$1,999,520.59 has been given by "stingy" Americans to the Red Cross, privately through Amazon, in addition to government coerced contributions of at least $20 million..
Amazon’s alone would be more than ten times France's $177,000 contribution. But who's keeping score?
My distrust for and disagreements with the UN have now metastasized into full loathing. Seeing that Norwegian Bastard on TV during the first tsunami reports calling for greater taxation -- presumably so that we could route the money through his corrupt bureaucrat mafia -- was really too much to bear.
Nor can I look at SecGen Kofi Annan anymore. The man has so much blood on his hands, including the poor people in Iraq, Bosnia, Rwanda and Sudan that his organization has ignored, robbed or raped. Plus all the terrorist attacks in Israel that he has helped finance. All so he can feign importance in front of the other blood-soaked representatives of despots in Marble Quarters at Turtle Bay.
It is noticeable, when President Bush delivers a speech at the UN that NO American government building features the ostentation and superciliousness of the UN. Its dais towers above the people being addressed -- perfect for penny-ante thieves playing dress up democracy.
I had some hope of reform in the wake of oil-for-food (UNSCAM), but now my hope is for complete reform or US withdrawal. The USA, and free people in general, get no benefit out of the UN anymore.
Pardon the rant, days after I criticized another, but I have reached a new position: US out of UN, now!
I am Googling to find the link, but somebody (Nordlinger? Geraghty? Henninger?) said "If Canada were to disappear tomorrow, it would be too bad for the 60 million citizens, but if the US were to disappear tomorrow, it would be 1,000 years of darkness for the whole world." If you know who that was, please let me know. I will keep looking.
UPDATE: In the 15 minutes I spend writing this angry screed, the total went from $1.8M to over $2M: two hundred thousand dollars in a quarter hour. And it seems to be rising exponentially; yestreday's blogs marvel at the same change over four hours.
Posted by jk at December 29, 2004 11:33 AMThe latest number I heard for the coerced amount was 35mil. The news this morning reported that Johnson & Johnson (read evil US corporate giant) was giving 2mil all by itself, more than many countries. I will not be surprised if the total value of aid heading for Asia from this country eventually runs to the hundreds of millions but still they hate us.
How much more evidence do people need that we cannot buy the love of the rest of the world any more than one can buy the love of a spoiled child with more toys.
Posted by: dagny at December 29, 2004 04:20 PMThere are some ugly underpinnings to this aid business. I was extremely distressed by Sri Lanka's refusal to accept Israeli forces. A large "fine, screw you!" boils inside me.
All the same, I think it is proper that we perform humanitarian assistance. Like Johngalt, I don't think we have to rebuild Sri Lanka to its opulent splendor (coughcough!) but we can step in and use what lefties point out is a very small percentage of GDP and lift some people up.
No, they still won't like us, Dagny, you're right -- but perhaps the more western-friendly nations will buy products and services from us to rebuild. I hear Halliburton is a very nice company...
Think of it as part of the ad budget for US corporations. Johnson and Johnson may get better return off this investment than a 30 sec spot during the Super Bowl. Good old capitalism and private enterprise can make this a win-win situation. Maybe you cannot buy love, but I do believe that most people remember kindness in a time of need. If a US Navy warship gets to the area and can provide the 90,000 gallons of fresh water a day that has been stated that could really buy us some goodwill. Goodwill from the people and goodwill from the government, especially a non or psuedo democratic one are certainly not one and the same so payoff will not be so direct and evident but may be there nonetheless. It could be a good investment just as for Johnson & Johnson, who also would be hard pressed to show the board a direct relationship to the bottom line, even though it may be there.
Posted by: Silence Dogood at December 30, 2004 06:33 PM