Americans appalled over Bush begging for Katrina aid

[sabra]

http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=113727&cat=World

Americans appalled over Bush begging for Katrina aid:-


U.S.President George Bush may have gone down in the American poll ratings because of his administrations lackadaisical approach and ineptitude in dealing with the disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf States, but what has appalled most people, is Washington's decision to approach Third World countries for aid.

According to a poll carried out by the Daily Mail, the world's richest nation's inability to cope with the disaster and its decision to take aid from countries like Sri Lanka, Cuba and other lesser developed countries is being seen as humiliating.

...

Even Iran, of Axis of Evil fame, has offered humanitarian aid. Romania, not yet a member of the EU, is also sending two teams of medical experts. Tsunami-battered Sri Lanka and Thailand have been generous in coming forward with donations despite struggling to feed and house their own people.

...

"I will deeply resent it if this Bush government accepts aid from any country... I deeply appreciate the gestures of all countries involved," one poll participant was quoted, as saying. (ANI)

[Mizmoon]

1. We don't need aid, we need the will to deal with this

ourselves.

[aquart]

12. We need the money and expertise.

We haven't been a first world nation since George's taxcut. We have, now, an overtaxed, second-rate military; an empty treasury; and we're lagging in all the sciences because George prefers faith-based assurances that God will provide so he never has to get off his butt.

Or hadn't you noticed?

[Laelth]

17. We do too need aid!

I wonder if some generous nation might lend us a competent President?

-Laelth

[iamjoy]

34. My Analogy Is This

a millionaire and his kid continually scorn a minimum wage worker.

Then, the kid gets into trouble, for really the first time. The parent refuses to help, even though it would be well within his means. And the minimum wage worker buys the kid lunch.

We have the money to take care of our people - It is outrageous that we do not.

[JoFerret]

38. We ALL need to give and accept the aid and support

...of our neighbors.
This is one world community and while we do have the reources accepting is important gesture.

[A Simple Game]

56. Exactly.

Accepting donations will be humbling and connect us to the rest of the world.

Anything that brings us down to the level of the rest of the world is a good thing.

[OregonBlue]

59. The world is watching and they want to help the American people.

We need more than ever to accept that help. To turn away their offers of kindness would only make us look more arrogant than we already do. I can only say Thank you for your outpouring of support, Iappreciate everything you are offering to do.

[JoFerret]

72. Yes

- a first step in accepting a role within a world community committed to peace, democracy and justice. And mutual survival.
(OK - a person can dream Right?)

[K8-EEE]

88. Bush Is An Arrogant Fool, Turning It Down Then Flip Flopping

TELL THE PEOPLE THANK YOU, YOU ASSHOLE! He didn't even mention the offers in his first speech...then all the freeps come out with all sorts of "where's the rest of the world" whining!!

[prodigal_green]

78. I agree

it is about humility.

It really isn't about the money, it is about allowing other countries to offer their expertise. These so-called "developing" countries have a lot of experience dealing with natural disasters of this scale and the social and medical aftermath.

We'd be idiots to pretend we can do it on our own. That strategy--key to the PNAC vision--has not worked so well up until now.

[NYC]

85. I'm surprised they offer aid.

We throw away money on tax cuts for the rich, an expensive war, and lots of money for the very department that failed us, Homeland Security.

We could afford to pay for the hurricane. We chose to waste our money. Why should other countries pay? I realize they are doing it to be kindhearted, but how difficult must it be for a country like Sri Lanka to send us money* when they know we have knowingly, willfully, and deliberately spent our money on wasteful things.

*Money. Whether countries send money or doctors, it is an expense to them. They do not have the services of their own doctors while those doctors are here.

Also, how many of our own doctors were turned away by Homeland Security's FEMA?

[iverglas]

92. it's called *solidarity*

And it's with the people of the US, not their govt, we assure you!

People do bear collective responsibility for their governments, and every individual bears a share of that responsibility.

But certainly, the people worst affected by this disaster bear the least responsibility, and are the most disadvantaged, by what their govt does. So while as a country our solidarity is with the US as a nation, as a people our solidarity is with the victims.

Now, if disaster should strike a wealthy, solidly-Republican suburb someplace ... well, the residents probably wouldn't need our aid, they'd get everything they needed right at home.

