US Aid promised for tsunami disaster relief: $15,000,000.00
Cost of US war operations in Iraq, per day: $177,000,000.00
So just how stingy is the Bush and the World's policeman (but obviously not the World's caregiver)?
Japan pledges $30 million.
European Union pledges $40.5 million (30 million Euros).
Australia pledges $10 million.
Canada pledges $4 million. (note: Canada's population is just under 32 million, barely one tenth of the US's 295+ million.)
'Tis the season of giving. Unless you're the US Grinch-in-Chief.
Post-pub note: Bush pledged $50 million to investigate the loss of seven astronauts.
Update: Duncan notes Bush isn't so stingy with this own inaugural bash.
Second update: Colin Powell now insists that the US will contribute $35 million. Meanwhile, Bush continues in the most pressing job of clearing brush from his ranch.
Posted by MB Williams at December 28, 2004 09:49 AM | TrackBackAnd...
Last missile defense test, shut down by "system anomaly": $85 million.
One hour of interest accumulation on the national debt: $78 million.
Posted by: norbizness at December 28, 2004 11:01 AMToo true. Too freakin true.
But it doesn't matter - it's just poor brown people who're dead and dying. Gosh, they're hardly human.
Bastard.
The creepy, sad thing that occured to me is that this fucking attitude is not solely Bush's. Lots and lots of Americans and europeans have it too.
Oh and by the way, can you remove one vote for Josh Marshall for best blog? He spent the last few weeks chasing up every imaginable blush in the Kerik scandal, but couldn't write one freakin sentence about 45,000 people who just died in the costliest natural disaster in recorded human history.
Yes, I know its a poli blog, but for chrisake, its a major, huge, humanitarian disaster. So many innocent people died. Would ONE freakin line expressing condolences and pointing to the freakin red cross have been too completely off-focus for a liberal blog? Ten words and a fuckin period? Jesus H Christ. Sometimes that guy shocks me.
Put me down for good ol Atrios.
Posted by: Mrk at December 28, 2004 11:46 AMFunny how you guys think this all the United States will donate. You guys also havent talked about the cost to the United State for the 4 hurricanes that went through Florida. Where was the international aide for that? When all is said and done the United States will donate more supplies, time, manpower and money than any other nation. This does not count the privately donated funds from American citizens nor the fact that the majority of the funds from the UN come out of the pocket for the US.
As far as implying that America is racist maybe you would like to comment on any nation in the world that has more diversity than the US (there is none) that gets along better (there is none)
The fact that someone finally stood up to terrorist really burns you and now you play the race card. Kiss my ass.
Could I get a job at the Export-Import Bank of the United States if I shared your views? Could I get someone to pay me to go around the blog-o-circuit and write America-is-wunderbar comments?
Hey! Can Indians (feathers, not dots, but them too) get jobs like that in the United States? Who is the highest ranking enrolled Indian at EXIM? Geeze, I used to work just up the street, at 1120 Vermont. I could have kissed your ass, if it was clean.
As for not commenting on the cost of tropical storms to the US, try "+wampum +hurricane" at a search engine. There is one on the EIBU /24. If you can't find it ask Robin Landis. x3867.
Posted by: Eric at December 28, 2004 03:25 PMThe fact that someone finally stood up to terrorist really burns you and now you play the race card.
What an absolute sicko.
Posted by: Mrk at December 28, 2004 06:54 PMEh, he works for Export-Import, so he's ... not got a lot going for him. He was right though, by CoB today the Bushies had bumped up their numbers from something that would be a credit to Chad to at least twice that.
Wierd though. An adult who thinks that race isn't involved in political calulations in the US.
Hey! Coders from schools in Atlantic Canada are welcome here.
Posted by: Eric at December 28, 2004 07:28 PMAlso notable: Bush COULD set an example to the world by, for example, making a personal charitable donation of $1000 (or $10000). Instead he's "clearing brush."
Gasp! Even $15 million is getting close to the definition of exercising 'soft power.' Are neo-cons losing grip on power? Why eschew 'hard power?' Why not declare a 'War on Weather?!'
Posted by: Peatey at December 28, 2004 11:17 PM