Europe bows in silence to tsunami victims

[Kellanved]

BRUSSELS - Public transport came to a halt, stock exchanges paused and some media programming was interrupted as Europeans paid silent tribute on Wednesday to the victims of the tsunami tragedy in South Asia.

In capitals around continental Europe, work came to a stop and in some cases, public transport was halted at noontime (1100 GMT), while the British observances - flags flown at half mast at British government buildings and Buckingham Palace - were set for 1200 GMT.

Berlin, Amsterdam and Rome were among cities where public transportation was being halted.

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=26&story_id=15440&name=Europe+bows+in+silence+to+tsunami+victims

and:
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/10570930.htm

http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,423084,00.jpg
http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,423076,00.jpg

[MaineDem]

1. I saw this on the BBC News

At 6am here they showed Paris, Brussels, and the rest of the continent. At 7am they showed England and the UK.

Reminded me of the post-9/11 outpouring that the world showed. WHere is the US in all this? I am embarrassed beyond belief that we aren't taking part in this.

Disgusting!!!

Edited for poor typing.

[beam me up scottie]

6. It was on BBC at 5am this morning. I, too stopped what I was doing

to remember the victims, dead and those still living. It was very moving, the faces on the screen reflected what I was feeling. No doubt * will decide to do the same in this country but will whore it up for the media to one-up the EU.

[Mr Creosote]

13. USA or EU?

I like to bash the USA as much as any old european, but in this case the US DOES one-up the EU. Doing something practical beats standing around (literally) every time.

"There was a striking contrast between the initial American response to the tsunami catastrophe and that of the EU. Although President Bush came under fire for promising "only $35 million" (subsequently multiplied by 10), the more immediate US response was entirely practical. Two US Navy battle groups were sent from Hong Kong and Guam, fully equipped to mount a major disaster-relief operation.

These units include scores of helicopters, some of which were already yesterday searching for survivors, and landing craft capable of delivering huge quantities of supplies, particularly food and fresh water, directly to otherwise inaccessible beaches................................

Meanwhile the EU, which initially promised 3 million euros and "a visit to the areas affected… in the near future" by Louis Michel, the commissioner for humanitarian aid, plans this week to host a "donors' conference" in Brussels to discuss what to do next. As Dr Richard North observed in his daily EU commentary (www.eureferendum. blogspot.com), "the caterers are on high alert"."

http://arts.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;sessionid=I1BFEOM4YAXQ3QFIQMFSM5OAVCBQ0JVC?xml=/news/2005/01/02/nbook02.xml&secureRefresh=true&_requestid=132779#4

[Kellanved]

14. the US is far better equipped in this department

But it is not like the USA are doing all the "doing" - EU countries have sent mobile (naval) hospitals, helicopters, water treatment facilities... as well.

[neweurope]

24. WTF?

You ought to get your facts ogether, my friend.

It's really easy, too, it's all over the web.

BTW: Every country which is member of EU has also given very large sums on it's own. Germany for instance is going to pay 500 million Euros PLUS has paid aboout one fourth of what EU pays.

So what the hell are you talking about?

-------------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague

[Mr Creosote]

34. The EU is not identical to the countries that make it up

And a comparison was being drawn between the EU, rather than its (!) member states - at least that's (!) the way I read it.
So far as I'm aware I'm not your friend, I don't recognise your name, sorry.

[Kellanved]

35. actually it is

The EU is a bloc of nations. Not as tightly organized as the US, but by most means the EU is identical to it's members.
The central EU administration has very little money to spend - if you want to compare the EU and the US (I wonder why, actually), the adding up the member nations is the way to do it.

[GOPBasher]

2. Notice we won't do that here.

Here in the United States of Christian Theocracies we can't possibly honor those Muslim victims. I mean, they're not even the correct religion, for Christ sakes.

[Is It Fascism Yet]

3. I know that's particularly disgusting because when we lost 3000 people

in 911 it was touching how the whole world mourned with us, and that was only 3000, this 150,000 stuff is all the more painful, but, American's could never shut down the market for a minute! Really they don't want us thinking at all, about anything, they want us to robotically continue to produce and consume and shut up and never have a single thought of our own, nor any pity for our fellow man neither.

[KDLarsen]

5. Don't forget the 100.000+ that died in Bam in 2003

That too was a disaster beyond imagination. But then again - Iran is on the to-do list with * & the PNAC.

[GOPBasher]

9. Your screen name says it all.

I would also add theocracy. Is this a fascist theocracy yet?

[bones_7672]

11. No, we'll just give +$500,000,000! We should be ashamed.

Oh, that's probably 10-20 times more than the EU.

[GOPBasher]

12. Ummmm

There's a chance that you're right. I'm at work so I don't have time to do the research. But I HIGHLY doubt that we'll be giving more than the EU. European nations always give much more international aid than we do as a percentage of their GDP. Now the entire EU combined, I'm sure they're giving much more than we are. I could be wrong. I'll look this up when I have time.

[bones_7672]

15. Hmmm myself. I dug a little and found this article.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4145259.stm

so, the EU is not as stingy as I thought (a problem many people have viewing the USA). But we will still spend more than any other country. We were in there first in strength, and we will be in there long after most others have left. 3 minutes of silence doesn't do diddly-squat for the hurting.

