America Saves the World- Again

US Aid After the Tsunami

Published on January 3, 2005 By Larry Kuperman In Current Events

America has committed $350 million in aid to the survivors of the tsunami in Asia, becoming the second largest financial donor. (Japan, bless it's generosity, has committed $500 million in aid.) The US has also committed our ships, planes, helicopters and a 1000-bed hospital ship, the the USNS Mercy, to the efforts to help the victims of the devastation. President Bush has also enlisted the aid of former Presidents Bush and Clinton to help with fund-raising.

What makes these efforts particularly poignant is that many of the victims that will be receiving our aid are Moslems, at least in theory the supporters and brethren of the Moslems that we are fighting in Iraq. If you recall, the US was also the first country to send aid and assistance when an earthquake devastated Iran. These acts of charity are hard to reconcile with those who say that we are waging a "crusade" against Islam. I am sure that some anti-American voices will not allow these facts to deter them, but it is clear that the US, led by President Bush, is acting out of humanitarianism.

Once again I say to you that you should be proud to be a citizen of a country that gives so much to the rest of the world. Whether you like the President or not, whether you agree with our policies or not, it is incontrovertible that America gives with our heart and our hands.

If you are looking to make a donation, please visit the USA Freedom Corps site at http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov/. Other sites, including that of the American Red Cross, have been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people looking to donate.

Peace and best wishes

Comments (Page 2)

JillUser

on Jan 04, 2005

Maso, I apologize. I still find your argument on this thread frustrating since it is so obvious to me (but apparently not to you) that messybuu is pointing out that many around the world have accused the US of being anti-muslim and that our efforts should show that we aren't anti-anyone. The US is extrordinarily humanitarian and it irks many of us to no end when our efforts are responded to with "not fast enough" "not giving enough" or some other negativity. We not only give in monetary numbers but we rebuild and maintain infrastructures in places we gain nothing from. We do all these things because they are the right thing to do not to gain appreciation because history shows that ain't gonna happen. We don't need a pat on the back, we just ask that we stop getting the kicks in the shins.

Larry Kuperman

on Jan 04, 2005

Thank you all for commenting. Let me offer some recent facts. My source is here: http://www.freep.com/news/nw/quake4e_20050104.htm (although you can find corroboration elsewhere on the web.)

"Although the United States was not among the first at the scene after the Dec. 26 tsunami thousands of miles from U.S. shores, it is now spearheading the international relief effort and delivering more supplies than any other nation.

In Indonesia, U.S. helicopters flew at least 30 sorties, delivering 60,000 pounds of water and supplies, from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln along a 120-mile stretch of Sumatra island's ravaged coastline."

At this time, the US is the major player in providing relief supplies.

Here is a breakdown of committed aid by country (major contributors):

"Japan is the biggest donor among 44 countries that have promised aid, pledging $500 million. The other big donors: Britain, $96 million; Sweden, $75 million; Canada, $80 million; China, $60 million, and Taiwan, $50 million. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia each pledged $10 million. The United Arab Emirates is promising $20 million. And East Timor, one of the world's poorest nations, pledged to send $50,000 to Indonesia, its neighbor. Indonesia ruled East Timor for 24 years, often brutally.

Corporate America also opened its wallet. Among the donors: FedEx said it will ship 200,000 pounds of medical supplies; Pfizer is donating $35 million in cash and medicine; Starbucks said it will donate $2 for every pound of Sumatra coffee it sells this month, and Citigroup is giving $3 million to charities."

So, in summary, the US is providing the most immediate aid. Food and medical supplies are urgently needed NOW and the US is the major provider. The US government is the second leading contributor in future financial aid, if you add the costs of the current efforts to the future commitment and add the contributions of US based corporations and private citizens.....well, I stand by the headline.

Now, one might ask why Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are contributing so little by comparison....but perhaps that is for a future blog.

dynamaso

on Jan 04, 2005

Jill, apology accepted. The point I was trying to make to Messybuu is that America is not at war with Muslims, but this is obviously a confusing issue for some people. I KNOW America is not anti-Muslim. I am also aware of the humanitarian resources America has put into play around the world. I wasn't kicking America in the shins either (not that you accused me of this).

America has committed $350 million in aid to the survivors of the tsunami in Asia, becoming the second largest financial donor. (Japan, bless it's generosity, has committed $500 million in aid.)

I think I was a little bit taken back by the conceit of Larry's title when he quite clearly points out in his first sentance that both America AND Japan have made considerable financial committments to helping the Tsunami survivors as have many other nations of the world.

Draginol

on Jan 04, 2005

The point I was trying to make to Messybuu is that America is not at war with Muslims, but this is obviously a confusing issue for some people.

Apparently it's confusing to you anyway. Messybu knows America is not at war with Muslims. Sarcasm, which JilllUser and others understood was missed by you. His point was that many Muslims try to argue that America is at war with them which is patently untrue and this incident is just another illustration of the US helping Muslims.

One issue that people choose to ignore - writing a check is easy. Delivering aid is not. You want to take food to displaced residents of the Indian Ocean? How ya going to get there? Canada's military, for instance, cannot even get there which is why they've sent no troops.

The US military, which costs hundreds of billions per year, is the only existing infrastructure that can actually deliver all this international aid to the people who need it on a moment's notice.

The $350 million the US pledged is chicken feed compared to the BILLIONS spent to provide what is essentially the world's fire department/rescue team force. And it's frustrating to see some guy in say Denmark or diplomat in Norway complain that the US doesn't spend enough when it ignores the amount of real money being spent annually.

