$40 million party still on, worldwide New Year's celebrations cancelled

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Everyone "gets it" except George W. Bush. He will remain steadfast, he will not be swayed, he will throw a $40 million party in his honor while many around the world either scale down or cancel their New Year's celebrations "as nations mourn tragedy." The thing that KILLS me about this article is the fact that Italy is SENDING THE MONEY that would have been spent on their celebrations TO CHARITIES THAT WILL HELP THE VICTIMS.

$40 million could help A LOT OF VICTIMS.



New Year rolls in on a muted note
Many celebrations canceled as nations mourn tragedy

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6769526/

The Asian disaster cast a long shadow over global festivities, particularly in Europe. Europeans made up most of the more than 2,200 foreign tourists dead and more than 6,000 missing.

Sweden, Norway, Finland and Germany planned to fly flags at half-mast to start 2005 as a mark of respect for their many dead and missing, who had left Europe’s cold, dark winter for Asia’s sunshine and golden sands.

Paris put black mourning crepe on the trees lining the Champs Elysees to pay homage to the victims. Thousands of Parisians traditionally rally on the tree-lined boulevard in the center of the French capital on New Year’s Eve.

In Europe, a number of Italian cities abandoned plans for major New Year’s Eve parties, opting to send the money saved to charities helping the victims. Among cities that cancelled parties were Bologna and Turin. Naples, Bolzano, Padova and Benevento called off traditional firework displays.

[xultar]

1. I know I was saying that it doesn't feel like new years...with 400,000

people dead and millions left suffering and in mourning.

[nymd81]

2. Inauguration is

privately funded. You knew that right?

[koopie57]

5. You're missing the point

You know that, right?

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. Bush could and should request that the private funders

redirect some of the funds planned for the event to relief efforts. Even if they refused he should send back most of the money and scale back the scale of the events. It is the right statement to make.

[Bridget Burke]

9. "Payment for services rendered" is more like it.

The contributors will benefit in the long run.

There's also a lot of security--more to prevent your president from having to deal with reality than with protecting his sorry ass. And we're paying for that.

I heard his people exlain his delay in expressing concern about the disaster was to avoid a mere "symbolic" gesture. He could be sworn in at home in the White House & the entire "symbolic" fascist swinefest could be canceled.

You knew that, right?

[catgirl]

13. Not entirely

We the taxpayers are paying for all the security which includes the bleachers that are being erected to shut out the protesters. Will we see receipts for all this? I doubt it.

[THUNDER HANDS]

15. and you knew that he's already president right?

what are they throwing him - a keep sitting in your seat party?

This is like a kindergarden graduation party.

[PA Democrat]

16. Oh is the cost of the "unprecedented" security privately funded?

The taxpayers will be footing the bill, but you knew that, right?

And we will be paying the price for those private contributions in the form of pork barrel spending, degradation of the environment, etc. But you knew that, right?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

17. Yes

It's not the idea that the money is privately funded...it's the idea that he's spending $40 million to throw a party in his honor.

Some people find that to be in bad taste.

[osaMABUSh]

3. Cancelling the inaguration parade would be the right thing to do

Of course, it is three weeks out so Shrub is assuming the tsunami will not be on the front pages then.

Frankly, even prior to the tsunami I was wondering why have the big hoopla for a re-elected president? Inaguration - been there, done that.

[asjr]

10. This time they have to crown him. They failed to do that in 2000.

2004 sealed the one-party rule and they cap it off with the crowning.

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. If I try to be fair I understand that millions need to be spent

Not 40 million though. The inauguration is not simply a party or celebration, and at it's core it is not partisan. It is a public statement of Democracy in action. In that sense it is a hopeful message to the world (assuming of course that it WAS a reflection of Democracy in action - which I don't but that is a different matter). It can't be canceled and major security costs are built in.

Many of us are going to spend tonight with friends at some party or another, even if the celebration is appropriately respectful to the memory of this tragedy unfolding.

But if Bush had any sense of decency everything would be scaled back dramatically, costs would be cut at least in half and the money saved donated to relief.

[itzamirakul]

7. But NYC - Times Square is still a go...

Local news here is busy encouraging people to COME...TURN OUT...WE'RE EXPECTING A RECORD CROWD...so they chant. So far, the area is still kind of empty, which is unusal, but the younger folks will turn out later this evening and everyone will "party like it's 1999" - isn't that what Prince's song said?

I know that it was probably too late to cancel the event, but they are acting like everything is just fine. Nothing like the long faces and pity-entitlement that murkans exhibited during 911.

The "ME" generation has really come to age.

[demgrrrll]

8. His inauguration reminds me of the story of the Masque of the Red Death

There is something grim and horrifying about his "party".

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. It's always about him.

That arrogant ass doesn't care how his actions look to anyone. And he certainly doesn't care about Human suffering on any scale.

[nymd81]

12. I wouldn't cancel

either. This was all planned before the tsunami. It's tradition. Bill Clinton (who I love!)had a huge elaborate inauguration. Do you really think if Kerry was president (like he should be!!)he'd cancel his inauguration??? I seriously doubt it. His would be very cool with celebs etc. Anybody think there's any chance at all that Kerry would be inaugurated Jan 20th???

[Bridget Burke]

14. Due to the ongoing unnecessary war, the ballooning deficits,

& that nagging question about the votes being counted, the inauguration was already looking pretty obscene.

But your president won't even think of scaling back his victory celebration.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

19. No, Bush is God, Kerry is a mere mortal.

Kerry would NEVER cancel. Kerry would NEVER cut his vacation short to address the issue. Kerry would NEVER...well, you get the point. Bush is GOD.

Right?

[MercutioATC]

18. Do you really think that Kerry wouldn't have held an inaugural party?

Bush isn't doing anything wrong here, IMHO.