NY Times calls U.S. aid for tsunami 'miserly'

[Jon8503]

Thursday, December 30, 2004 Posted: 1:01 PM EST (1801 GMT)
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- The promised U.S. relief for South Asia's tsunami crisis is "miserly," and a U.N. official who criticized Western nations for not giving enough aid to the needy was "right on target," The New York Times said in an editorial Thursday.

The senior U.N. relief official who chided wealthy Western nations for being "stingy" with their aid was not "misguided and ill informed," as President Bush said on Wednesday, the newspaper wrote.

U.N. emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland made the statement in reference to general aid supplied by the wealthy countries, but later praised the rapid international response to the tsunami that hit 12 countries Sunday.

The Times said: "We beg to differ . Mr. Egeland was right on target

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/12/30/quake.usa.editorial.reut/index.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. Scrooge McChimpy !

You are responsible for this.

Hoarding wealth for yourself, and pinching out pennies to the poor, hungry and homeless.

Repent !

You are responsible for this.

"I think the American people--I hope the American--I don't think, let me--I hope the American people trust me."
- George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2002

[rwork]

2. The United States

is no longer the greastest country on earth.

[GHOSTDANCER]

26. It's the biggest Con-Job on earth though.

[NYC Liberal]

3. "Misguided and ill-informed"

George Bush has the audacity to call someone "misguided and ill-informed"? Truely, he has no sense of irony.

[TahitiNut]

43. As a pathological narcissist, he's incapable of differentiating ...

... between his own existence and what he sees in others. Narcissists are notoriously reactive, members of the "I'm OK (Because) You're Not OK" club. They see all of their own worst traits as attributable to others.

[havocmom]

4. How much $ for aide vs CEO compensation for Fortune 500 Companies?

Hey, you CEOs out there: who ya gonna get to do the work cheap when the peasants all wash away?

[malaise]

5. UK

upped their contribution to 95 million today.

[outergeorge]

6. You know

Many companies here in the US have pledged aid Amazon has pledged 4 million dollars and Pfizer has pledged 35 million dollars. How much has the New York Times pledged?

[Jon8503]

8. You might want to check with them. However, has nothing to do

with us giving less than half what the Repukes are spending for the Bush party in DC.

[outergeorge]

10. CNN didn't mention it in the link

So why do you bring it up? I was merely asking what the NYT intended to donate.

[SayitAintSo]

30. Why don't you ask them sweetie ...

Are you lost ?

[jayfish]

12. Apples And Oranges.

State sponsored aid v. personal donations(companies are considered people). I'm sure you can tell the difference :eyes:.

Jay

[outergeorge]

13. I can tell the difference

If the NYT wants to complain about the amount of aid, stands to reason that they are doing something to contribute. Doesn't it.

[tabasco]

24. The NY Times is a newspaper.

The United States of America is a government.

What part of this do you not understand?

Part of a newspaper's responsibilities, historically, is to report and opine on the doings of governments. Are you really suggesting that a newspaper should not criticize our government, unless, as a private entity, they are doing something better?

That is about the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.

[outergeorge]

29. If that's what I meant it would be ridiculous

I just think that if they are going to complain that the US goverment isn't giving enough money, they ought to be contributing a little. Oh yeah I called and asked and they said that information wasn't available. Whatever that means.

[Just Me]

31. What have you donated?

Since you are complaining about a news agency publishing a factual comparative concerning your leadership's contribution,...I figure you oughta' publish your contribution.

The Bush administration has increased their "death budget" (e.g. military-corporate complex) by 42%,...which is NOT going towards protecting or adequately compensating our troops and is NOT delivering safety/security/freedom to people,...a WHOPPING $420 BILLION BUCKS!!!!

Yet, you are whining about someone reporting the facts concerning a miserly initial 15 million for a multi-billion dollar humanitarian disaster?

What is your problem? Do you just HATE human life? Are you opposed to being honestly compassionate,...or what?

Geez. I get so embarassed when Americans avoid their responsibility to contributing to the betterment of human life and redress of human suffering. They make us all look so damned greedy and selfish and self-righteous.

[outergeorge]

38. When did they do that?!?

They increased the military budget by 42% for what? There aren't any major wars going on. They don't need to develope new weapons to kill people. Why did they do that. You mean they are actually spending more on a military budget increase than on a disaster that happened in Asia?

[Just Me]

42. Good grief, "outergeorge",...are you kidding?

I certainly hope so.

[outergeorge]

46. um actually, no

Why would I be kidding. Is that what they did, or did I get something wrong?

[tabasco]

33. I'm not concerned with a newspaper's humanitarian activities.

I am more concerned with the importance of a free press and an informed populace to democracy. Our founders were eminently aware of this importance and stressed that criticism of government was a duty of the press.

The statement that the newspaper must contribute before it can criticize the government is absurd and un-American.

[outergeorge]

39. I didn't say they had to contribute

I just wondered if they did. I haven't found anyone who can tell me. Do you know?

[Jon8503]

41. Really do not see it as complaining. See it as a newspaper

reporting facts.

