US government charges for evacuation

I'm with you hogtie. Why should the US Govt be responsible to evacuate these people? Now, if the US Govt put them there for whatever reason, then they're responsible to get them out. This is the problem with almost everyone today: you love to hate your government for a variety of reasons, but then hold them responsible when something bad happens to you. I hate that "standing there with your hand out" mentality. Makes me sick!

Originally posted by undecided2
This is the problem with almost everyone today: you love to hate your government for a variety of reasons, but then hold them responsible when something bad happens to you. I hate that "standing there with your hand out" mentality. Makes me sick!

Huzzah!!

Wow. Do not forget that these are American Citizens and they pay taxes. Part of the taxes that we pay as, citizens, is for our protection. To say something as ignorant as, these people should know that the middle-east is a volatile area and therefore should be responsible for their own escape is as ignorant as saying that the people of New Orleans should pay for their own rebuilding because they live in a hurricane prone area or the people of California should be responsible for rebuilding whenever there is an earthquake.

Where have our values gone when those in charge would gladly spend billions on weapons of destruction but yet turn around and claim broke when it means saving lives...pathetic

[edit on 19-7-2006 by xEphon]

Originally posted by xEphon
Wow. Do not forget that these are American Citizens and they pay taxes. Part of the taxes that we pay as, citizens, is for our protection. To say something as ignorant as, these people should know that the middle-east is a volatile area and therefore should be responsible for their own escape is as ignorant as saying that the people of New Orleans should pay for their own rebuilding because they live in a hurricane prone area or the people of California should be responsible for rebuilding whenever there is an earthquake.

Where have our values gone when those in charge would gladly spend billions on weapons of destruction but yet turn around and claim broke when it means saving lives...pathetic

[edit on 19-7-2006 by xEphon]

As an American citizen, I take it upon myself to make sure that I take responsibility for my safety and wellbeing. If I go somewhere, I have enough money to come home.

As an American citizen, if my house burns down, I won't get any help from the federal government to rebuild. Do you know how much money the govt has wasted by rebuilding and rebuilding homes of people who continually insist on rebuilding their homes on the coast? Very expensive homes? The govt didn't make anyone live in LA or CA, and the govt doesn't cause hurricaines (sorry Al Gore) or earthquakes. I don't want to die in one, so I don't move to California. Giving the govt the ability to take care of all needs is death to a free society.

No one is saying that the gov't should take care of all of its citizens needs, but honestly...these people were a victim of circumstance. This whole issue really isnt about money at all its about ethics. Im sure the majority of the people trapped had the whole $150. $150 is nothing, which is why even asking for it is a slap in the face. What people needed was an escape. Unless you forgot Lebanon is in shambles. If people could leave i'm sure most of them would have.

Its like - 'Oh i'm sorry miss, that large ferry being escorted by two warships is for paying citizens only, looks like your gonna have to go back to your hotel and wait until all the bombings are over, then a few more months until the roads and airport are operational again. Maybe by that time you'll be able to afford to come back come. BTW, dont forget to file your taxes because, well, its pretty expensive operating these warships and helicopters we have evacuating people...'

maybe its just me but i find the whole situation of asking for money in order to evacuate people to safety when the resources are RIGHT THERE highly unethical.

Look, I don't think the US Govt should ask for payment either. What I'm saying is I'm tired of that entitlement mentality. Everyone talks about how much money we spend on weapons...take a look at how much we spend on entitlement programs. I think it's around 50% of the federal budget (I'm counting Medicaid, Medicare and SS, although some would say SS is not an entitlement program). It's not my government's responsiblity to take care of me. Why is that so easy for me to understand? If my house is destroyed by a forest fire, then I better have insurance. If I don't I'm screwed...I realize that. No one takes responsibility for their own actions anymore. We're a big crybaby society.

But no one has considered that the reason they may have been asking for the money was that the cruise ship wasn't cooperating, and wanted to be paid up front to defray the cost of lost business. It was automatically assumed that the govt was being greedy. Maybe the funds that would have to be accessed by whatever dept. were not available and they wanted the ship ASAP. Instead, it just becomes another political talking point. The govt gives hands out like crazy (Katrina and the debit cards) and expects to get screwed. Why would it do it this time, especially with the whole world watching if there wasn't a legitimate explanation? I have no way of knowing what I think is true or not, but there has to have been some screw up somewhere for the govt to not give its usual handout.

This is great.

We pay for the bombs Israel is dropping on these people, and we want them to pay to get out from under them.

In a sick kind of way, it makes perfect sense...

