[Mulderator]

As most of us had to endure yet another assault by the left on America this week after the tsunami tragedy, I thought this article was apropos. Be proud to be an American--not arrogant--proud--you deserve it!

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/l...20050106.shtml

America the stingy
Larry Elder (archive)


January 6, 2005 | Print | Send


"It is beyond me . . . why are we so stingy, really," said U.N. Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland, after the tsunami in southern Asia. " . . . Christmastime should remind many Western countries at least, [of] how rich we have become. . . . " And in a statement that might shock defeated presidential candidate John Kerry, Egeland said voters want their taxes increased. " . . . [i]n the United States, in the European Union, in Norway which is No. 1 in the world, we want to give more . . . as taxpayers. . . . [P]oliticians . . . belie[ve] that they are really burdening the taxpayers too much and the taxpayer wants to give less. That's not true. They want to give more."

Actually, Americans do want to give more -- with the emphasis on "give." Indeed, so far, Americans pledged over $200 million in tsunami aid. Normally, Catholic Relief Services' Web site receives $40,000 per month. Since the tsunami, online contributions are $100,000 per hour. The American Red Cross has received pledges over $100 million, with more pouring in daily. Yet on more than one occasion, former President Jimmy Carter sounded the America-is-cheap theme. On PBS television a few years ago, Carter said, "It's all very disturbing to me as a former president that this nation with generous people in it has become by far the stingiest nation on earth."

Here we go again.

Last year, American government provided 35 percent of worldwide relief aid. In private contributions, American individuals, estates, foundations and corporations gave over $240 billion to charitable causes in 2003, according to Giving USA Foundation. Privately, Americans give at least $34 billion overseas.

Josette Shiner, former Empower America president, points out that more than 80 percent of Americans belong to a "voluntary association," and 75 percent of households report charitable contributions. Shiner wrote in 1999, "Americans look even better compared to other leading nations. According to recent surveys, 73 percent of Americans made a charitable contribution in the previous 12 months, as compared to 44 percent of Germans, and 43 percent of French citizens. The average sum of donations over 12 months was $851 for Americans, $120 for Germans, and $96 for the French. In addition, 49 percent of Americans volunteered over the previous 12 months, as compared to 13 percent of Germans and 19 percent of the French."

Of the 184 subscriber nations of the World Bank -- which provides financial assistance and debt relief to developing countries for particular sectors or projects with low-interest loans, interest-free credit and grants -- contributions paid in by America make up over 17 percent. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) focuses on providing financing for general support of a country's balance of payments and international reserves. Again, of the IMF's 184 nations, the U.S. does the heavy lifting, providing 17.5 percent of contributions.

What about debt forgiveness? The United States forgave about $14 billion in foreign debt from the late '80s through 1995. Since 1994, the U.S. has worked with the Paris Club -- an informal forum of creditor countries -- to review, negotiate and adopt debt relief programs for poor countries, recently badgering France and Germany into agreeing to forgive 80 percent of the $39 billion owed by Iraq.

America twice assisted Europe in World Wars I and II. America took the lead in defeating the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and continues to provide troops and military assistance to European nations and Southeast Asia.

United Nations' Egeland brags about his native Norway, which, in giving, he says, "is No. 1 in the world." Norway gives 0.92 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) to foreign aid development, versus 0.14 percent in this country. " . . . We have . . . no country up to the 1 percent . . . line of foreign assistance in general," says Egeland, "and we have, I think, three . . . Scandinavians that have exceeded -- and Holland -- the 0.7 percent line of gross national income for assistance." Yes, Holland gave $12.2 billion in foreign aid in 2003, but that was following two years in which it received more aid than it gave. Besides, these numbers overlook Americans' private contributions, which equal 2.2 percent of our GDP. Add the value of volunteer time contributed, and -- even when calculated at minimum wage -- that gives you another $100 billion.

Add in the amount of money spent to protect other (often wealthy) countries -- military spending is 3.3 percent of our GDP, versus Sweden's 1.7 percent, Denmark's 1.6 percent, Norway's 1.9 percent, and Holland's 1.6 percent -- and, as Ronald Reagan might have put it, not bad. Not bad at all.

As to the tragedy in southern Asia, consider other actions taken by the United States so far: providing aircraft carriers, transport planes, helicopters, military support, logistical support, ships carrying food supplies, reconnaissance planes and warships, sending disaster assistance teams, shuttling supplies and advance teams to Sumatra's northwest coast and sending cargo planes carrying Marines and water purification equipment to Sri Lanka.

Former President Clinton, never missing an opportunity to take a swipe at a sitting president, said a few days after the tsunami, "It is really important that somebody take the lead in this." Well, Mr. Clinton, someone has -- America. Like always.

[Mulderator]

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/t...20050106.shtml

A wave of criticism
Thomas Sowell (archive)


January 6, 2005 | Print | Send


The catastrophic tsunami wave that has devastated so much of southern Asia has even killed more than a hundred people on the east coast of Africa, more than 4,000 miles away. Two questions: First, what country has done the most to help the victims of this natural disaster? Second, what country has been criticized most for not doing enough?

The answer to both questions is the United States of America.