[outergeorge]

45. Maybe I should

I probably wouldn't be as cynical then

[GHOSTDANCER]

27. The inaugural ball for dumbya is costing more then were giving!!!

A fuqin 40 million dollar Party??? I quess that includes a parade but Fuq Still!!!!
<http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/15/politics/main661255.shtml>

[Jon8503]

28. Again, do you know if they are contributing or not. You can always

ask them. And again, has nothing to do with the US Government giving such a miserly donation and even waiting days to acknowledge the disaster.

[ArthurDent]

15. We just do it differently

The U.S. as a whole will probably end up giving more in total, and potentally more per capita, if you include state aid and personal/corp donations. The fact that by-and-large we are less socialist than EU nations would suggest that as a nation, we prefer to do it privately.

Is there a difference? Sure. Some argue state aid is the better way to do it. Others argue that individual aid is. But on the receiver's end, a dollar from A is the same as a dollar from B.

[Old and In the Way]

22. I'm sure there are tax implications and writing down old inventory

at book value. Not to say there aren't altruistic private companies, but they will be benefitting from their participation in the relief.

I'm sure private individuals and companies will donate. I have. But this is about international goodwill and our international reputation. This administration has spent trillions of our tax dollars and bankrupted the Treasury on things we didn't want or need....and now seem to be reticent to spend them on the things that we do want. I hope the 1% who got their ridiculous taxcuts are motivated to spend some of it helping to ameliorate this world-class tradegy...we'll see.

[Malva Zebrina]

14. well that's presidential

isn't it? President Pfizer sends the Asians all the good will directed toward them by ALL American citizens that the president represents. And pledges thirty million that is a drop in the bucket to them--and it is good publicity too--take it off the advertising budget.



Elect Pfizer!

That Bush sure is a tightwad--no wonder Laura has to use old curtains, upholstry and drapes to make clothes for herself. He probably doesn't give her any money.



I cannot imagine the horror. How do they bury 120,000 people?

[outergeorge]

16. I cannot imagine the horror. How do they bury 120,000 people?

This is too sad, unfortuntely the only way is mass graves. So many people...

[tjdee]

7. Peyton Manning's sign on bonus was 34.5 million. NYT is right.

Peyton Manning isn't getting bullshit lines of credit, either.

Bush is being miserly, as usual, when it comes to people who aren't his daddy's friends.

[progressivebydesign]

20. Okay.. that's wierd. I just posted the same thing w/out seeing this. n/t

[tjdee]

Whoa!!

Great minds and all that.

And we're both quite right!

[tridim]

9. We should be happy to help in world disasters

with money and services. That is what I used to love about America. There used to be no questions in these kinds of situations, if someone needed help, we helped, period. It shouldn't be a game like these assholes are making it. It's like, we'll help you, but you will owe us big time. Bullshit.

[Jon8503]

11. Do not ever remember a time when this country has done so

many embarrasing acts.

[Democrats_win]

17. bush's scroogeness will be remembered in 2000 years

and nothing else about him will be known since he doesn't fiddle.

[coreystone]

18. And Pickles said, "Let them eat cake"!.................eom

[progressivebydesign]

19. Perspective from the sports world..

Peyton Manning's signing bonus was more than what Bush is offering to help the tsunami victims. Gives you a real perspective in what we're offering to the millions of victims... 5 million are facing the threat of death from the afteraffects of the wave.

*I like Manning, and my comment is in no way meant to be offensive to him, his team, or the city in which he plays. Used the sports analogy to give you an idea of how paltry our aid is!!

[rainbow4321]

21. Entire villiages swept away...

http://www.kotv.com/main/home/stories.asp?whichpage=1&id=75127


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Relatives of an Oklahoma City family were killed in an Indonesian village that was swept to sea Sunday by the tsunami that ravished the region.

Rasmilia Chandra said her husband's uncle and niece died when the village of Pante Rada was swept out to sea Sunday. Another uncle, aunt and nephew survived, but their home is gone, Chandra said.

It took the Chandras more than two days to find out what happened to their relatives. ``I call every three hours. Until now, they cannot find the body. All the Pante Rada village goes to the sea,'' she said. ``This village, gone.''

Chandra, who has lived in Oklahoma for seven years, said she was told there are bodies in the streets of Pante Rada and not enough people to collect and bury them. Aid workers cannot reach the village because a bridge is closed

[XemaSab]

23. Don't spend all that 35 mil in one place...

n/t

[donheld]

25. These are the days that makes

proud americans. :eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes:

[Name removed]

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[420inTN]

40. At least they didn't use 'niggardly'. n/t

[drscm]

44. It seems if * can spend over $200B to destroy over 100,000 innocent lives

in Iraq, he could spend a little more than $35M to help save lives.

Oh, wait! Boy George only gets his rocks off by destroying people.

[peacebird]

47. * wants to "coordinate a coalition" to help these poor folks -

and to ensure that his buddies at Halliburton rake in massive profits over the effort...

and Jocal - if the prez offering such a pittance (compared to his inaugural party) to help coutries with over 100,000 dead and many, many times that more homeless ISN'T news, what is?

Last article i found on the subject was 3 hours ago - pretty LBN if you ask me.