Mike Malloy says the $35 million for trsunami relief equals 8 hours of

[Eric J in MN]

US military expenses in Iraq.

Says Bush took 4 days to speak about the tsuanami because of his difficulty faking comapssion.

[Tinoire]

1. Here's more on the financial perspective

Us, Stingy?
It's All Relative
By DAVE LINDORFF

Cost of one F-22 Raptor tactical fighter jet -- $225 million

Cost of the ongoing U.S. war in Iraq--$228 million/day

Amount spent by Kerry and Bush campaigns -- $400 million

U.S. aid to Yushenko camp in recent Ukrainian conflict -- $30+ million

Estimated cost of Bush's Second Inauguration and Ball -- $ 40+ million

Amount of U.S. tax cuts under Bush -- $1 trillion

Cost of the U.S. Iraq War in 2004 -- $147 billion

U.S. reconstruction aid budgeted for Iraq (though never spent!) -- $18 billion

Amount the U.S. initially in aid to Indian Ocean tsunami victims -- $ 10 million

Amount U.S. offered in tsunami aid after being chastised by UN official -- $35 million


http://www.counterpunch.com/lindorff12292004.html

[pdxmom]

7. To whom has our 2004 disaster aid gone?

I noticed the parsing of words in the announcement today. He talked about providing the most aid for disasters this past year. Did this amount include the massive relief to Florida during the hurricanes? I really think those numbers should be looked at more closely to see how much was spent and on which countries.

He really has screwed this one up royally. This only makes us more hated by the international community than we already were.

[Tinoire]

10. Excellent question! Calls for some DU research!

Welcome to DU. Sad to meet you on such a catastrophic day.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

19. Maybe it went to rebuild Iraq

I understand they've suffered a major disaster these past few years, and need lots of aid rebuilding infrastructure. Besides, it would be a great way to hide some of the real costs of Bush's War.

[pacifictiger]

14. great listing!

to break it down further:
US population = 293027571

1 F-22 Raptor tactical fighter jet = 76 cents per person
Cost of Iraq war per day = 78 cents per person each day
2004 presidential "pick me" contest = $1.37 per person
Political influence to vote in Yushenko = .10c per person
2nd coronation party extravaganza = .14c per person
US Initial offer of tsunami aid = .05c per person
Upgraded amount due to UN shaming = .10c per person

Now get this
Australia offer of immediate disaster relief -- 50c per citizen

[Bozita]

2. Canada has upped its donation to $40 million

Shame!

[Bozita]

20. and we're giving $35 mil -- link to LBN thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1108208

[Inland]

3. Not difficulty faking compassion, beyond being sick of pretending and

not seeing a real need for it.

Unlike most humans who would be moved to action, Bush wasn't. He didn't say anything because he didn't feel anything, didn't see what it had to do with him, didn't see a need, didn't see a role. Or let me put it this way: he isn't running for re-election, and there isn't a republican donor from Sri Lanka, so nobody told him it was TIME TO PRETEND TO BE HUMANE AND A LEADER.

[Phoebe_in_Sydney]

5. Maybe he was waiting

for a country he'd heard of to be affected?

:-)

[Nothing Without Hope]

13. That's what I think, too. n/t

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

21. Clinton nailed it when "compassionate conservative"

was the new Repug meme during *'s 2000 campaign:

"I don't understand what a 'compassionate conservative' is. Does it mean, 'I'd really like to help, but I won't'?"

[Inland]

22. Yeah, that's good, but

I think that "compassionate conservative", to the extent it has any meaning, requires backflips to explain why they won't help, or can't help, or most pernicious of all, how what SEEMS to be help really isn't helping at all. Clinton is right that the conclusion is, I won't help, but the excuse making and rationalization that goes into it is huge.

It takes a lot of shoveling of bullshit and my take is that Bush doesn't feel the need to bother when it comes to a tsunami in a foreign country. He doesn't care that he makes the US look like crap, again, he doesn't care that natural disasters destablize the region, he doesn't care, doesn't care, doesn't care. He's already won reelection, and nobody is lobbying for it. If there was anyone in the admin. who thought it would be a good idea of the head of state to show his face, he took four days and a toll over 50,000 and a few dozen missing Americans to get heard. And the president, and by extension us, gives the impression he considers the whole thing an inconvenience to himself personally.

