U.N. slams U.S. as 'stingy' over tsunami aid!

Originally posted by Mahree

I think the discussion on this topic is ugly.

Mahree-- As you see from my posts above... I whole-heartedly agree.

Fortunately, it doesn't have to stay 'ugly'.

Perhaps the discussion, now, should be more about how & what people can contribute-- and not just money.

So, here are just a few helpful suggestions & resources...




At the time of this posting, Amazon.com has collected--

Almost 100,000 individual donations,

Reaching OVER $6-Million-US...

in just 24 hours!!!

AWESOME!!!

Donate on Amazon.com >HERE< or click on their 'donate' image below...

[align=center][/align]



American Institute of Philanthropy - Charity Watchdog Helping Donors Make Informed Giving Decisions

Verify the quality of your charitable organization as well as how much they take for "Administrative Purposes".

Better charities insure that 80%+ actually goes toward the tasks being funded & receiving donations for tasking!



30dec2003 UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy, "Distilled water can be as bad as the contaminated water."

"Jackie Chan Donates Thousands to UNICEF"...

Donate directly to United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF)...

Get additional UNICEF information & view their interesting videos, images, & more...



VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP COLLECT FOR TSUNAMI RELIEF



Google Search- tsunami volunteers OR donations OR contributions




Others may have even more creative, innovative ways to contribute!!!

Let's do it! Carpe Diem !

SAS

Hey America did you kinow that good old Australia, the quiet acheiver with a population of less than 10 per cent of the USA donated $30 million within the first 24 hours of the disaster?

Pretty good effort considering that the Bush administration had only pledged $5 million at that point. The US Govt has only pledged less than 0.01% of the US GDP whereas we Aussies have pledged in excess of 1% of our GDP and your are 10 times bigger than us.

Did you know that the money donated by the US to date is equal to cost of 5 hours fighting in Iraq? Pretty pathetic act and a clear indication of of the way you Yanks act in life - all talk and bugger all action.!!

Pull your collective fingers out of your butts and join us quiet acheivers like Japan, China, Canada, New Zealand and so on and shut up about how great a nation you are. You're nothing without the treaties you have with us and other nations!!

I am truly happy to see the compassion you have for the peoples of Asia. Keep up the good work.
An American

thanks for the awesome links

How come the UK have donated more money than the US? We're about the size of Texas. You should be donating far more than us. Hopefully you will in the end.

When looking at these figures, are we comparing apples and oranges?
meaning, 30 mill in one currancy might be worth more/less than 30 mill in another curancy?

Indeed some of us DO want to see who is giving what, but we need a relative scale to really be able to see the ACTUAL relative amounts.

Indeed, who gives the most is irrelavent as it is the act of giving that is important, and no one that gives is lesser than another in this reguard...
which is why it was in poor taste for the UN to call the USA stingy.
This is twice as bad a slap when the USA is bashed by the UN but then expects a handout, and then complains about the help given. According to President Bush's statements yesterday...The USA provided 40% of ALL aid given in the world for 2004....thats a lot.

As an American I am proud that our government is one of the top providers of relief aid to the world...consistantly. No shame in that. But dont call us STINGY, and expect generosity to be maintained.
Meaning...when you ask for help, dont complain about the help offered.

The UN didn't call the US stingy. One Norweigan guy made a silly statement saying that Western nations were being stingy. For a nation of your size and power, I'd expect you to be donating 40%. You are the 'world police' after all.

President Bush's innauguration will cost $ 45 million

"war on terrorism" 177 million daily

When you look at these figures its obvious this government is not doing much for the tsunami cause.

Of course, as i pointed out on another thread, Americans will more than double this figure because we are very giving people.

Originally posted by Indigo_Child

Also, our private charities and churches give ASTOUNDING amounts.
(heck ... my little church has a sister church in Guatamala that we
are working water projects and other health issues with -
tens of thousands of $$$ freely given by the people of my little church
that never make the news).

I am not interested in your "Astounding" and "Immense" rhetoric.
If it was "astounding" there would simply be no poverty anywhere
in the world.

THAT's our culture. Something that apparently plenty of non-Americans don't understand. We give privately and through charities. That's our way. Too bad this culture isn't respected and some think that
only their way of 'official government donation' counts.

I am not sure where you live, but it's not America, it sounds more like Never Never land.

I am not buying it sorry, it's nothing more than empty and misguided words.

Well, looks like you can be lead to the truth, but no one can make
you think. Sad. Very sad. You are so stuck in your anti-american
blindness that the facts about private donation can't even get
through to you.