[neweurope]

26. Nonsense. Australia, Japan and Germany are paying more

than you. ALL EU-countries together... I'd really like to know :) but I'm too lazy. You are dead wrong though, that's for sure.

Get your facts together, please.


-------------------------

Remember Fallujah!

Bush to The Hague

[Kellanved]

17. huh?

The EU as a whole is far in the Billions - in governmental money as well as in private donations . Germany alone has pledged almost $700,000,000 governmental, $250,000,000+ private, aid workers and a few military units.

[neweurope]

25. You don't know what you are talking about.

Germany ALONE gives more than the USA. The EU gives a certain sum - don't know how much right now - PLUS the member countries give by themselves.


------------------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague

[Misunderestimator]

30. Australia and Germany have pledged more than $1 Billion.

So, unless this is some kind of fuzzy math...

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kellanved]

32. Well without the EU, the UN would loose over a third their entire revenue.

Your point?

[GOPBasher]

33. Who said I hate my country?

I didn't mean it to sound like I hate my country. I love my country (at least about half of it, right now). And I'm a progressive capitalist, too. I'm not a socialist, but 100% pure capitalism with no regulation whatsoever is not good, either. And I love what my nation did both in WWII and after WWII, when we rebuilt Europe single-handidly. (Presidents Roosevelt and Truman were great!) That doesn't mean I have to like anything this fucking piece of shit President does. He's an asshole.

[djack23]

4. Good for them.

:-) There are so many wonderful things going on in Europe. On a positive note the $350 million from the Feds is a reasonable amount. Plus the American people have donated individually 100's of million.

[JNelson6563]

7. You make an excellent point

why, that money pledge by us to help (after much sahem and bumpingup of original paltry offering) is almost what we spend in a week killing Iraqis!

We are certainly a beacon of hope and generosity for the rest of the world.

Julie

[noshenanigans]

8. What would we need to do to organize a large-scale show of respect?

Since the government obviously isn't going to do it, what would we need to do to put it together ourselves?

[alexisfree]

10. heartbreaking...

did we have ceremonial services for them???

[bones_7672]

16. The people affected by the tsunami will not even know about the 3 mins.

But they will know that most of the medical supplies, food and shelter will be delivered by helicopters and ships with the flag of the United States of America painted on their sides.

[Kellanved]

18. yes, probably they won't.

The families of the European victims will, and do not ignore the value of gestures.

On Edit: AS a person living in Berlin, I appreciate US aircraft bringing food. It is a good thing, one that deserves acclaim. One of the truly great things the US can stand for.

[neweurope]

20. Nonsense...

First of all the pictures of these three minutes are being shown all over the world. Secondly it's not true that "most" supplies are being delivered by US-ships and helicopters.

Thirdly: It was a sign of respect and solidarity.

It was not supposed to serve any other purpose. We would have done it even if nobody had looked.


------------------------

Remember Fallujah!

Bush to The Hague

[RuleofLaw]

21. Boy are you misinformed

If you read the link to the BBC you would notice that lots of other countries have send ships, planes, helicopters and medical personnel to the region. The only difference is that while the rest of the world is doing this for humanitarian reasons, we are doing it bas a PR stunt. Why do you really think Powell and Jeb are there? To help?, please.

They are there for domestic consumption. To make Americans feel good about ourselves.

But you don't see German doctors on American TV. Or danish forensic experts identifying the victims. We only see the good old USA helping, creating the impression that we are the only ones involved. BS.

[radric]

22. Can't let a tsunami aid thread..

pass by without a little US bashing. Seems the in-thing these days and a way to score popularity points on DU.

[Bridget Burke]

27. Interesting---bbcamerica showed the observation this AM.....

But then they showed supplies being distributed & stated a couple of times that America was in the lead. Or leading the way. Or something.

I'm quite aware that other countries are helping--& were helping before we started. It appears that some extra editorializing was added for consumption in the USA.

[beam me up scottie]

36. Here is another link they should read since they seem to think

our aidcomes with no strings (or politicians or press corps) attached.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tsunami/story/0,15671,1383549,00.html

Sorry to all those who want to stick their fingers in their ears and shout "lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala, I'm not listening!!!" whenever they hear criticism of the US. I served my country and I love what we used to stand for. And I think most of the rest of the world would just like to see America the country represent once again what I believe most American citizens have in their hearts. I can only speak for what's in mine,peace and an end to our government's wars of agression, violations of basic human rights and hidden corporate agendas.

[strizi64]

23. It's not the time

for old battles. Just not today. We got to stand together and get over this disaster. I will be very pleased by a feedback of you. And if you look at the numbers only and want to start a competition on it, then please beat Norway or Switzerland. Norway donates something about 45$, Switzerland 35$, every single man, woman and child who lives in these two countrys. Just do the math for America ;)...

btw, sorry for my english, it isn't perfect.

[phusion]

19. That is very touching...

It is great to see people come together like that.

Kind of reminds me of how much respect the world showed for the US after 9/11. And how fast it was all squandered...

[Bouncy Ball]

28. Um, why aren't we doing something like that?

And any word on the 5,000 Americans whom no one has heard from yet?

[donheld]

29. America stands in indifference to tsunami victims

It's a true shame too many american leaders could not care less.