Posted on 12/29/2004 10:46:00 PM PST by neverdem
CRAWFORD, Tex., Dec. 29 -- President Bush said Wednesday that the United States will spearhead a worldwide effort to provide financial, military and humanitarian assistance to the Asian nations devastated by one of the world's deadliest natural disasters.
Speaking publicly for the first time since Sunday's Indian Ocean tsunami, Bush told reporters that the United States, India, Japan and Australia are forming an international coalition to provide immediate relief and rescue assistance, as well as longer-term help with rebuilding.
Bush said the initial U.S. pledge of $35 million in direct financial aid is "only the beginning of our help."
Administration officials say Bush will pledge substantially more as damage assessments are completed. In the meantime, the administration has dispatched military personnel and equipment, including seven water-producing ships and one hospital vessel, as well as health experts to help stem the spread of deadly diseases in the flooded areas.
"These past few days have brought loss and grief to the world that is beyond comprehension," Bush said from his Texas ranch. "And together the world will cope with their loss. We will prevail over the destruction."
Bush's remarks followed several days of criticism that the United States has not been as swift or as generous as other countries in its response. Although administration officials said they had to assess the destruction before making specific commitments, there has been an outpouring of contributions from Americans to private and international aid groups.
A partial tally of two days of donations to CARE, one of the largest humanitarian groups, indicated about $7 million has been raised, CARE officials said. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF reported unprecedented contributions of almost $7 million as of mid-afternoon Wednesday, said Jeffrey Towers, a vice president of the fund. Web site donations on a typical day at this time...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Seeing that picture of the man with the bin Laden shirt makes me much less enthusiastic about the money being spent.
I'm sure the little worm from the UN will be up for a Nobel prize for "prodding the great world powers (aka The US) to give to the needy" or somesuch garbage.
It just pisses me off to no end how other countries knock the U.S. all the time. Namely, France. We saved their ass, and now they hate us.
The U.S. helps everyone. We should be revered.
God gives humans everything they have....look how He is hated...
Ingratitude is humanities' greatest character flaw...
imo
I looked over at Amazon's website and the total for their South Asia relief fund (Red Cross) is over 3 million dollars on its way to 4 million dollars. How about that for stingy. America WILL lead the relief effort and get pilloried for it by all the usual suspects.
"Speaking publicly for the first time since Sunday's Indian Ocean tsunami, Bush told reporters that the United States, India, Japan and Australia are forming an international coalition to provide immediate relief and rescue assistance, as well as longer-term help with rebuilding"
ATTENTION! KOFI BABBA AND THE FORTY THIEVES! YOU HAVE JUST BEEN DECLARED IRRELEVANT!
(Would the last one out of the UN building please turn out the lights - OH! and before you go...here's a few parking tickets....)
I'd prefer to see relief funded with massive amounts of private donations. I've given to the Red Cross and Salvation Army.
Perhaps have a couple of concerts to raise donations. Bush could help organize a "Red State" concert with country music stars, and he could appoint Slick Willard to organize the Rock 'n Pop concert.
Yes we will give until it hurts and then the world will love us even more...right? (sarcasm)
I danced a jig when I saw that dubya had bypassed the damned UN on this. He has the stuff great men are made of.
The UN should have a role in this. Since they are not for us, they should get the hell out of the way and let real men work.
And by the way billy boy clinton, your attempt at upstaging dubya on the response to this grave disaster will be duly noted in your public legacy ledger.
Amen. I am amazed that God has patience for us at all.
The world should be wary. God has emotions as we do (He gave them to us).
God also get angry.
"Speaking publicly for the first time since Sunday's Indian Ocean tsunami, Bush told reporters that the United States, India, Japan and Australia are forming an international coalition to provide immediate relief and rescue assistance, as well as longer-term help with rebuilding"
NPR and the AP are parroting the UN claim that they have "sent hundreds of aircraft laden with relief supplies."
There is only one problem.
The UN does not have these aircraft.
Only the US and some of our allies have airlift capability.
The UN can do nothing, except preen for the cameras and mock America.
We need to remember that abusive people will never admit that those giving help could ever give enough. They hope to wring more out of the kind hearted through verbal attempts to make them feel bad and guilty that they have not done enough. And, actually, enough is not enough with these people until they have taken everything. So, forget the words of the critics. Look to see if THEIR money is where their mouth is..It is their stock and trade to accuse those who are moved to act through true empathy. The Narcissists feel entitled while the "love thy neighbor" folks do all they can and there is a limit to what can be done. Only time and rational support will help to ease the unthinkable suffering left behind by the Tsunami. In the meantime, ask a local leftist which is worse..An act of nature which takes the lives of the innocent or cruel dictators who fill mass graves with the innocent..Rational people want both kinds to be protected and rescued.
We need to remember that abusive people will never admit that those giving help could ever give enough. They hope to wring more out of the kind hearted through verbal attempts to make them feel bad and guilty that they have not done enough. And, actually, enough is not enough with these people until they have taken everything. So, forget the words of the critics. Look to see if THEIR money is where their mouth is..It is their stock and trade to accuse those who are moved to act through true empathy. The Narcissists feel entitled while the "love thy neighbor" folks do all they can and there is a limit to what can be done. Only time and rational support will help to ease the unthinkable suffering left behind by the Tsunami. In the meantime, ask a local leftist which is worse..An act of nature which takes the lives of the innocent or cruel dictators who fill mass graves with the innocent..Rational people want both kinds to be protected and rescued.
"Yes we will give until it hurts and then the world will love us even more...right? (sarcasm)"
You speak the truth..
Sorry about the double post. I checked spelling and I guess I must have done it then..
Don't let it happen again! There are all kinds of thread type police watching, you know. =;^)
Most nations in the region with any airlift capability are playing their part.Australian C-130s are ferrying aid to Indonesia while Indian airforce AN-32s & IL-76s are operating to Sri Lanka & the Maldives(in addition to India's own disaster hit areas).But more help will be needed in all areas-probably more American units,Japan,Great Britain,the Russians etc.
No, we should be upset that we have become a global welfare provider.
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