The fact is what Americans are giving is ASTOUDING and IMMENSE.
That's not rhetoric. Those aren't misguided and empty words.
That's the facts. And no, it's not never-neverland. It's AMERICA.
You obviously haven't got a clue about what Americans are like
and you don't understand our culture at all. (Except that you
call this Nazi America ) The hate and ignorance about
America in you is ... well ... strange. It's amazing that someone
could be so anti something that they obviously know nothing
about and when shown positive facts about ... you just continue
to hate. Simply amazing.

Your statement - 'If it was "astounding" there would simply
be no poverty anywhere in the world.' is ignorant. Even if
America gave everything it had, there would still be poverty
in the world. You are using America for a scapegoat. You just
want to hate something because of the problems in the world
and you are aiming at America. psychology 101 stuff ....

The FACTS are that Americans are privately giving (as is our
culture) all across this wonderful country. I walked into the
little newstand around the corner yesterday and there was
a HUGE glass jar stuffed with cash. The sign on it said 'for the
SriLanka Quake Victims'. Gotta' wonder how many of
those are on counters across the entire town, the state, the
whole country. Our church is doing much the same, as
all the churches in town are. Business's are setting up matching
donations - for every 1$ that an employee donates to the quake
relief, the business will match another 1$.

Of course, none of this will ever make the 'official' donation
count - which seems to be the only thing you are interested in.

I feel sorry for you. Really. I hope you will find some good
professional person to talk to so you can deal with your irrational
hate and closed mindedness about Americans and our
culture. Bigotry is so sad. Closed mindedness when presented
with positive information about something you hate is so sad.

As I said, I'll be praying for you. This is all I will say on this
because obviously you won't be listening.



[edit on 12/31/2004 by FlyersFan]

Well, looks like you can be lead to the truth, but no one can make
you think. Sad. Very sad. You are so stuck in your anti-american
blindness that the facts about private donation can't even get
through to you.

I lead to you some actual facts and figures. I could not make you see.

The fact is what Americans are giving is ASTOUDING and IMMENSE.
That's not rhetoric.

Yes it is.

Those aren't misguided and empty words.

Yes they are. Consider: Your are 20 hungry people. I own an entire supermarket of surplus flood. I give you one meal for all of you 20 people. Are you going to say my giving was "ASTOUNDING" and "IMMENSE" ?

That's the facts. And no, it's not never-neverland. It's AMERICA.

No, it's never-neverland. The America you claim does not exist and never existed.

You obviously haven't got a clue about what Americans are like
and you don't understand our culture at all. (Except that you
call this Nazi America

) The hate and ignorance about
America in you is ... well ... strange. It's amazing that someone
could be so anti something that they obviously know nothing
about and when shown positive facts about ... you just continue
to hate. Simply amazing.

I have a good idea of what America is like. However, I do not hate Americans. I don't even hate your governenment.

Your statement - 'If it was "astounding" there would simply
be no poverty anywhere in the world.' is ignorant. Even if
America gave everything it had, there would still be poverty
in the world.

I have already done the calculations of how most of poverty will be eradicated in a single year if America gave only 10% of it's GDP(Gross domestic project) It has the power to bring 1 billion people out of poverty in a single year by only 10% of it's income. That is what would be "ASTOUNDING" and "IMMENSE"

The FACTS are that Americans are privately giving (as is our
culture) all across this wonderful country. I walked into the
little newstand around the corner yesterday and there was
a HUGE glass jar stuffed with cash. The sign on it said 'for the
SriLanka Quake Victims'. Gotta' wonder how many of
those are on counters across the entire town, the state, the
whole country. Our church is doing much the same, as
all the churches in town are. Business's are setting up matching
donations - for every 1$ that an employee donates to the quake
relief, the business will match another 1$.

I know Americans are privately giving. They have been giving for the last 60 years. Yet, hundreds of millions still are in abject poverty. So much for "ASTOUNDING" and "IMMENSE"

I feel sorry for you. Really. I hope you will find some good
professional person to talk to so you can deal with your irrational
hate and closed mindedness about Americans and our
culture. Bigotry is so sad. Closed mindedness when presented
with positive information about something you hate is so sad.

As I said, I'll be praying for you. This is all I will say on this
because obviously you won't be listening.

I feel sorry for you that a Christian falsely believe they are free and are naive enough to give away their rights for a false-promise of protection from a government, that they know, is made of men that practice satanic rituals. How sad.

[edit on 31-12-2004 by Indigo_Child]

I must say I was rather shocked when I heard america had only donated 3 million more then Britain. Have they increased it

Is this a case of america looking after their own again???

It has just been incressed to 350 million according to MSNBC

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States plans to increase its aid to victims of Asia's devastating tsunami to $350 million from $35 million, CNN reported on Friday.


