[Travis McGee]

If you are a leader of a corrupt third world country, why bother to spend that tax money on emergency equipment and rescue training?

Just steal the money, and build a few more private villas and mansions for your family.

After all, Uncle Sugar will come around to pull your chestnuts out of the fire after any disaster.

[river rat]

I don't know what it will take to convince folks - that the strength and endurance of America is LIMITED....

Our friends are few - our enemy plentiful.
To tilt at every windmill in the world because we CAN, will diminish our strength and leave unchanged our enemies inbred hate for us.

In the world of reality --- we have seen how our history of charity and generosity has done little or nothing to shelter us from the animosity of our enemies....

To put all one's faith in God rewarding the "Good", is a fool's escape from reality.. I've seen too many GOOD MEN, attempting to do good, killed by evil men with evil intent for me to buy into the "rewards for doing good" banter.

Semper Fi