Canada sent aid after Andrew, too.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/Newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=1739

Operation TEMPEST in 1992 was the Canadian Forces response to Hurricane Andrew. Approximately 150 Airfield Engineers deployed to Dade County, Florida. The replenishment ship HMCS Protecteur went to Miami and the Bahamas with relief supplies.

And the US sent aid to Canada during the 1998 ice storm that disabled a huge swath of the country.

It isn't necessarily a matter of being able to afford to pay for what needs doing. Things like stockpiles of medicines and medical supplies can't be conjured up on a moment's notice, and it just makes sense for all countries to have their own basic stockpiles, and share them when one country needs more than they have on hand, and the other country doesn't need them at the moment. Canada is sending divers to help clear shipping channels -- we're not using them at the moment, and the US needs more than it makes sense for any one country to have at the ready. (And the US hasn't likely wasted its divers in Iraq. ;) )

This is also why it makes sense to use the militaries, both of the country where the disaster struck and of other countries. Armed forces maintain pools of trained, skilled personnel that are often not occupied doing anything that can't wait, and this is exactly the kind of work they are trained to do. It can actually *benefit* Canada's Armed Forces, say, to have this opportunity to put the training and skills to work.

These things aren't really "aid". They're sharing, and everybody wins, one way or another and sooner or later. It's just what people do. The same could actually be said of all aid ...

I absolutely know how galling it must be for decent USAmericans to know that their govt has been wasting its own resources doing harm in the world, so that those resources aren't available to do good in their own country. But even if that weren't the case, the rest of us would still have wanted to do our bit to alleviate the huge problems, and help the neighbours get back on their feet sooner rather than later.

[NYC]

97. Canada, always a good friend and neighbor.

It's a pity we can't say the same for ourselves.

Bush is asking for money. I think if I were a foreign country, I would send help (like Canadian divers), but no money. Not only should we not have spent our money killing other people, suppose we use some of the donated money to kill other people? Or use it for disaster relief while we free up other money to kill people? I guess I just don't trust this government.

Once again, thank you, Canada.

[pitohui]

61. we do need aid

how many more would be dead now in st. bernard parish if not for help from vancouver, canada

fema left those ppl to die

& that's just one example

if the usa feds can't do the job, then let someone who can

ppl are dying here

[CanonRay]

93. If I were hungry,

I wouldn't give a crap if the bag of food said "Donated by the people of Iran". Would you, really?

[onenote]

2. I haven't heard anyone complain about aid from other countries

Sorry, but this story triggered my BS meter. Virtually every conversation I've had with people at work, in my neighborhood, with family...a group that includes Democrats, Republicans, liberals, and conservatives, has focused on Katrina and its aftermath. Not one person has indicated any concern about where help comes from...

onenote

[shanti]

20. yes, it sounds like RW spin to me

doesn't pass my BS meter either :eyes:

[ecoflame]

28. Spot on.....

I use my sister & father as my political gauge. My sister is Mormon & Republican - although we know some are democrats (i.e., Harry Reid)...EXACTLY! They don't care who gives the aid. They were most surprised about Cuba's offer and thought it good thing to accept it.

The consensus among all the others I'm forced to deal with whose political attitudes different significantly from mine is the same. It's not about pride. It's about helping those who need it NOW.

[Tiberius]

37. Garbage source

I agree. I don't think news.webindia123.com is a very credible news source.

[iverglas]

50. the source is actually the UK's Daily Mail

(See posts 29 and 33 below.)

It is an opinion piece, one that is not entirely coherent.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=361375&in_page_id=1770&ct=5

but the report discussed here doesn't quite capture its essence, in any event, which I'd say is more like this:

President George Bush is facing mounting anger both at home and abroad for his lethargic response to the disaster. The shock we all felt as we watched families, the elderly and infirm struggling to survive winds, floods, fire, hunger and disease is now turning to anger.

... Not only did President Bush react too slowly, but now he's accepting aid from Third World countries with a fraction of his spending power. This catastrophe happened on the watch of the most powerful man in the world and he should be ashamed.

[julianer]

89. The Daily Mail

is a horrible fascistic rag that panders to the fears and loathings of the 'middle class'.

Amid stiff competition it is a challenger for the title of 'worst paper in the UK'.

