"Stingy" This, Mr. Egeland

Free Republic ^ | Dec. 29, 2004 | IronJack

[IronJack]

The water hadn’t receded from the beaches in Sri Lanka before some trash-talking UN crony was lamenting the inadequacy of the United States’ response to the recent tsunami. Early Monday, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland accused the United States of being “stingy” with its relief effort. Egeland later backed away from his complaint, but not before earning the ire of many Americans who immediately volunteered time and money to the relief campaign. The United States government pledged an initial contribution of $15 million. No word yet on how much individual citizens have contributed to the pool, but traditionally, Americans dig deep when Fate turns cruel.

It is typical of the UN’s grass-hut mentality that whenever a disaster occurs, it is incumbent on the developed world to rush in and make things better, kind of like a successful older brother coming to the aid of his prodigal sibling who keeps getting himself into embarrassing jams. The Christmas earthquake was hardly the fault of its victims. But, notably, it is not the victims who are boo-hooing over the “stingy” aid they’re being given.

No, leave the kvetching to the UN, that ineffective, laughably corrupt body of self-absorbed malcontents whose sole occupation seems to be picking at the American giant. While the world suffers, the best the UN can offer is a hodgepodge of vague demands that “rich” nations should “do more.”

Never mind that the UN styles itself as the world’s humanitarian nexus, and that it has whole bureaucracies devoted to funneling money from “rich” nations to disaster-prone backwaters of the world. Strange how little of that money seems to make it from the UN treasury to the needy. But I guess someone has to pay for the hookers, the drugs, and the limousines.

Never mind that the United States is usually first in line to volunteer services, medicine, food, clothing, and yes, money, whenever the random hand of Nature strikes harshly. Fifteen million dollars won’t go far toward rebuilding Sri Lanka or the west coast of Thailand, but a few cargo planes full of food and clothes might keep some unfortunates alive. And $15 million isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning. Total US aid is expected to top a billion dollars.

Never mind that when an earthquake shattered much of central California in 1989, the UN was nowhere to be found. We - America, that is - dug ourselves out of the rubble, rebuilt our buildings and highways and buried our dead all alone. All the rest of the world offered was a heartfelt “Tsk, tsk.” If we were like them, the UN would get bupkus.

Except in the moral sense, the United States owes these suffering people nothing. They are not American citizens, allies, or even friends. They are merely bit players on the world stage, occasional trading partners, or the hired help at exotic vacation destinations.

Secondly, the United States, despite what the Hate America crowd will tell you, was in no way responsible for this disaster. We’re powerful, yes, but not powerful enough to move continents and change the rotation of the earth.

Thirdly, money alone is not sufficient to alleviate the suffering of the victims. In many cases, no solace can be offered, since not even American technology can bring back the dead or restore the shattered bodies of those torn asunder by these elemental forces.

But, as it has done countless times in the past, America will step up to its humanitarian duty. Its people are the most generous on earth, and they will send truckloads of hard-earned money to relief agencies. Not because they owe anyone anything or because they fear the consequences, but because they are good people with big hearts.

Which is why the stupid, callous comments by Messr. Egeland are so offensive. The arrogance of his position is clear: the world has a claim to America’s riches, if the need is sufficiently great. And yet the fat, happy Yankees are selfish curmudgeons who would begrudge a drowning man a lifeline.

History does not bear out that miserly vision, but that didn’t stop Egeland from smearing a decent people on the world stage. It is not right to make the flood victims suffer as a result of his big mouth. But Jan Egeland should be on the next boat home to Norway, an abashed, unemployed bureaucrat who learned the hard way to keep his piehole shut.

[IronJack]

One more reason the UN has outlived its usefulness.

[q_an_a]

good post jack.

Did the UN send AID to Florida? How about help from our neighbors like Canada - did they add anything but talk to the needs of the poor people here. Did the UN send as much aid to the caribean nations as they now claim is stingy in Asia? NO!!

[kattracks]

BTTT

[Wonder Warthog]

Excellent commentary.

[The Great RJ]

I'm sure the US contribution already dwarfs that from other UN members. Perhaps we should withhold our donation and just match dollar for dollar what the other UN members actually give.

[HMFIC]

Hey, Froganistan is up to a whopping 136,000 dollars in AID!

Must be a load of white flags to wave the next time a tsunami hits!

[mystery-ak]

Excellent post.....it's wayyyyy past time for the UN to go...

[Hu Gadarn]

Why don't we just chuck the whole U(useless)N(nut-jobs)organization off our shores and let the Europeans host it for the next 100 years.

[Glenn]

Someone remind me. How much did the US get in monetary aid from the UN or member countries when Sept 11 went down?

I know we had some damn fine donations of search and rescue teams from around the world, but I want to know how much these bozos sent in real dollars.

[EmilyGeiger]

For that matter I don't remember any countries sending money to New York or Washington after 9/11 either. And to top it off alot of them said we brought that on ourselves.

[westmichman]

Excellent commentary! If you don't write for a living you should probably consider it.
WMM

[Old Grumpy]

Excellent article. Thanks for writing and posting it.

[SMARTY]

The UN AND its functionaries are USELESS and worse. As their country's representatives to the world's negotiating forum, they are supposed to be adroit diplomats. How could an adroit diplomat open his mouth and say something so obviously wrong? Either he is unaware of the PERPETUAL US contribution to the world's disadvantaged along with our disaster by disaster aid (in which case he is in the wrong job) or he does know and wants to belittle the historically proved and unanimously avowed generosity of the US taxpayer.

[blu]

I've seen figures of what country donated how much $ (natch, we're No, 1 on that list) but I don't see any Arab or Middle Eastern countries' names on that list.

Did I miss something? How much did Iran (who was helped mightily last year) give?

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

The Pentagon announced yesterday it has to cut back on F-22 production because of "budget deficits", but we are giving more $$$ to terrorists countries affected by this tsunami.

Let's see how "stingy" we are when there is no more America. We will not be able to feed and clothe the world if there is no America. If we can't even provide for our own defense, there will not be an America some day.

Stingy that.

Any "aid" should be diverted from the already budgeted social welfare budget of the United States. It is criminal to spend "new" money for foreigners.

[Tamberlane]

Apparently Egeland wasn't referring to the current disaster but to general levels of developmental aid relative to GDP. If that is the case, your remarks are beside the point.

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

How much did Iran (who was helped mightily last year) give?

Hey, they have nuclear bombs to build to kill millions of Americans with--cut them some slack!!!!!

[Labyrinthos]

Perhaps we should withhold our donation and just match dollar for dollar what the other UN members actually give.

We should just do the right thing and stop caring what the rest of the world thinks because not matter what we do, the rest of the world will hate us. If we give a 1 billion dollars, then the UN will call us cheap because we should have given 1.2 billion dollars. If our planes arrive with relief supplies a day after the disaster, then France will complain that we should have been there a day before the disaster. I say forget what the rest of the world might think and just do the right thing.

In the his case, the right thing means the United States Government should give nothing, zero, zilch, either directly or through the UN or any other international organization. Let the Amercian people decide how much to give and let them speak directly with their own pocketbooks. Private America will probaly raise more money through her evil right wing religious goups, greedy corporations, and uncultured red state citizenry, than every other country in the world combined.

[Brilliant]

This group of whining liberals thinks they can extract more money from people by insulting them than by simply making a heartfelt appeal. Personally, their antics would more likely motivate me not to give than to give more.