Quite frankly, I feel sorry for the Lebanese who don't have as many options about what country to be in. The Americans chose to be there.

I was so pissed when I heard this news, for the superflous reason they spend money on goverment projects and an annually increased salary for all congress members yearly. They decide not to help people get out of a warzone because of the goverment's patriotic duty to it's americans for free, but to actually to charge for the pass.

Source:CNN.com

Well it seems that they are not stoping people saying "No money. Go away." If that is what Rice said people might not even have to pay. Which is much better then it could be.

Excellent post, Pyle.

I think this can become a non-issue now.

Have to agree with the idea that if your stupid enough to travel to such an unstable area you get what you deserve. Case in point is these morons:

edition.cnn.com...

Really what were they thinking? It's like the Griswalds.

brill

[edit on 19-7-2006 by brill]

It seems to me most of these people were there because they had family there.
You may not have noticed, but there are a lot of Lebanese immigrants here.

Secondly, it's wasn't particularly unstable in Lebanon - before Israel started bombing.
Lebanon was in the midst of a major economic recovery, the Syrians had pulled out, things were looking up. Until Israel started bombing.

And it's becoming clear that they're not simply attacking Hezbollah, but Lebanon's infrastructure in general - probably in hopes of reigniting Lebanon's civil war - the theory being that if Hezbollah is busy fighting a civil war they won't have much fight left for Israel.

So, Americans should stay at home, enjoy a Myopic View of the world because our Administration is stupid..?

The excuses and lame reasoning coming out of this white house makes me sick.

" we know Iraw has WMD. We know how to fight the war on terror. We know where the bad guys are. We must spy on America to make Americans Safe. We must imprison people we know are guilty without a trial"

enough is enough, this white house has lost any sense of bearing or logic. It is floundering and the world watches in fear not knowing what to expect from the cowboy in office.

Originally posted by valkeryie
Funny, how it works, I show the worthlessness of the US government, and they say they will now waive the fees.

I kind of doubt it had anything to do with your article...

You would have to find out first who decided to charge people for reimbursement to get Americans in Lebanon to safety, this decision was made by someone or a group in specific, and then find out who thought this was not only a bad idea, but it shouldn't even have been recommended in the first place. If you really find, with reliable sources, who did the above, i will vote you for a way above.

[edit on 19-7-2006 by Muaddib]

Originally posted by andy1033
yep but the war is result of lack of american foreign policy to fix the situation.

Really?... how is that? Enlighten us please....

Originally posted by andy1033
man how rich is america and asking for people to pay to get of out a situation, that only has happened becasue the only real super power does not want to fix the situation, and we are where we are today.

I guess you think the United States has some magical wand we can wave and solve all the problems in the world in one second...

Originally posted by brill
Have to agree with the idea that if your stupid enough to travel to such an unstable area you get what you deserve. Case in point is these morons:

edition.cnn.com...

Really what were they thinking? It's like the Griswalds.

brill

So you think people are morons cause they enjoy visiting friends and family in a different country, that they may not be all into news, that they just wanted to take a nice relaxing month vacation, only to be woken up by a war? -

I know I would be scared if I woke up in the middle of the night in the middle of a war zone half drunk. Especially if I had all my kids there.... granted I have waaay less luggage to carry around, (wife, kids) which would allow me for 'easy escape' 150 bucks poorer, but still, Heck I'd empty my account to help as many as I could if it came down to it. That's a crappy way to label people.

[edit on 19/7/2006 by wyldwylly]

People, the issue isn't whether the US government -- the one that props up Israel and probably pays for the armaments dropped on Lebanon (as mentioned above) will pay.

The issue is that Israel should pay.

It is Israel that is punishing the brand new, democratically-elected government of Lebanon for not doing in a few months what Israel hasn't been ablt to do in nearly 20 years -- route out Hezbolla.

300 dead in Lebanon, including a Canadian family, does not make Israel safer.

There has always been a silly adolescent view among some Americans that Israel, being tough and striking back, hard at every attacker, was the model of how the US should behave.

Have any of those people noticed that Israel's violent responses have not won it peace or security? Do you think there might be a lesson there?

The question isn't whether the US should charge for evacuating citizens. The question is who's going to pay for it. Either those will pay who most directly benefit - or else, we'll all pay. It costs plenty of money to evacuate those citizens. I see no harm in requiring them to agree to pay. And note that they do NOT have to pay to get out of there. They have to AGREE to pay. Personally, if I had someone firing missiles at me or dropping bombs on me, I'd agree to pay and worry about the details later. Take it out of my tax refund or something... What are they going to do - send me back if I renege on my agreement?