Replies

I never, never, never stated that the US governemnt is more efficient. However, I have implied that it can mobilize with certain essential pieces of equipment better than any private firms.
Do you know of any private firms that have several large scale water purification systems that are operating, on a ship and ready to go?? >>

Of course not, nor does the US Government. You reply as if we had them in stockpile just because the US Government is big and bloated. I can tell you that OXFAM and WORLD VISION have small scale water purification systems, engineers, and specs drawn up that can be reproduced on a large scale and distributed MUCH faster than anything the fed has.

Your point about the military is well founded. If we have PRIVATE CITIZENS doing PRIVATE CHARITY who need protection against the Tamil Tigers, then it is certainly appropriate to request permission from the sovereign government of Sri Lanka that our military be allowed to provide the protection that theirs either cannot or will not. Military protection for our citizens and the protection of Americans is LEGAL according to that quaint old fashioned document that we call the "Constitution."

Your statement that private firms are less able to mobilize as quickly as the US Military is so absurd that I hardly know whether to refute or just stand back and laugh at it. Big ain't better, and when it comes to government, big means ponderous, stupid, wasteful, inefficient, and inept. Good motives are never a substitute for bad decisions.

Do you know of any private firms that have several large scale water purification systems that are operating, on a ship and ready to go?? >>Of course not, nor does the US Government

from source: http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2004/Dec/29-174477.html:

"Lieutenant General James T. Conway, Joint Chiefs of Staff director of operations, was at the same briefing, describing the array of military resources that the Pacific Command is sending into the region. Five ships each capable or producing 90,000 gallons (over 340 kiloliters) of fresh water a day are heading to the Bay of Bengal. Two more U.S. ships with the same capability are already in the Indian Ocean and steaming toward the affected region, Conway said."

Or shall we wait for OXFAM to "scale up their drawings"?