[iverglas]

91. yes indeed

And the thing is, as I've been saying about the opinion piece in question, it didn't even really say what the poll supposedly found USAmericans to be saying -- I just posted the opinion piece in question because I was unable to find anything about the poll itself at the Daily Mail site. I wasn't citing the Daily Mail as authority for anything, trust me -- except as authority on the question of what the Daily Mail printed. ;)

[tblue37]

57. The only anger I have heard about is the

anger over the fact that BushCo either rejected proffered aid or didn't respond to the offers at all.

[krkaufman]

71. Agreed. I thought it made us appear arrogant...

... continuing Bush's typical attitude toward the rest of the world, by rejecting aid offers in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

[saigon68]

3. Halliburton will REBUILD with your TAX MONEY

Just wait

[daninthemoon]

21. No, with additional debt money.

[saigon68]

39. Yes they will sell more worthless paper to the saudi royal family

Then the "Shit for Brains" chimp can hold the hand of his MASTER

[asjr]

22. This is what bothers me--Halliburton. They appointed

Halliburton before they sent any help to NO. Can the DOD do this, or shouldn't this be a joint operation between Congress and the Executive branch? Someone, somewhere, needs to make a really big stink about this. Can we count on Senate and House Democrats? There must be other firms that were in NOLA that could do the work and in the process put the people out of work and home to work on the recovery. Cheney has enough money.

[saigon68]

46. THE CHIMPANZEE is the BIGGEST GORILLA IN THE JUNGLE

Thanks to the DINOS in Congress, he can do anything he damn well PLEASES

[karenorsi]

54. Usual Bush Response Times

Typical and Usual Bush Response Times

*To reconvene Congress for Terri Schaivo - One day
*To select a replacement for Rhenquist - Two days
*To get Halliburton involved in Katrina - Three days, perhaps two
*To get food and water to people in Superdome - Four Days
*To get aid to stranded people in Slidell, LA - 8 days and counting
*To read a 4-page children's book with approximately eight lines of simple text immediately after the country is attacked by terrorists - 7 mins
* To successfully implement "No Child Left Behind" and enhance the reading skills of the nation's children - Forget it

[Andromeda]

86. They've already started.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3335685

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/news/hurricane_katrina.html

Ask and you shall receive---IF, you're Halliburton that is.

[gratuitous]

4. Since Bush emptied the Treasury . . .

He figures it's easier to just beg for money from Sri Lanka and Cuba than to put the arm on his overrich benefactors. The derisive laughter hurts, too.

[OKthatsIT]

49. How bout that ESTATE TAX repeal going through TODAY!

[UKCynic]

90. I heard that that was put on hold

n/t

[autorank]

5. First he said "NO" then he begged, that's the problem

American's don't want our fellow citizens denied health or other benefits. It's the way it's done. Why did he say no, to begin with. Why can't he just frame it: "I'm not going to deny one resource to the people of LA. We welcome help from blabla...and we'll coordinate through blabla..." Home fucking run!

But he doesn't care that people are denied aid. That's obvious!

[Mountainman]

6. If people want to help I say let them. Especially medical help

Maybe they may even give people a home and a job in their country so that they can escape the Bush regime here.

[icymist]

7. Could this hurriciane disaster be even worse than what the MSM reports?

Are they hidding an even bigger enorimity of the disaster?

[pitohui]

62. yes it's bigger than reported

they are not deliberately hiding it, i don't think, but they are unable to get out & see the full extent of the devastation

it is not just new orleans & surrounding parishes lost

it is biloxi

gulfport

bay st. louis and waveland, maybe pass christian too

i've heard rumors of empire, lousiana, maybe buras being gone

& many rural areas i'm not able to get news at all

this thing is huge, huge, huge

[sunnystarr]

76. I heard a chilling estimate today ...

40,000 dead ... I just can't imagine how many people that is. I've been crying all week at the horror of people dying like this.

[sandnsea]

87. Yes it's BAD

Hundreds of thousands of people with NO HOMES, NO JOBS. A major US port for imports AND food exports, out of commission. Several oil platforms, out of commission. A major tourist destination, out of commission. The major source of tax dollars for a US state, out of commission. Yes this is an enormous disaster that will reach far beyond New Orleans and Biloxi.

[Toots]

8. PRIDE...Pride goeth before the fall.

Americans are soo Proud and Arrogant and I have yet to understand why. They can do almost nothing as well as half the world other than kill people, at that we are number one.

[MuseRider]

11. Me too.

It baffles me. We are all the same, right? Nope? Somehow we are better? Don't get it.

