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EOF more on Tsunami Relief -- an alternative view
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 16:12:36 -0500
------ Forwarded Message From: Norman MacLeod <gaelwolf () waypt com> Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 10:13:01 -0800 To: <dave () farber net> Subject: RE: [IP] more on Tsunami Relief -- an alternative view Dave - I'd like to point out something here that is being missed by much of the punditry and UN bureaucracy. Where the United States is concerned, the majority of aid is provided from individuals and the private sector. When looked at in these terms, the overall American contribution to the world's relief efforts overwhelms the rest of the world combined. Many of us realize that more of our dollar will get to the actual point of need if it is managed through experienced charities than if we entrust our contributions to faceless international or federal bureaucratic entity, where all too often the portion of the dollar reaching the point of need is a mere shadow of its former self. As of last night, the U.S. Government contribution in plain dollars was $35 million. That does not include the amount of money used in converting military operations of one carrier group, one expeditionary force and a host of Air Force resources to the tsunami relief effort. Those converted military operations consume millions of dollars a day that will be accounted from the Pentagon's budget, and likely never published in the media. In the same period, American corporations have added another $80 million to the mix. Individual donors have poured many millions more into the charitable organizations doing the work on the ground. Although my most recent peek was day before yesterday, I noted that in comparison to this, France had allocated a whopping $160,000 to the tsunami relief effort. Remind me again of just how morally just and important the French government is on the world stage? The individual American citizen, on average, donates 7-8 times as much money to charitable works as does the average individual French or German citizen, where people rely on their governments to handle to national contribution to disaster relief and foreign aid. Our nation chooses not to tax people to provide funding for foreign aid and relief efforts to the extent several other developed nations do. Experience indicates that we don't have to, because most of us are brought up to feel and generously act upon a responsibility to help those in need. Until such time as the American citizen no longer performs that duty in times of need, we are not going to have to raise the funding for these purposes through taxation. If the rest of the world fails to understand this, perhaps it's they who should be learning from us...not the other way around. Norman ===================================================== -----Original Message----- From: owner-ip () v2 listbox com [mailto:owner-ip () v2 listbox com] On Behalf Of David Farber Sent: Friday, December 31, 2004 9:17 AM To: Ip Subject: [IP] more on Tsunami Relief -- an alternative view Dear Dave, i agree that the first responsibility of the US governement is to US citizens. however, i would like to point out the following: 1. since the US needs other countries for economic and political reasons, it is necessary for the US to maintain a friendly relationship with other countries. such friendly relations can be improved by helping the affected countries during disasters. 2. US is not the only country donating relief funds. see the list published by BBC: World Bank: $250m UK: $96m Sweden: $75m Spain: $68m China: $60m France: $56m EU $44m Netherlands: $36m US: $35m Canada: $33m Japan: $30m Australia: $27m Switzerland: $23m Norway: $16.6m Denmark: $15.6m Saudi Arabia: $10m Taiwan: $5.1m Finland: $3.4m Kuwait: $2.1m UAE: $2m Source: Reuters, United Nations 3. the amount offered by US is not big enough to affect the country's economy in any way. in fact, this is just the 18-month salary of Alex Rodrigues. best, deva seetharam ------ End of Forwarded Message ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- EOF more on Tsunami Relief -- an alternative view David Farber (Dec 31)