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FYI
Authored by: Lectrick on Dec 29, '04 06:58:14PM

Assuming the U.S. raises its donation from 35 million to 70 million- with approx. 100,000 victims, that's 700 dollars per victim, at a cost to each U.S. taxpayer of... about a quarter.

So I thus commend our host's very generous donation!

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In /dev/null, no one can hear you scream



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FYI, indeed
Authored by: daveschroeder on Jan 01, '05 12:59:21PM

http://www.nypost.com/commentary/37436.htm

As is reiterated in the above article, it pains me to even have to spell these things out in the light of such tragedy, but:

- The $35 million dollars was not, and never was, a "pledge" of total support. What it was was the US's initial reaction: it was the entire budget of USAID, the agency responsible for overseeing this type of aid. A disaster occurred, they committed their whole budget. It did not, and never did, represent the whole of US aid for this disaster; it was merely the first and initial response.

- The "pledge" has already increased to $350M, but even that does not come close to representing the aid the US will give in total.

- Over the past four years, the US has given more disaster, international development, and other such aid than ALL other nations - COMBINED (regardless of % of GDP arguments...while informative, it's somewhat insulting and irrelevant when the US's official aid in these situations already greatly surpasses that of all other nations combined.)

- There is no accounting for the fact that we have sent other intangibles to the area, such as the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier battle group. No, they don't specifically need an "aircraft carrier" - that's not the point. But the advanced communications, logistics, materiel, and administrative support that such a floating group of cities can bring to the torn region which has lost all of these has immense benefit. Not to mention, represents a commitment of hundreds of millions of dollars. But that's NOT important now; what is important is that we will provide whatever help we can.

- This completely ignores the extremely generous private donations that will come from millions of Americans. (Does EVERYTHING have to be administered by the federal government?) The parent poster apparently recognizes, and yet simultaneously doesn't recognize, this fact.

Hell, even now, aid is piling up at airports with no way to reach the people who need it. The WHO estimates that 5 million people are currently without access to the basic tools of survival.

As the article closes:

"Any rational person would have understood without having to be told what the president told the world on Wednesday morning, which is that the $35 million pledge "is only the beginning of our help."

But maybe people are looking for a sideshow to distract them from the sickening pictures and the keening cries of the untold numbers of mothers whose babies were swept away."



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