[Bob3]

9. People in denial hate the people who shatter the denial

It's an odd twist of fate that * who benefited so much domesticly from the: "fuck the foreigner's we're 'murika we do things our way" stance, is the one to shatter that he-man macho woman hater's club illusion of macho power that his fans need so desperately.

[aquart]

14. Good, good point.

[skooooo]

10. Has Bush responded to Castro's offer of 1500 doctors???

He made that on Aug. 30th.

[Joe Chi Minh]

16. Oh no, fear! That would be dangerous

on the ideological front. It might send altogether the "wrong" message...., mightn't it?

[Betsy Ross]

13. * "Save me! Somebody save me!"

He refused help from other countries. Seems that third-world countries can't be any less organized for relief than the US.

[Nay]

66. I was in Canada when he refused Canada's help. People there

were dumbfounded. As was I.

[Renew Deal]

15. I am not humiliated to take aid.

Countries help each other out. That's natural. But that's not the point. The point is that Bush and his cronies fucked up so bad that it is embarrassing.

[KansDem]

31. Well, considering "why" we need aid...

1) Bush gives massive tax cuts to the wealthy, then embarks on preemptive war based on lies. These actions create huge deficit.
2) Bush, ignoring reports about potential disaster in south, cuts funding and programs necessary to avoid such disasters like Katrina (see no. 1 above)...
3) Katrina hits, resulting in predicted death and destruction...
4) Bush, with hat in hand, goes to third-world countries for aid...
5) Repeat...

I have to wonder, "what's next?"

[leesa]

18. Bout time Americans with their bloated egos face reality.

Thanks for all the help fellow third worlders!

[0007]

19. It won't be long before Americans start getting "Good Care"

packages from Romania and other like countries.
:sarcasm:

[daninthemoon]

23. Well, if this govt goes for taxbreaks the wealthy, and corporate

welfare, wouldn't you expect this take from the poor & give to the rich mentality.

[defiant1]

24. I have no problem with aid coming from other countries....

I imagine it's a slap in the face of those too arrogant to accept it, but if it didn't look like we needed it, they wouldn't be offering it, now would they?

[Solly Mack]

25. illusions shattered

oh well... sucks to be those people.


Buy the lies, buy the myths - wake up to reality.

[eauclaireliberal]

30. If that's the case, then let's get OUT of Iraq

This is, after all, the reason that our soldiers continue to get killed-so that treasonrepublicans don't look 'wimpy.'

Seen this before? Yeah, Vietnam.

[Solly Mack]

32. I agree - let's get out of Iraq

[RaRa]

26. I do find it humilitiaing that Bush Sr. and Clinton

are going to go begging for money. The Asian tsunami was a foreign crisis, so I think that was fine. And Americans in general will give to this catastrophe. But, to have to ex Presidents begging American citizens to pay for something that our own government should have prevented and should be paying for is unseemly, IMO. Let Bush and Clinton go to the top 1% and get money from them. Better yet, tax the hell out of them.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

27. Americans appalled over Bush

Omit needless words.

[iverglas]

29. any USAmerican who actually does feel that way

should get off his/her fucking high horse before s/he suffers a skull fracture.

There is no hierarchy in this world, with the US at the top doling stuff out to those lower down. There is interdependence, whether any arrogant person in any country thinks so or not.

According to a poll carried out by the Daily Mail, the world's richest nation's inability to cope with the disaster and its decision to take aid from countries like Sri Lanka, Cuba and other lesser developed countries is being seen as humiliating.

Don't rule out advantage being taken of an opportunity to point and jeer -- the US fucked up bigtime, look at them now. It wouldn't be nice, but it wouldn't be any more inexplicable than anti-US terrorism.

Had the US simply asked for and accepted the expertise and resources of its neighbours in good grace and as the natural thing it is to do, I doubt that such responses would be seen, either inside or outside the US.

The opinion piece from the Daily Mail in question:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=361375&in_page_id=1770&ct=5

President George Bush is facing mounting anger both at home and abroad for his lethargic response to the disaster. The shock we all felt as we watched families, the elderly and infirm struggling to survive winds, floods, fire, hunger and disease is now turning to anger.

... Not only did President Bush react too slowly, but now he's accepting aid from Third World countries with a fraction of his spending power. This catastrophe happened on the watch of the most powerful man in the world and he should be ashamed.

*That* reaction is understandable -- that foreign aid should not be needed/accepted as a remedy for domestic inaction.

