Why does the US need our money?

[bemildred]

The Red Cross is appealing for people overseas to contribute money to its Hurricane Katrina Appeal. But why does the world's richest nation need handouts?

The world's only superpower has been forced to turn to aid agencies to speed up the humanitarian effort in the wake of Katrina.

Seemingly unable to draw on its wealth at short notice to immediately respond to the disaster, charities in other countries, such as the British Red Cross, are now launching appeals to raise money.

---

The public in many countries are accustomed to providing aid to poverty stricken developing nations, but the need to provide assistance to the most opulent country in the world may leave many perplexed.

BBC

[Zenlitened]

1. I think there is a valid point here. IMO, it's shameful that...

... our once-great nation is begging for cash.

It's disgraceful. As a nation, our wealth is unparalleled by anything in history. But what we haven't squandered in a futile, pointless invasion, we've siphoned off into the hands -- or vaults or hoards -- of a privileged few.

Where the fuck have my tax dollars gone? I pay taxes for the benefit of my fellow citizens -- that's called a healthy, functioning "society" where I come from. But the evil freaks running the show these days don't give a damn about society. In fact, they hate the very notion. :grr:

[bemildred]

2. It's a very good point.

Am I supposed to give to Donald Trump?
(Well, yes, in America, now, that IS the way things work.)

[Zenlitened]

3. In George Bush's America, we have been offered a cash handout...

... from Bangladesh.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5259127,00.html

Yes, that Bangladesh. One of the poorest countries on the planet.

WHAT THE FUCK HAVE WE BECOME?

I applaud the decency, generosity and courageous HUMANITY of the people of Bangladesh.

But holy crap. That the day has come where our country is in such disarray that our desperately poor neighbors feel compelled to help pay our bills...

It's a disgrace. It's a complete disgrace.

To our Bangladeshi brothers and sisters, thank you. Thank you for showing how noble the human spirit can be. But please keep that money for your own needs. We have Americans -- individual citizens -- who can write a check for that amount without blinking an eye. If only they'll follow your example and do the right thing.

[Dirk39]

4. If there's no new "New Deal" right now....

we bring out the guillotines again and if it becomes worse, we start reading the second amendment again. This is, what the citizens of the USA should do right now.

The most cynical aspect of it is that nearly all european democracies right now are neoliberal and in the footsteps of Thatcher and Reagan.

The very same parts of the corporate elite and their media whores, who now criticize the U.S.A., are "proud" of exactly the things, they are about to destroy everywhere. Too much government, to much tax for the rich, too many welfare queens. Trickle down down down....until you drown.

It's the racist cynical greedy corrupt criminal ruthless ruling class, thats needs a little Katrina now.


The often critized UN managed to deliver water to the victims of the Tsunami within 24 hours. And there was no prior warning. Compare this to New Orleans.
The corrupt criminal piece of scum with the name Bolton is now fighting to erase the fight against poverty from the agenda of the UN. Go figure.

Give us a new F.D. Roosevelt now or we bring out the guillotines again and visit Washington and built a nice swimming pool for the WTO, the IMF, the Worldbank and Wallstreet.


The USA doesn't need our money, but I welcome everyone, who's asking me, where the money is, they need. And they don't have to swim far to get it.

Hello from Germany,
Dirk

[tom_paine]

5. Because Imperial Amerika is a Third-World Nation

and now, it looks like it always will be.

It became a Third-World Nation on 12-12-2000.

[mwooldri]

6. What an excellent label to pin on Bush & co...

Imperialists.

Neo-conservatism is following the classical pattern of modern Imperialsm right now, so we can definitely describe Bush and Company as imperialist. Definitely not following the nature of conservative capitalism that I associate with Republicans. They're Imperialist thugs!