Are We Stingy? Yes

NYT ^ | 30 December 2004 | Who Really Cares?

[.cnI redruM]

President Bush finally roused himself yesterday from his vacation in Crawford, Tex., to telephone his sympathy to the leaders of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia, and to speak publicly about the devastation of Sunday's tsunamis in Asia. He also hurried to put as much distance as possible between himself and America's initial measly aid offer of $15 million, and he took issue with an earlier statement by the United Nations' emergency relief coordinator, Jan Egeland, who had called the overall aid efforts by rich Western nations "stingy." "The person who made that statement was very misguided and ill informed," the president said.

We beg to differ. Mr. Egeland was right on target. We hope Secretary of State Colin Powell was privately embarrassed when, two days into a catastrophic disaster that hit 12 of the world's poorer countries and will cost billions of dollars to meliorate, he held a press conference to say that America, the world's richest nation, would contribute $15 million. That's less than half of what Republicans plan to spend on the Bush inaugural festivities.

The American aid figure for the current disaster is now $35 million, and we applaud Mr. Bush's turnaround. But $35 million remains a miserly drop in the bucket, and is in keeping with the pitiful amount of the United States budget that we allocate for nonmilitary foreign aid. According to a poll, most Americans believe the United States spends 24 percent of its budget on aid to poor countries; it actually spends well under a quarter of 1 percent.

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[SolutionsOnly]

Well at least they are consistent in their belief that they think THEY should dictate how much WE should give. The left wants to tell us how to run our own lives. The hypocrisy of it all is astounding.

[bill1952]

Exactly.

I wish that we could start a boycott of their advertisers.

[Lando Lincoln]

The blame America first crowd will never stop. Their's is an emotional world. Bill Clinton could bite his lip and say, "I feel your pain" and they'd all salivate like Pavlov's dog. The adults say this is our initial response and then follow-up with a full assessment and more aid and the dogs snarl and growl. Pathetic.

Lando

[.cnI redruM]

Well let's see....

If I were a newspaper, I wouldn't crow about how ignorant people were, I'd print some valid information and correct their misconceptions. That, however, would involve telling the truth. This would aggravate the allergies of several NYT reporters. Putting out honest information would probably give these people the hives.

[Ginifer]

We are not a stingy country. We provided more than 30% - 40% of all the foreign aid to countries last year. The American people donate more money to more causes all over the world (through taxes and personal donations). We send our military to areas where there is war, turmoil, and natural disasters to help out. We have numerous agencies who travel all over the world to help out those less fortunate than ourselves. No matter how much we give or how much we do it will never be enough. NYT is so obvious with their bias. Anytime they can make the USA look "bad" they do.

[.cnI redruM]

"There are tens of thousands dead in one day and many more that are dying and the NYT and the UN are worried about how much we are NOT taxed."

I wish that could fit in a tagline.

[mewzilla]

And this president, unlike his predecessor, will see to it that the money we send gets to where it's needed.

[KJacob]

We hope Secretary of State Colin Powell was privately embarrassed when, two days into a catastrophic disaster that hit 12 of the world's poorer countries and will cost billions of dollars to meliorate, he held a press conference to say that America, the world's richest nation, would contribute $15 million

Help me if I am wrong but wasn't Mr. Powell talking about an initial donation from one agency? I was a wait and see how much more was needed plus there are many other agencies and private sources. This is just filth.

[Eagle Eye]

Why should the US go it alone?

Didn't the "WORLD" get upset with the US before?

Hey, we've learned our lesson, won't go it alone, and the rest of the world can pick up the slack.

[stopem]

"the NYT and the UN are worried about how much we are NOT taxed. "

Not only the NYT and the UN but so are all the loony libs. They can foam at the mouth all they want who cares. If they are so darn concerned than they need to open their pocketbooks and put their money where their big mouths are.

Don't get me started........;)

[.cnI redruM]

My fiance' brought up a very interesting point. Namely that the US is running a budgetary deficit and still found $35mil to give. That, to me, defines giving until it hurts.

[Brilliant]

New Yorkers tend to be stingier than most Americans, so I suspect that the NYT assumes the rest of us are stingy, as well.

You'd think that with the vast wealth in NY, they'd be the top givers. In fact, it is the poor states in the South that give the greatest share of their income to charity. The wealthy Blue states are the worst givers.

[P.O.E.]

Helping the people of Iraq? Who's been stingy there? France, Germany, Russia, THE UN!!

[Lacey]

off topic; but I just broke my own rules and turned into the Today show thinking I'd see some tsumani stories. Instead I tuned in (at :14 after the hour) what could have been a SNL skit about a couple from Gig Harbor who (gasp) had to stay on a plane for 28 hours. I missed the first part so don't know what it was all about but somehow I couldn't muster up much sympathy for them despite Ann whatsername's efforts.

[commonguymd]

It might boil down to just a sheer ignorance on just how the American system of government in a Republic actually works. The President doesn't have the power to allocate money any way he sees fit. Money is distributed, allocated, and spent by way of congress.

I like what someone said about the workings of private charities being far more effective than that of government institutions. So true - and one just needs to look towards the government education systems for proof.

[shubi]

We should give muslim countries and dictatorships NOTHING.

[.cnI redruM]

Ignorance seems to be the stock in trade of the modern journalist.

[Quilla]

FYI, the Washington Post article that started this new round of America-bashing quoted Leslie H. Gelb in the following snip:

Some foreign policy specialists said Bush’s actions and words both communicated a lack of urgency about an event that will loom as large in the collective memories of several countries as the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks do in the United States. “When that many human beings die — at the hands of terrorists or nature — you’ve got to show that this matters to you, that you care,” said Leslie H. Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations. ...

Gelb said what appears to be a grudging increase in effort sends the wrong message, at a time when dollar totals matter less than a clear statement about U.S. intentions. Noting that the disaster occurred at a time when large numbers of people in many nations — especially Muslim ones such as Indonesia — object to U.S. policies in Iraq, he said Bush was missing an opportunity to demonstrate American benevolence.

What the article fails to mention, is that Ms. Gleb was a senior advisor on John F. Kerry’s foreign relations team.

[commonguymd]

Don't know if that is the American way, but I can certainly understand the frustration. This frustration will certainly build as the aid will eventually be dismissed and not appreciated. This country's heart will be giving in any disaster regardless of the recipient's response.

[bill1952]

Yep.

As a Floridian who was in the middle of the eyes of two hurricanes, I would like to know exactly how much aid we received from the rest of the world.

Besides nothing, I mean.