But to decline offers of aid when it is needed, even from the most destitute, is simply insufferable arrogance, and another fine way to alienate all one's neighbours.

[iverglas]

33. read the actual reader comments

in response to the Daily Mail opinion piece:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=361375&in_page_id=1770&ct=5

Click on the "View Reader Comments" link at the bottom (can't post clickable link).

... Actually, they're all pretty right wing (blaming state and local officials for not doing things that are federal responsibilities in the US), critiquing the "politicizing" of the situation, disputing the characterization of George Bush as "begging" ...

More discussion here:
http://chat.dailymail.co.uk/dailymail/threadnonInd.jsp?forum=105&thread=9709373&message=11126924

The actual poll results to date:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/dmpolls/results.html?in_poll_id=13786&in_page_id=711&in_question_id=13657&in_exists=N&in_answer1=16449

Should America take hurricane aid from other countries?
1 Yes 56%
2 No 44%

[wellstone_democrat]

98. Amen.

That is precisely the truth of the situation. Thank you for saying it so clearly and unequivocably.

[kestrel91316]

35. Why on earth would we want to raise taxes on our wealthiest citizens

to pay for the relief effort when we can get poor third-world countries to pay for it??

:sarcasm:

[Miss Chybil]

36. Obviously, we need the help. And, sometimes it's important to LET

people help.

[54anickel]

40. Goes against their conditioned mentality of "I got mine, go get your own".

I'm sure this is a blow to many egos as the President accepts hand-outs in their name. I'm sure it just seems so "Un-American". :eyes:

[Union Thug]

41. HUH??? We should be HAPPY that these morons finally accepted

offers of assistance. Obviously they were too stupid, inept or uncaring to figure it out themselves.

Geeeeezus

[t73rvo]

42. WHY IS THE GOV REFERING TO RED CROSS?

Why last week when citizens called their senators and congressmen regarding rescue efforts were they told to contact the Red Cross?

For an point we must ponder:

http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/9/4/174548/7568

The spin that the left has to watch out for is, "FEMA, a government agency, failed New Orleans, but look at the job the Red Cross did, you can't trust the government to do anything right!", when it was actually the people, and ideology, that were running FEMA (into the ground) that failed New Orleans.

[karenorsi]

43. Flood Waters Rising Around The Bed Of Terri Schaivo

If Katrina's floodwaters were rising around the bed of Terri Schiavo, Jeb Bush and all the highest courts in the land would have run in bare feet over broken glass to get to her and then carried her out on their backs. The same resources, care and attention paid to Terri Schaivo should be available to everyone. But they're not...

[sabra]

45. Great Post! Welcome to DU!

[saigon68]

63. She was white

[Buns_of_Fire]

44. Don't forget Bangladesh

Yes, Bangladesh...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1756834

[cranston36]

47. Underprivileged Anyway

The last I heard the reverend George W. Bush had refused offers of international aid to help with relief effort following Hurricane Katrina.
He turned down offers of assistance from Germany and Venezuela as soon as they were made – so the story goes.
Apparently Pastor Bush hasn’t been as honest with the American people as he has led many of them to believe or he didn’t have any concept of what was going on in his own country.
As of this writing the United States government has requested aid from Europe and NATO.
The Vatican is preparing to coordinate Catholic aid.
The president of Jefferson Parish in Louisiana had this to say, “We have been abandoned by our own country.”
Great Britain is sending 500,000 military ration packs. Over the past 2 decades British companies have extracted tens of billions of dollars from Louisiana in oil and gas.
Germany and Italy prepared military shipments of their own that can help alleviate the crisis.
The United States, which is occupying Iraq and Afghanistan, has requested blankets, first-aid kits, water trucks and food.
Condoleezza Rice, who was raised in Alabama stated, "Nobody, especially the president, would have left people unattended on the basis of race."
The response to Ms. Rice : Truly, many times in history people have been slaughtered based on race. In this case it seems that some people were left unattended on the basis of race, but the vast majority were left unattended on the basis of income and wealth.
Barbara Bush, former first lady and mother of the President said that the relocation for those Americans forced out of Louisiana is "working very well" in Texas. She said many of the people at the Astrodome were "underprivileged anyway."
There is no response for Ms. Bush.

