Crosswords1 min ago
USA hurricane....not much sympathy
There does not seem to much sympathy for the plight of the US states caught up in the devastation. Is there a part of us that relishes something like this that happens to a rich country. It is suffering after all. But is the suffering of the rich somehow acceptable to that of the poor.
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Stretts - I was simply referring to the 3rd world countries if you care to read my original post properly.
To put it in laymans terms as I obviously have to to be understood - when a disaster happens in a 3rd world country there is not so much media coverage or sympathy e;g India etc.Tsunami affected at least a quarter of the globe and involved Americans and Europeans so was obviously given mass media coverage.
Now lets get this straight I am extremely compassionate so if u want to make little wittisisms re a genuine posting then what is the point in AB.Can people not just give a reasonable opinion on here - some sensitive people will be put off posting responses - not me.Hope u managed to get off your horse - I'm on mine now - LOL
Clanad are you really suggesting that the USA does not have the resources to deal with this....i guess it was tongue in cheek and you are not really expecting an armada of ships from Europe. Let it not be mistaken. The USA has the wherewithal and the money to deal and set right 10 such hurricanes. There is no shortage of resources,expertise and knowhow. Its just that getting it there in time will be a big task and no one really can help with that.
So if you see that charity mugger on the high street asking for Hurricane katrina relief...kick him/her in the crown jewels.
Clanad I think people respond to the USA they see now, not the one their parents/grandparents knew in 1940. This also implies their feeling about a whole country, usually as personified by its leaders (and perhaps by its military) rather than as individuals like you. If you suspect some anti-Americanism in the air, consider that it's directed against Mr Bush and the Pentagon, and has nothing to do with FDR.
Responses to the Katrina disaster may also be conditioned by coverage given in Europe to looting and violence - a rescue helicopter was driven off by gunfire? Europeans (except perhaps a few Chechens) find that all rather hard to envisage.
How come Smokey and the Bandit can get beer or elephants across The US of A in no time at all? What about help to all these people suffering through what is after all a natural disaster? Why the delay and apparent lack of organisation? So much for contingency plans for wartime or accidents. Is it because it was only the Southern States that were affected and no big businesses were involved to any
great degree? Where is the organisation that was apparent after 9/11?
Too many questions.......not enough answers.
I obviously sympathise with anyone involved in a tragedy but I have no respect at all for politicians and the like who are only interested in dollar signs.
Maybe Clanad had a valid point re lend-lease.
Some of you may already know me as an American, regular to AB, some of you may not...all I have to add to this thread is a plea!
Please click on this link to view my thread (posted this morning)...click here That is all I ask, thank you!
I dont think all of it is looting. Even the police have allowed (as seen on TV) some elderly and parents to take away food, medicines etc. It will all go to waste anyway and rot if not eaten. the people are starving so whats wrong with taking food and clothing. the city will be evacuated soon. Its about 3 days since the storms. People need water and food. So they are not all scumbags. Now for those taking TVs, what are they going to do with it. They cannot exactly watch it, or sell it can they.
Han51, i dont really think money is an issue. The US authorities do not need help from the salvation army or the red cross. They have the resources to do it all themselves. Of course the money generated could be used for other good causes around the world, they will be certainly more needy than the US states affected. I dont buy the argument that you need money to get aid to those affected. You have loads of it.
Buddy - twice today, I tried to post in the other thread to say I wasn't offended, and the posts didn't arrive. So sorry if you didn't see the bit where I said I didn't want us to fall out.
I'm sorry if this time I didn't understand your question. It seemed very ambiguous to me. I would have been interested in a decent answer from you. Sorry that you think I'm on my high horse just because we don't understand each other. It's a pity that you think so little of me... especially as others are giving me a chance.
dont any of you have a heart..have you seen the devastation..what about all the animals ??many will be drowned..some that have survived will be hungry and homeless..not all of the people are rich..the ones with money got out.. the ones remaining are probably frightend...so what if america is rich it will take a long time to rebuild the mess they are in..in the meantime familys will be homeless or moved to shelters...america soon helped us in the war..and they would not have hesitated in helping us if we had been hit by a hurricane..and they certainly wouldnt have found it amusing..the ones that will suffer the most are the poor they didnt have much to start with and now have even less..they might get helped with a roof over their heads but the preciouse little they had is now gone..and they will have to rely on goodwill of others..its a good job they are not relying on some of the posts on here..
I have a great deal of sympathy with the victims of this disaster,however if Mr.Bush and co spent more time getting their own house in order before meddling in the affairs of others and warmongering around the world perhaps these people wouldn't be in this situation.The Americans seem to have megabucks to spend on space exploration and war while a great deal of their people live in poverty.According to an article I read on the net somewhere the levees haven't been maintained properly and it's no wonder they burst their banks.They know these areas are affected by freak weather conditions nearly every year ,little or much, so why don't they pump some money into better sea and river defences.Flood barriers and so on.But no...they want people to live and work in these areas to get the oil out of the Gulf of Mexico and s*d what happensto them if there is a disaster.
Clanad, what do you mean by "now would be a really good time for the US to be repaid for the Lend Lease Act" ?
The UK is already repaying that, and has been since 1946. The terms of The Marshall Plan mean that we will still be repaying it for a good many years to come.
But back to the matter in hand.... I think what some posters are somewhat surprised about, is being asked to provide charity to, not "one of the richer nations" or "a relatively rich country" but to the richest nation in the World.
We are not without sympathy for the individuals involved, but surely it is within the US's capabilities to provide rapid relief to those affected within its own borders?
Bush should mobilise these "Guards-folk" he mentions.
As for the crowds of people without clean water, without food, and without help, chanting "Bush Out!" - well, I bet you didn't see that on Fox News !!!
Yes I feel sorry for every person and more so for the animals who have been caught up in the devastation but we are talking about America here. It's not like help can't get to them. I saw a reporter on tv talking to a car full of senior citizens and the driver was saying how hungry they were and there was no food and the passenger had just lit another fag. in fact they looked like they were off to vegas.
I cannot see why the folks outside the affected states are blaming the govt. Those in the thick of it ofcourse have to vent their anger. But this was a hurricane that was down graded. The contingency plans were in place. The heavy equipment required is all in the neighbouring states. The food and water has to be brought in. There are no proper roads to the affected areas. No place to land aircraft carrying heavy vehicles. So it has to be by helicopter which unfortunately cannot carry lots. So it will take time. It takes months to move 500,000 people out of an area at the best of time. They had only a few days notice before the storm. But with no roads and airports it is a huge task. There is no magic wand that will make things OK.
But i still am flabbergasted that people on radio and here are asking for aid. The US govt has asked for nothing. they know they can sort it themselves but it is going to take time. Other countries sending their material will only come in the way. leave it to the USA. They know how to handle this. Their own countrymen are generous when it comes to helping and they will surely provide enough.
Number crunching time (with apologies to Ian Hislop for plagerism of the idea):
Amount donated by UK public for Tsunami victims one month after the event US $ 654.9 Million
Amount donated by US Government US$ 950 Million
Amount allocated for US defense in 2005 US $401.7 Billion
Whilst I do feel sorry for the victims of this tragedy, I must confess that I will not be donating any money.
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