[merci_me]

4. According to CNBC's

Bullseye today, $35MM is equal to four hours. Either way, it's disgraceful.

They also showed the percentage, comparing GNP and of about 15 countries, we came in dead last. Wish I could find that graphic.

Mary

[Dover]

6. And what are all the mega-corporations who use their cheap labor

giving to these countries they exploit? Why aren't they writing some checks?

[pdxmom]

9. Some are helping out

Intel has two plants in Malaysia, and my husband knows several people who are working there. They have already started with making sure that all their employees are safe and provided for. The money has started coming from the corporation itself, and it is also providing matching funds for all employee contributions.

[teach1st]

11. Some are...

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N29123548.htm

Among the larger early donors to tsunami relief are drugmaker Pfizer Inc. <PFE.N>, which pledged $10 million in cash and $25 million in medical supplies; Johnson & Johnson <JNJ.N> with a donation of $2 million plus supplies; and J.P. Morgan Chase <JPM.N> with up to $3 million, including matched employee contributions.

[HarrietBrown]

8. According to Democracy Now, $35 mill is about what the inauguration

will cost. That man is an embarrassment. Talks about compassion.

[Tinoire]

12. To make it worse!! nations pledge more than US$250m tsunami victims

Richest nations pledge more than US$250m tsunami victims

(snip)

Egeland said one of the biggest challenges would be sheltering all those displaced by the disaster.

"These are ranging from the villages that were wiped out in Somalia on the horn of Africa - Somalia has been largely forgotten because we have only accessed really these areas over the last 48 hours - to all the people displaced in Sri Lanka to the growing number we are now aware of in Indonesia.''

The World Food Programme (WFP), said at least 1 million people have been displaced in Sri Lanka. Approximately one million people in Sumatra are homeless, according to Unicef.

About 45,000 victims of the quake and flooding are living in camps in India. And in the Maldives 14,000 people from 20 islands have been displaced with 1000 evacuated to the capital, Male.

The world's richest nations have pledged more than US$250 million (euro184 million) in emergency aid for the victims and people around the globe have contributed millions more.

Egeland said US$220 million had been received in cash and pledges, but his list did not include several large pledges.

He said an equal amount had been promised in relief goods and equipment, and military and defense assistance.

(snip)

U.S. President George W. Bush said Wednesday the United States, India, Australia and Japan have formed an international coalition to coordinate worldwide relief and reconstruction efforts.

He pledged a multifaceted response that goes far beyond the initial U.S. pledge of US$35 million (euro26 million), including U.S. military manpower and damage surveillance teams in the short term and long-term rebuilding assistance.

(snip)

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/12/30/latest/20443Richestna&sec=latest

[NightTrain]

15. Malloy was mistaken. It only equals FOUR hours of Iraq expenses.

[jmatthan]

16. Mike read my letter on this yesterday's program

where I mentioned the cost of inauguration (US $ 40 m) and the cost per hour of the Iraq war (US $ 6 m - several reliable sources) but you should also see a couple of later posts of mine in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2878086#2881639

Also Mike is mentioning new dangers and reasons about the lack of giving to charities by anyone in US!!

Thom Hartmann (when hosting the Randi Rhodes show) named three reliable organisations in US which he personally vouched for as those with low overhead costs. Maybe somebody could post the names here.

Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

[eleny]

17. Powerful stuff going into the news break

A perfect illustration of Bush - the sociopath.

[TheWebHead]

18. The best way I can think of to equate *'s pledge of aid

is that imagine you and your loved one dine at a fine restaurant and at the end of the night, you leave a 5 cent tip. After a person at a neighboring table cracks a joke at your frugality, you "double" the tip to 10 cents, and then you voice indignation at the person criticizing your stinginess.

What is it about Bush's initial reactions to disaster? First he reads a book about goats to kids in the most crucial minutes after the 9.11 attacks, and in this case he takes a vacation riding his bike, giving a pathetic amount of aid to the worst natural disaster in modern times. This is our "moral values" president? I think the "moral values" clue we got about this guy came in response to Carla Faye Tucker's pleas for mercy before our Thug in Chief had her executed.

[stackhouse]

23. hi guys just popping in

:donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock: :donut: :yourock:

[proudbluestater]

24. Amy Goodman on Democracy Now said 4 hours in Iraq

either way, it is incredibly sad and disgusting at the same time.