Even the $350 million officially announced as American aid to help the tsunami victims does not count the cost of sending American military planes and naval ships, including an aircraft carrier with a crew of thousands, to aid in the rescues and provide medical treatment.

As with many other natural disasters, aid pouring into the stricken areas tends to pile up at transit points -- ports or airfields, for example -- while the victims suffer and die elsewhere.

American aid has been particularly important in this regard because it includes not only the supplies of food, water, and medicine which are arriving in the region from various countries around the world, but the logistical support to get those supplies to the people needing them, as fast as possible under the chaotic conditions in the aftermath of widespread destruction.

It is American planes and helicopters that are doing much of the heavy lifting, rushing food and medical supplies to people and rushing stricken people to medical treatment centers.

What, then is the criticism?

The first blast came from the United Nations, where one of their high officials implied that the United States is stingy in the aid it is providing. No matter what we do, it is always possible to do more. But "more" is not the standard to which any other country is held.

Ironically, the charge of stinginess comes at a time when a study cited in Philanthropy magazine shows that Americans donate not only more money to philanthropic causes than any other people, they devote a higher percentage of their income and contribute far more of their time as volunteers to a whole spectrum of humanitarian causes.

But, no matter what we do, "more" is the demand -- and the criticism -- that can always be made. We are not compared to other people. We are compared to an ideal that human beings have never met.

No consistent principle is involved in these criticisms, just attitudes. These include not only the attitudes of those foreigners envious or resentful of American success and power, but also the attitudes of those among the American intelligentsia who automatically echo foreign criticisms of the United States.

Decades ago, Eric Hoffer wrote: "Nowhere at present is there such a measureless loathing of their country by educated people as in America." Reasons may be cited but the flimsiness of many of those reasons betrays the fact that what is really involved are attitudes.

A recent example is a denunciation of the United States as a "land of penny pinchers" by New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof. Why? Because, aside from highly publicized tragedies like the tsunami, "we're tightwads who turn away as people die in greater numbers" around the world from things like malaria and AIDS.

Foreign governments are more generous with their taxpayers' money than the American government is, both domestically and internationally. But real generosity is shown by those who voluntarily give their own hard cash -- and Americans do that more than anybody else.

Incidentally, in all of Mr. Kristof's waxing indignant about the ravages of malaria, there is not one word about the banning of DDT, which has led immediately to a resurgence of malaria that has taken lives by the millions, as a result of propaganda campaigns against DDT by environmental busybodies.

Apparently it is not the principle of saving lives lost to malaria that is crucial, but the opportunity to score points against the United States. Green extremists get a pass. So do bungling and corrupt foreigners, including the United Nations.

[izme]

I think that all of this finger pointing is ridiculous, and it makes both sides look bad. Sensationalism by both sides and media hype which serves no purpose. The proverbial hot air balloon, how about concentrating on real issues instead of nonsense like this, We are in such a black hole deficit now and we are fighting about how much is given? Two parties playing word semantics and tearing each other apart for almost any reason, the Government benefits from this but the people don't.

[XL Guru]

Happy New Year Mulder! ; so instruct me.

>> another assault by the left on America

So the UN is left-wing?

Obviously I take the point about Clinton et al, but maybe -- just maybe -- it's that whoever's in opposition will take virtually any opportunity to have a pop at whoever's "in power" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4140935.stm) ; which of course at a time like this is real low.

Just think ; a world with no borders/politicians/etc, just people. If only it were possible.

[linskyjack]

Okay--America isn't stingy--I agree--but please spare us the right wing pundit quotes---Larry Elder and Thomas Sewell are shills of the far right.

[guitarman1]

Hey Mulder you stole my thunder. I was just about to do just this thread.I'll have to learn to type with more than one finger but you know what they say "You can't teach an old ,blah etc"
You know in the first couple of days ,before the whole worlds realisation of the enormous magnetude of this devastating disaster I really did think the USA's response was well "stingy" But as this tragedy unfolded every countries response radically changed . I no longer think that the USA's response is weak I think it has been extremely magnanimous ! Now you know of my love of criticising the USA but credit where credit is due.
But...as for your claims of billions and billions of aid over the previous years,well here's an idea Mulder find out how much of these billions went into proping up that Theocracy called Israel ?

[iltos]

Originally Posted by izme

I think that all of this finger pointing is ridiculous, and it makes both sides look bad. Sensationalism by both sides and media hype which serves no purpose. The proverbial hot air balloon, how about concentrating on real issues instead of nonsense like this, We are in such a black hole deficit now and we are fighting about how much is given? Two parties playing word semantics and tearing each other apart for almost any reason, the Government benefits from this but the people don't.

you nailed it, izme

[rawmeat]

Hey Guitarman1, In case your "extremist left-wing" rag sheets tell you something, it must not exist. Israel is a democracy where even muslims have a vote and the right to exist. The terrorists that are hell-bent on pushing all the Israelites into the sea are pushing for 1) a jew free country, 2) the right of return to innundate Israel with muslims to then vote the jews out of the country. (all while the muslims in this new state will have lovely free elections like the last one!) Beautifully tolerant of you. Defending your life is not terrorism, bombing cafes is!

