruction on such a scale shoud not be fodder for political posturing.

[Beethoven]

Oh please...Podhoretz is just trying to browbeat everyone after Bush goofed terribly on this. Once again, we've seen that our President is not able to take charge when something unscripted happens. Everybody knows that, and most Americans seem to like that sort of 'moral' value, or they wouldn't have reelected him.
On the same day the US pledged $15 Mill, Britain had already pledged $28 Mill. Podhoretz claim that the US has spend more money on foreign aid than all other nations combined is preposterous, unless you call an invasion foreign aid.
Whatever. It's over, we goofed.

[dd74]

I'm very confused about how "we goofed." The U.S. media first made light of a major earthquake on Dec. 26, and not until a day later, when footage began to appear, was the true damage revealed. Take into consideration infrastructure breakdowns in the effected countries and certain assessments which have to be made by the U.S. and yes, there seems to be a delay, but not one that is any longer than other tragedies the U.S. has responded to.

Not to mention that some of the tsunamis took 8hrs. to travel from the earthquake's epicenter to where they came ashore. When initial reports of the earthquake hit, tsunamis were en route to coastal areas far away from the epicenter. So for a while, no one could predict how much damage there would be.

Blaming Bush is useless. Blaming the government is useless as well. We can't respond to these disasters at the drop of a hat. The media only reported Thursday that 3,000 Americans are missing.

[Seahawk]

Interesting...while the media snipes good friends of mine have already left their families to sortie where help is needed. The US Navy is sending ships and aid, men and women, knowledge and equipment (SeaBees are the ***** and they are on the way) that will make a real difference. Put a price on the folks who will leave their hearth and home to help others. Then ask yourself what YOU have done.
Not to be parochial, the Air Force will task men and women to support global flight ops delivering aid at a pace and tempo no other country can hope to match. Who will delivery the proponderance of aid supplies, regardless of the origin? WE will.
Spare me the theatrics of how best we should have "reacted"...we'll get it done. Watch.

[fintstone]

You are absolutely correct. The AF has been there for days...as I am sure have folks from all branches...sad as the situation is...there could not be better help on the way.

[Jay Auskin]

The U.S. has an awful lot of people here. I guess that means, there will be a lot of people doing the wrong thing, but also a lot of people doing the right thing. It's unfortunate that the people who do the wrong thing seem to represent the masses...at least it often times appears that way.

As mentioned, this is a disaster of 'biblical' proportions. It's true, other's may have given more, and given it faster. But this will affect these people for a long time. So, while there are these initial relief efforts (which are very important); what about one year from now. Will everyone have forgotten about these people? I plan to give a donation to help out. Maybe people should split up their donations? Give part of it now, but give some more later, when others have forgotten, but the problem will still exist. Relief will still be needed in the future.

I'm not saying one person or thing is right, wrong, better, or worse. But if anyone is in disagreement with your country's actions, then find a way to make a difference. You cannot change what has happened, but you can make a difference in the future. The general public may not notice this difference, but the people who's lives you affected will.

I don't always ecplain myself very well in words. I hope I made sense.

Happy New Year to all. I hope everyone can find some peace.

[red-beard]

Pardon me, but doesn't congress hold the power of the purse?

[Beethoven]

ok, ok, if the Navy is off to help I'm glad and I wish them all the best. I also just read that Bush pledged $350 Mill, which sounds much better. I was just thinking this would have been a very good opportunity to show everyone that we're as ready to help as we are to strike.
I do take exception, however, to Podhoretz' and others' argument that we shouldn't play politics (read: criticise the President) over such a tragedy. We're not allowed to criticise him over 9/11 either, nor should we ciriticise the war in Iraq (because that weakens our troops). That leaves precious little room to exercise one's right to free speech, it seems to me.
Anyway, off to a party. We all of us pledged the price of a bottle of Champagne for tsunami relief. Take that, you crafty French!
Happy new year!

[pwd72s]

Geeze...gimme a break! This tragedy is now political????? Hey Beethoven...your guy lost. Get over it! After all, I survived 8 years of Clinton. Now it's your turn...got it?

[Beethoven]

Whatever, pwd.
In any case, I heard the Bushman on the radio today speaking about desaster relief, and I was really impressed. This is the good America.

[bryanthompson]

We give more disaster releif and foreign aid than all other countries IN THE WORLD COMBINED.

BTW, our contribution to the tsunami victims is up to $350 million.

[speeder]

Watch NBC Dateline tonight, (Sun.), the report from Sri Lanka is their reporter following my brother around from the advance word that I got. He runs the India region, (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, SL, Nepal), for CRS, the 2nd largest relief org. in the world after CARE.

We were hanging out in Minnesota together on Sunday when the earthquake/tsunami hit, he had to leave in a hurry.

[Seahawk]

Denis,

I really admire and respect your brother for the work he is doing...I'll watch tonight.
Thanks for the tip.

v/r