Thats more like it, by golly

Yeah that sounds a bit better

In addition to the money our govt will send, many American companies are sending more than a lot of countries are sending.

In total, we are sending a whole helluva lot. And, we don't owe anyone anything -- I don't recall anyone sending aid to Florida (I'm pretty sure we took care of that ourselves) -- we're just trying to be helpful but to try and burden us with some obligation to do something will only make people react harshly.

"We outmatch the contributions of other nations combined; we'll continue to do so," Bush spokesman Trent Duffy told reporters in Crawford, Texas, where the president is spending a post-Christmas vacation at his ranch.

"That's a European standard, this percentage that's used," Natsios said. "The United States, for 40 years, has never accepted these standards that it should be based on the gross national product. We base it on the actual dollars that we spent."

"The reason is that our gross national product is so enormous. And our growth rates are so much higher than the other wealthy nations."

www.cnn.com...

Originally posted by MysticalUnicorn
The UN is bad news. They are a bunch nations who hate america. They are jealous of our success. You know, I feel bad for the people who got hit bu the tsunami but if I want to give my money, I WILL!

I don't want any arguments about this. The UN is scum and it is bad news. Mfouri, I think you were misinformed about the UN.

I AM AN AMERICAN! I WORK FOR MYSELF! SEE IF YOU CAN! That's why we are rich, we have better ideas and we work harder. F*** off UN

Forgive my language, even when I did censor it, the UN needs to go down!

This really does not help you make the US look good.

I wonder how bitter the UN folks are of all these countries donating aid derectly to those affected by the disaster. I mean, there are a lot of funds now flowing to Asia, and they don't get to put their grubby hands on it, you know, like the way they handled Iraq's Food-for-oil program.

Just think about that.

They are missing out on millions that could be lining their pockets instead of actually going to those in need. Poor Kofi, he missed out on a good cash cow here, should have not taken that vacation.


Check out the following thread

www.abovetopsecret.com...


[edit on 1-1-2005 by simtek 22]

IndigoChild says,

I have already done the calculations of how most of poverty will be eradicated in a single year if America gave only 10% of it's GDP(Gross domestic project) It has the power to bring 1 billion people out of poverty in a single year by only 10% of it's income. That is what would be "ASTOUNDING" and "IMMENSE"

SO WHAT? Even if your analysis is correct, does this address the problems where these poor live? Will it just prop them up or does it make them capable of at least maintaining this new level of existance? Who will continue to support these poor if there is already NOT the means to do so there? (education, resources, infrastructure)
And in the long run, helping inflate the population of the world, by consuming more and more resources that can be produced or maintained is good for the planet, let alone everyone when things start to run out because we've artificially kept people from dying because they cant support themselves already? Please, i think even tho helping in times of crisis is the humane thing to do....the ecosystem that already cant support mans use of it in places, will not suddenly become friendly and begin to meet the needs there. How long can this artificial life support really last?
Isnt the law of nature going to eventually close in and claim places/people like this?

Indigo continues,

I know Americans are privately giving. They have been giving for the last 60 years. Yet, hundreds of millions still are in abject poverty. So much for "ASTOUNDING" and "IMMENSE"

So because the people recieving aid are not able to maintain, support, or improve upon their conditions, you blame the person trying to send some help?

Lets be clear here....the American government is responsible to its citizens first, not the rest of the world. ANY aid that the USA provides could be argued that it could be used here at home, instead of being given to places that dont seem able to become self reliant for whatever reasons.
America, its people and by reflection its government, gives because we are kind, generous, and humane. We dont do it because its nessisary, manditory, demanded, extorted, or otherwise taken from us.
America is NOT responsible for poverty in other places in the world, even if we do offer something to try and help.
Darwinism will eventually overtake any attempt by man to stop poverty and death from manifesting. It is folly to believe that man can continue to support more and more humans, on a planet with finite resources. Eventually, poverty and death will find man and claim its due.

... we have to wake up to the fact that the earth cannot sustain us at our present rate of consumption, population growth and destruction. As far as Darwinism, who is to say which traits are 'fitter' than others (and try getting fit without clean water, let alone proper nutrition). Mother Nature is ruthless and does not discriminate between rich and poor, western and eastern, powerful and weak.

We are all on this planet together ... the planet is sick. Love and compassion heals. It is great how governments are giving support and pledged continued support to those devastated by the tsunami, just fantastic how people all over the world are being so kind and generous.

Lets not be too quick to criticise - Americans ARE very generous in their aid. Other countries too are very generous and have given and pledged what they can in terms of money, resources and expertise/technology. We can all do our bit - those people need all the help they can get. This is an opportunity to practice humanity, to grow - yes evolve ... we help because we can.