[WarC]

Kudos rawmeat. Logic serves you.

Lets not forget it was the UN that setup Israel in 1949, partly as payment by the international community for the Holocaust. Israel then proceeded to beat back not one, but two seperate Arab invasions in the next few decades.

Palestine being occupied was a direct result of those invasions. They wanted a country, they shouldn't have thrown it away like so many bullets and soviet tanks. Theres a word I could use for these Arab countries that many like to thrust on the US: Warmonger!

IMO, anyways. It turns out Palestine is probably going to get its place under the sun either way - just not along with Israel as the PLO emblem displays.

Israel is about the last place to look for a theocracy in the middle east.

[linskyjack]

Originally Posted by guitarman1

Hey Mulder you stole my thunder. I was just about to do just this thread.I'll have to learn to type with more than one finger but you know what they say "You can't teach an old ,blah etc"
You know in the first couple of days ,before the whole worlds realisation of the enormous magnetude of this devastating disaster I really did think the USA's response was well "stingy" But as this tragedy unfolded every countries response radically changed . I no longer think that the USA's response is weak I think it has been extremely magnanimous ! Now you know of my love of criticising the USA but credit where credit is due.
But...as for your claims of billions and billions of aid over the previous years,well here's an idea Mulder find out how much of these billions went into proping up that Theocracy called Israel ?

Actually, Israel isn't a theocracy--go to Tel Aviv and you get a hooker and the best hashish in the Middle East within eyesite of the cops. That doesn't mean that there aren't religious nuts among the 60 or so political parties in that country. Look at our country---3 million or so Fundi's and a bunch of variation.

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by rawmeat

Hey Guitarman1, In case your "extremist left-wing" rag sheets tell you something, it must not exist. Israel is a democracy where even muslims have a vote and the right to exist. The terrorists that are hell-bent on pushing all the Israelites into the sea are pushing for 1) a jew free country, 2) the right of return to innundate Israel with muslims to then vote the jews out of the country. (all while the muslims in this new state will have lovely free elections like the last one!) Beautifully tolerant of you. Defending your life is not terrorism, bombing cafes is!

A little rough on Guitarman, but nevertheless words of truth. I often am amazed at the Jewish population's left wing leanings here in the US because the left in America and Europe is very anti-Israel (if not outright anti-semitic). I just heard on the radio today that 51% of Germans believe that what Israel is doing to the Palestinians is the same as what the Nazi's did to the Jews! An even higher percentage beleive that Israel is waging an "ethnic cleansing" type war (albeit covertly) against the Palestinians. It is absolutely astonishing how distorted the viewpoints are in most of the rest of the world as to the Palestinian/Israel conflict. As stated, we have a democracy where people are free, even Muslims, in Israel vs. a dictatoriship or aristocracy where the men look on women as no better than property and Jews no better than cockroaches. Not that Israel hasn't made some mistakes, but give me a friggin break--only the most distorted view of this situation would villainize Israel. Only when democracy and freedom exist in the middle east in every country will the conflicts end.

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by guitarman1

Hey Mulder you stole my thunder. I was just about to do just this thread.I'll have to learn to type with more than one finger but you know what they say "You can't teach an old ,blah etc"
You know in the first couple of days ,before the whole worlds realisation of the enormous magnetude of this devastating disaster I really did think the USA's response was well "stingy" But as this tragedy unfolded every countries response radically changed . I no longer think that the USA's response is weak I think it has been extremely magnanimous ! Now you know of my love of criticising the USA but credit where credit is due.
But...as for your claims of billions and billions of aid over the previous years,well here's an idea Mulder find out how much of these billions went into proping up that Theocracy called Israel ?

Uhh, thanks for the kudos guitarman, I think! It would have been more genuine if you left out the backhanded insult after the compliment!

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by XL Guru

Happy New Year Mulder! ; so instruct me.

>> another assault by the left on America

So the UN is left-wing?

Obviously I take the point about Clinton et al, but maybe -- just maybe -- it's that whoever's in opposition will take virtually any opportunity to have a pop at whoever's "in power" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4140935.stm) ; which of course at a time like this is real low.

Just think ; a world with no borders/politicians/etc, just people. If only it were possible.

Happy New Year to you Guru--I look forward to another year of trying to de-program you and the rest of Europe!

[linskyjack]

Problem is that democracy does exist (ie Iran) and I assure you that freedom doesn't exist along side it. Remember, Hitler came to power via "the vote" and what was the result of that. The best you can hope for in the Middle East is that they will sell you the oil to power your SUVs. Fantasies about them becoming democracies (as we know them) are just fantasies.

[izme]

Originally Posted by linskyjack

Problem is that democracy does exist (ie Iran) and I assure you that freedom doesn't exist along side it. Remember, Hitler came to power via "the vote" and what was the result of that. The best you can hope for in the Middle East is that they will sell you the oil to power your SUVs. Fantasies about them becoming democracies (as we know them) are just fantasies.

Greed and the total fear of it's own people's taking them out to a tree somewhere and hanging their sorry rear ends, Control over the people seems the most logical steps to the tyrannical and unwise leaders of this world