[JustSayNO 2 Sheeples]

48. I've been with this for 8 days now....

And I haven't heard a single, not ONE, person say they were appalled that we might accept foreign aid. On the contrary, I have heard many appalled that we have been turning it down. Hell, FEMA is even turning down aid from our own country, like the City of Chicago, who were told "NO, don't come".

I believe this is more spin.

[daleo]

51. It is an internet poll - not really valid

To say they "commissioned a poll" is stretching things past the breaking point. Internet polls may be interesting, and they may even give an indication of popular opinion, but they are not scientifically valid.

[libhill]

52. Take the aid

regardless of where it comes from - our own fecal matter "Government" has proved it's too fucking incompetent to deal with the situation. Politicians on both sides of the aile are talking a lot of shit, but talk is cheap.

[Skittles]

53. I have not heard we've accepted any foreign aid

just requests to NATO and UN and perhaps Candada for medicine. And the so-called attitude suggested in this article smacks of arrogance, snobbery and ingnorance - in other words, republican.

[iverglas]

55. then you haven't been reading this forum!

Start here, for a rundown of Canadian aid already on the ground (actually, job done and coming home) and on the way:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1755275

No "perhaps Canada" about it.

[MasonJar]

58. He doesn't want to spend any money; it's already gone to war...

even that is borrowed.

[hyphenate]

60. The republican point of view

is arrogance at its most stupid. Many of those who are staunch, independents without time for any outside help, are going to resist having any kind of help from any other nation--sort of the "I can do it myself" stubborn attitude.

Those of us who are more in tune with the world view are more liable to accept other nations helping, because to us, it represents a cooperation that makes us part of the world, not such a singularity with an obstinate streak.

This is my POV--from the most humblest nations worldwide, a token acceptance is a worthy gesture, and from the nations who can afford it, a larger acceptance of their gifts. We helped out quite significantly when the tsunami hit the far eastern countries, and a spirit of brotherly/sisterly goodwill will make us more popular with the rest of the world.

I would not shun, or would I accept a full rendering of gifts from those poorer countries, however, because in one case, giving as much as they have pledged will leave them more poor, and in the case of the other, it would simply be very bad taste, and very bad karma to shun such an offering.

[roguevalley]

64. the third world countries need a hug from this American for giving

from their paucity to us, drowning here in our own fat. It is the height of Christianity that those with nothing give of that. The Widow's Mite comes to mind. Thank you, countries of the world, not holding the fuckers in the government against us. We will not forget.

[geniph]

65. Hell, I'm still seeing emails from freeps complaining

that other nations aren't offering any aid! Despite dozens of news stories directly contradicting this, there are plenty of the shiny-eyed zealot pod people convinced that the rest of the world is dancing in the streets and enjoying this.

[Karla Marx]

67. W just created a million new disenfranchised voters. n/t

[GoddessOfGuinness]

68. Appalled? yes. Surprised? hell no

The world's richest nation is led by incompetent boobs.

[teryang]

69. Opportunity cost

When you spend hundreds of billions, on war and yes even trillions, on nuclear weapons, billion dollar stealth bombers, satellite weapons, national missile defense, and so on, it's not the dollar cost, and the unethical profits made by the bushes and their "have more" defense contractor supporters, that hurt the most. What hurts the most, is the incalculable losses resulting from the resources you didn't expend upon much more meaningful, productive and reasonable priorities.

[Dan]

70. And this is just the beginning of the Ownership Society

that Bush wishes for the rest of us.

[Mokito]

73. See, this pisses me off!

..., Cuba and other lesser developed countries

Cuba has a higher literacy rate than the US,

Cuba has a lower infant mortality rate than the US,

Cuba definitely has a better health care system than the US,

So why the F would Cuba be "lesser developed"?

Because it has less greedy, stealing and cheating sickeningly rich bastards???

[Judi Lynn]

81. There might be a reason Cuba has struggled, too.

Could it have anything to do with a 45 year long EMBARGO?

The right-wing administrations are delighted that so many Americans can be so easily placated with the completely, deliberately false news they manufacture to keep everyone in the dark.

If they want people to believe Cuba is really a "lesser developed country," why the hell don't they let Americans go take A LOOK FOR THEMSELVES? The truth would wipe out so much of right-wing credibility. They'd rather kill you than allow you to know the truth.

