UK Times - British help is on the way

[Catchawave]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1416404,00.html

British help on the way

The British Government swang into action during the early hours of Boxing Day, the instant news began to arrive on the devastation in Asia.
Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said: “For all the huge advances in the control of our lives through science and technology an earthquake on this scale is truly humbling as well as profoundly tragic for everyone involved.

“Messages of condolence from the British Government have been sent to the governments of India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives along with offers of practical assistance. These are being co-ordinated between the FCO, DFID and MOD.

“As soon as the news came through in the small hours of this morning our emergency plans for such as situation were activated. In London Consular officials were called back from leave, regional Rapid Deployment Teams in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur put on stand-by. Our Ambassador in Thailand, David Fall and staff are on their way to Phuket. Every effort is being made by British High Commission Staff in Colombo, Sri Lanka (which also covers the Maldives) to provide assistance.

[PartyPooper]

1. This is what the British should be doing, instead of propping up Bu$h

in an illegal war for oil!

Kill people in the Middle East...Save people in Indonesia.

:wtf: is that all about?

:crazy:

[Career Prole]

3. A tsunami is an "act of God".

The Iraq war is an act of someone who thinks he's God.
Completely different set of rules, I suppose. :shrug:

[Gardeaux08]

2. Good thing they CAN help.

We have no one left to send to assist Asia. Hell, we don't have enough military to help ourselves in times of natural disaster.

[Forever Free]

4. A tragedy of this magnitude really puts human hubris in its place

For all the strength of the last superpower on the planet, it is completely dwarfed by the sheer power that Mother Nature can wield. An "act of God" indeed. Its truly humbling.

[Divernan]

5. the only reason Bush would send help to all those non-christians

is that it would further bankrupt the budget and he can use that as further grounds to gut Medicaid and federal assistance to state and local governments. Just as likely is that the White House will prattle about sending aid, but in fact the amount will be infinitesimal compared to how our country would have helped in the past. One example: the US used to send FEMA teams to help other countries with natural disasters. Under Bush, even when the German government offered to pay full salaries and transportation costs for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) teams to come and train German emergency responders, Bush refused.