Posted on 01/05/2005 9:29:06 PM PST by Sgt_Schultze
What does it say about a president who spends more than $150 billion of our tax money to invade and occupy Iraq, but pledges only $35 million to help millions of people in Asia suffering from one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history?
What does it say about a president who waits three days before stepping up to a microphone to announce his personal feelings about this disaster, and make an attempt to provide the world with leadership at a time of great crises?
After a half a dozen other nations pledged twice the amount of money for relief efforts, including small countries like Spain and Sweden, Bush was finally embarrassed enough to increase his pledge to $350 million.
Big deal.
Lets put that $350 million in perspective. Since the war started in Iraq almost three years ago, Bush has spent an average of $4.4 billion per month (over $150 billion total). And he plans to ask for $80 billion more for 2005.
Or, how about this: The Pentagon plans to spend $450 million, per plane, for 160 new fighter jets.
Chalk it up to another missed opportunity for Bush and his administration to provide positive leadership in the world, and to show millions of Muslims that we really do care about them and are not just interested in waging war against them.
Instead, Bush, once again on vacation in Texas, could not find it in himself to walk up to a microphone for a couple of minutes, announce that he was sorry about the disaster, and that the U.S. government would do everything in its power to help the people involved in the disaster.
And, for goodness sake, he should give up on the lame excuse that he had to consult with his advisors and come up with a plan before making an announcement. You don't need advisors to tell you how to make a simple statement of compassion and support, and announce that you'll have more details later.
Moreover, after three days of consulting with advisors, the best they could come up with is $35 million? Heck, his second inauguration and the nine inaugural dances he are having later this month will cost over $40 million.
If Bush wants to make a real statement he should cancel the nine inaugural dances and send the $40 million to help the millions in Asia, including thousands of Americans still missing.
But, why are we so surprised by this government's insensitivity to the grief and suffering of others? After all, we just learned that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld would not take the time to sign letters of condolences to families of American soldiers killed in Iraq. Instead, he has been having a machine sign the letters for him.
Can you imagine having your son killed in Iraq and then getting a machine-signed letter of condolence from the U.S. government? What an insult to our soldiers and their families.
This is the president who we re-elected to bring morality and values back to our society?
How a government spends its treasure says much about its morals and values.
Bush can talk about democracy and freedom and morality and values all he wants. But the policies of his administration tell a far different story.
As my mother always says, don't judge a person by his words. Instead, look at his behavior. Talk is cheap.
Fortunately, individual Americans and American corporations, like Pfizer Pharmaceuticals who alone made a $35 million pledge, will step up to the plate and show the world that, in spite of our current government in Washington, Americans are still the most generous people in the world.
Tom Zirpoli writes from Westminster, MD. His column appears on Wednesdays. E-mail him at:
tzirpoli@mcdaniel.edu
This screed offers the wholly distilled talking points as propagated by the far left commissars. It' fun to see so many already hackneyed expressions used in a single C- (at best) all-nighter. He received the C- because he forgot to use the one about, If we can send a man to the moon...
Just the blubbering of a PEST. Still not "over it".
BTW Arki, you're #2 on the generosity scale, Ole Tom's state is #30 - you stingy cuss, you.
Here's what the professor complained about earlier in his term paper...
Instead, Bush, once again on vacation in Texas, could not find it in himself to walk up to a microphone for a couple of minutes, announce that he was sorry about the disaster, and that the U.S. government would do everything in its power to help the people involved in the disaster.
Only nine paragraphs before you pull-quote, where Tom says, "Talk is Cheap," he complained that W wasn't fast enough with his cheap-talk.
Like Tom's reasoning, his grading policies must be haphazard as well.
"What does it say about a president who spends more than $150 billion of our tax money to invade and occupy Iraq, but pledges only $35 million to help millions of people in Asia suffering from one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history? "
It says that he's smart enough to recognize a real threat to our way of life coming our way from the Middle East, and wise enough to know that charity is NOT government's primary function. He is protecting our private sector so that it will be able to continue to provide most of the assistance that the third world receives, rather than allowing it to be returned to the dark ages under the heel of a blood-thirsty moon-god.
Values, huh?
What does it say about a man who advocates using the government to expropriate money from hard-working Americans to turn it over to someone else?
My momma and daddy taught me that taking something to belongs to someone else is called "stealing."
If those hard-working Americans wish to give some of their money to the victims of the Asian tragedy, they can do so themselves... through private charity. They don't need to have the money taken from them by force.
That sucks!
LOL!
"who waits three days"
Hmmmm? I thought it was Kofi who was skiing for 3 days - while the President was organizing Australia, Japan and India for a relief effort. And .. it was President Bush who WAS THE FIRST ONE TO CALL AND OFFER AID TO INDONESIA .. and I do believe the head of Indonesia has said so publically several times.
You're right .. this is just the usual drivel from the left - no bother to check out the facts - just spew the talking points.
This post is in desperate need of a MORON alert in the header.
It's hard to accept that somebody this dumb could actually earn a paycheck from a university. The only conclusion that I can come to is that the university administrators are dumber than Zirpoli.
But, someone, have a care for our kids who are going to be put into the care of nitwits like this for "educational" purposes. Good grief!
The President does not hold the nation's purse strings, Congress does. The President cannot simply unilateraly allocate funds to this disaster. In fact, I understand the $350 million he did pledge was the entire amount previously appropriated by Congress in the budget for all emergency relief (including domestic tornados, hurricanes and earthquakes.) His initial pledges of $15,000 then $35,000 must have been allocations they originally found that could be unsed for foreign relief purposes. I understand that the President's pledge has now been approved by the newly covened Congress.
Detractors of the President's actions lack a fundamental understanding of how our governmental system works.
You'd think they would want more reasoning power from a Laurence J. Adams Endowed Chair in Special Education. Maybe his insights on parenting are of higher calibre.
I think the fact the good Prefessor is a liberal Professor of education, neatly explains that failing.
35 million is a hellofalot more than I would have given. I'd a tossed them a quarter and said call some who cares.
Which is probably why I'm not president.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.