Okay, see, I don't really like Dubya, but Pam has a point. Why does everyone start jumping down our throats as soon as a disaster occurs?
Not to be insensitive here (I'm very sensitive, mind you. So sensitive that I bleed butterflies and moonbeams), but the U.S. has been plagued by all sorts of natural disasters over its history. The Southeast rarely goes a year without torrential rainfall and devastating hurricane winds. Entire towns in coastal communities have been evaucated for weeks at a time because of flooding.
The West Coast has its ingrained fear of earthquakes, fires, and mudslides. Remember all those people who lost their homes in California a couple of years ago.
Midwest: hello tornadoes?
I could go on, but it's pointless. Granted, our death tolls have never reached close to 100,000 at once, but let's consider population density. Had a tsunami hit mainland China, or even Long Island (heh), we'd be dealing with the same phenomenon. I'll resist making any jokes about overcrowded countries.
You see, flawed that we may be as a country--we deal with our own shit on a state level. If a state (i.e. Florida) needs additional help, well the feds will step in. Or maybe not. There are still some poor hicks out in the boonies of NC that never got disaster relief after that trio of storms hit the mountains over the summer.
I can understand sending some money for food and water, but it's not our responsibility to help them rebuild their entire coastlines. Isn't that what the UN is for? I can't believe I actually heard some Indian man on the news (in translation) saying "America will help us. America should send money now."
It's a funny thing being hated and needed at the same time. We must be the Mafia-Country. Next thing you know we'll be leaving horse heads on foreign ambassadors' beds.
Posted by Tiffany at December 30, 2004 07:50 AMGood point!
And... In 2004 alone this is how the numbers stack up at the UN World Food Program:
$826,469,172 United States
$187,102,068 EU
I read somewhere that China's under the gun too... guess it's not just us, but @#*^!
Posted by: pam at December 30, 2004 08:13 AMUnderstanding that I'm a big old flaming liberal and a non-profit fundraiser to boot, from my perspective it's the responsibility of the haves to help the have nots.
I know that's incredibly idealistic, but if I weren't incredibly idealistic I'd probably be in another line of work.
It's not quite that black and white, of course. There's the issue that the U.S. is running a massive national debt and the pledge of $35 million [or whatever the number] is the entire amount left in the USAID budget and that the director will have to ask for more to send and the budget for 2005 is already likely to be flat for domestic spending. We're already short-changing American citizens because of the military dollar needs to run this idiotic war and experiment with missile shields that will never work, so how can we be expected to pledge huge amounts of aid dollars we don't have? I understand that there are issues. Of course, I'd be happy to have my taxes raised to help pay for that extra aid to Asia and Africa.
Why do people expect the U.S. to immediately step up? Because this administration, in particular, acts like the keeper and police officers of the planet. We can't expect other countries to do what we tell them/want them to do and then not accept the responsibility that comes with it.
Posted by: mac at December 30, 2004 10:43 AMGreat skin, Tiffany. Very.... pink. ;)
Posted by: pam at December 30, 2004 10:52 PMmmmm... Tiffany's pink skin...
"hated and needed" - I like the way you put that.
Posted by: Harvey at December 31, 2004 11:58 AMVery well said. The rest of the world bitches that we're involved too much in other countries, then they gripe that we're not involved enough. Sheesh. I don't like Bush either, but I have to agree with this point.
Instead of pledging more money from the government (like he did Friday), I think he should ask Americans to send money themselves through the Red Cross or other organizations. That's what a lot of us are doing anyway. And a lot of people seem to be motivated by Bush, so a simple statement by him might get even more people to send money.
Posted by: Michelle at January 2, 2005 04:23 PM