[Piperay]

74. I'm glad that this country is taking help

other countries don't always like to be on the receiving end, just as most people don't like to always have to be the ones taking. I think it helps to equalize the nations abit more, for the richest to be able to take help when it is offered. :thumbsup:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

82. I'm glad too, but if he hadn't been such a dumbshit we wouldn't need aid

from countries like Afghanistan, who have serious problems of their own.

[Pepperbelly]

75. We give help, we accept help. It is as it should be, IMO. nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

77. What is everyone bitching about? Bush made us a third-world

nation back in 2000 with his banana republic election.

[confludemocrat]

79. Iran and Cuba have offered aid. We should take it and from anyone else too

We are truly in being hamstrung by the war in Iraq thus in need of any help we can get.

[Judi Lynn]

80. It's been discussed here alreay many, many times in the last few days.

A LOT of us Democrats are damned angry _Bush has funneled our country's money to his "base," to funding of his oil wars, depleting our own resources, and is hard at work even now as we post, working on destroying Social Security, and making permanent tax cuts for those who simply don't need them, etc., etc., etc.

Turning to poor countries, many which we have ABUSED ourselves, during Reagan's and Bush I's regimes, as well as Nixon's, and asking them to take money from their meager treasuries to replace the money needed here which BUSH STOLE is what gets many people wild, speaking for myself.

[iverglas]

94. the widow's mite

Somebody else here finally named the bible story I'd been trying to recall from my Sunday School teaching youth. ;)

Even had there been no war in Iraq, even had no Bushes ever happened to the US, poor countries would have offered aid. Well ... maybe not if they hadn't seen how incompetently and negligently the US govt had responded to the crisis -- but I'll bet even then.

Everybody needs to give, not just receive. It's a matter of human dignity, to be able to do something as basic to our nature as help other people.

In the case of a country like Sri Lanka, I'd think it's also a milestone on their own road to recovery -- to be able to formally take their place back among the international community, and the human community, by giving back after receiving so much. Heck, if a shipping container of tea for the evacuees in emergency shelters had been all they could muster, they would have wanted to do it, and it would have been important.

I know that you in particular know how little some of these countries have, and how much the US has taken from them. But I know you also know the value of solidarity.

If you guys look at their gestures from that viewpoint, that no one wants to stand by without giving to anyone in need, especially when they have so often received, no matter what other circumstances there are, I would hope it would feel better. Don't let your hatred of Bush push out the benefits that can come, from receiving, both for yourselves and for the givers.

[tom_paine]

83. Imperial Amerika IS a Third-World country now...of course we need aid

We have been a Third-World Country since 12-12-2000, the day we turned our backs on the Founding Fathers and Constitutional Governance.

Our media is Third-World.
Our Supreme Court is not a Court at all, and will only get more Third-World as two more Imperial/Nazi Judges are appointed,.
Our executive agencies ALL lie like Soviets now (unemployment 4.9%...does ANYONE believe that happy horsehsit LIE?)

and so forth...

It only stands to reason that a Third-World nation like Amerika would require the aid of Developed Natioons and our fellow Third-World Nations.

[stickdog]

84. We are appalled that Bush keeps asking for CASH donations like

a fucking corrupt, criminal evangelist.

However, we are happy to graciously accept help from our neighbors in this time of obvious need.

[RedCloud]

95. Why WE need THEIR aid!

Years ago brother Steve Cloud was helping to sand bag along the Mississippi. He heard some folks approach. They were not from around here. They had come in droves from Australia. Several had given up their vacation savings to come over. One even sold his house. They wanted to help. They were our buddies. Our bleeping anti humanitarian media did not cover this.

"Foreigners" show us what our hate media are all about. Lying to us about the very core nature of humans around the world. "Foreigners" reaching out to help their fellow human beings in the land that has practiced more war than any other in human history is not a story the media want leaked out.

Hug a "foreigner" today!

[Ilsa]

96. I hope we accept all kinds of aid.

We need it. Wolf Blitzer was in error when he referred to the US as the richest nation in the world. We are not. And we have horrible amounts of debt.

Yeah, it may be a pride thing, but I think the humility might do some people some good. The US needs to learn how to work with the rest of the world, not exempt itself from it.

[Garbo 2004]

99. You know we're in bad shape when India is offering aid. It's not like they

don't have needs of their own.

We have resources, this administration just lacks the will and concern to get them where they need to be.

[theboss]

100. This is a questionable article

1. I don't think Bush asked for money.
2. I don't think anyone would complain if he did.