I sometimes think some people think that international aid gets delivered by magic fairies or something.

dynamaso

on Jan 04, 2005

No confusion here, Draginol. And incidentally, I understand sarcasm perfectly, when I hear it...

UBoB

on Jan 05, 2005

Canada's military, for instance, cannot even get there which is why they've sent no troops.

The following is a cut and paste directly from CTV.ca news:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DART team ready for 'non-traditional' mission
--CTV.ca News Staff

Canada's DART team is ready to depart for its "non-traditional" mission in Sri Lanka, a Canadian Forces officer says.

Col. Pat Stogran told reporters at 8 Wing in Trenton, Ont. Tuesday that normally, DART is deployed quickly, to provide aid before non-governmental aid agencies arrive on the scene.

It also has focused on providing help to a devastated city, not a vast region, he said.

"This team is going to go in close to an existing hospital and provide support to the people who are already there," CTV's Rosemary Thompson told Newsnet.

The location for the team to deploy has been picked.

"As it stands right now, based on the reconnaissance done up until now, the Disaster Assistance Response Team will deploy into the Ampara region of Sri Lanka," Stogran said.

That is near the southeast coast of Sri Lanka. An estimated 10,000 people were killed in the area and another 105,000 were left homeless.

Sri Lanka was chosen because the government wanted the help and because the recognizance team, which left Dec. 30, identified a need, he said.

A usual DART deployment is about 40 days, but Stogran said he didn't know yet how long this mission would last.

The team will have four water purifiers with it, each capable of producing 50,000 litres of clean water per day, he said.

It will focus on producing clean water for the local hospital, he said.

The 43-member medical team will have a limited capability. It won't be capable of handling trauma or surgical cases, Stogran said.

However, its health focus will be on providing primary health care to fight the secondary infections that might come as a result of a breakdown in sanitation, he said.

The unit's 200 people and 300 tonnes of equipment will ship out from Trenton, Ont. starting Thursday.

However, 20 more members of an advance team are heading out today, he said.

They will fly into Colombo, the capital city, which is on the west coast.

The team is being transported by two Russian-built Antonov heavy-lift aircraft. Moving the team will take a total of four flights.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Draginol

on Jan 05, 2005

No confusion here, Draginol. And incidentally, I understand sarcasm perfectly, when I hear it...

Then why did you insist that Messybu thought that we were at war with Islam? You clearly thought that was what he meant so you apparently do have issues understanding sarcasm.

Draginol

on Jan 05, 2005

UBoB: 1) What Canada may do in the future has no bearing of what they've done so far. and 2) Did you read it carefully? They're sending 200 guys. That's less than half my high school class was.

hitparade

on Jan 05, 2005

First rate article; I especially found the sentiment in your title very fitting. I only wish we could do more to help the poor souls so tragically affected by this tragedy. It would seem that those on the left should show some humility and thank the American military for their efforts. Their acts and the good will there from will make us Americans safer. The Mike Moore types, on the other hand, who vilify America and project this self-loathing image of America aboard, on the movie screens of hundreds of theaters, give the very bullets used by the likes of Bin-Laden.

UBoB

on Jan 05, 2005

UBoB: 1) What Canada may do in the future has no bearing of what they've done so far. and 2) Did you read it carefully? They're sending 200 guys. That's less than half my high school class was.

Well, they are sending people and they are getting there under their own power (remember, these are highly trained people, trained specifically for this kind of thing. I don't think that the half of your high school class you mentioned could accomplish what these people are trained to do). We are a small country, population wise and money wise, and so our response cannot be as quick as the US. However it does come.

And if you had read the whole article you would've known that a recon. team was sent a week ago and also the first 20 members of an advanced team were deployed today.

Canada has been burned way too many times in the past to rush headlong into anything. The limited military has to be sure to deploy resources where they are absolutely needed. I mean, there's no use duplicating something that's already being done by some other country, say, oh, the US for example.

Anyway. People are getting the help they need and that is good. Ultimately, that's what matters.

thatoneguyinslc

on Jan 05, 2005

America deserves this pat on the back, you treasonous whores.

Pat America! NOW!

This just cracked me up

dynamaso

on Jan 05, 2005

Draginol, as I said, I have no problems understanding sarcasm WHEN I HEAR IT. Unfortunately, sarcasm does not travel well in the written word. Sarcasm, by its very definition, is a remark intended to wound or ridicule. Lets just agree to disagree and leave it at this, please?

cactoblasta

on Jan 05, 2005

"Japan is the biggest donor among 44 countries that have promised aid, pledging $500 million.

That's no longer true. Yesterday the Australian government pledged AUS$1 billion (about 750 million US) to the cause. It's a real shame that Australia wasn't in your little list, considering the amount of aid and direct asssistance that the Australian police and navy are contributing.

Solitair

on Jan 06, 2005

There's no point in counting aid at the moment. It will be months or even years before the true costs come out. The UK government expects to spend hundreds of millions UK pounds (x2 in $) in aid for the disaster over the next few months, but as it points out only $14M has already been spent and there's no point setting ceilings or agreeing totals now.

Paul.

zergimmi

on Jan 06, 2005

Larry Kuperman , while you are patting yourself on the back, I feel it only fair to pat some others who apparently gave less, he is a small selection from the list, Germany $800 million, Japan (which you did mention $600 million, Australia (which by the is the country which spearheaded the efforts from day 1) has sent Ships, soldiers, set up a majority of infrastructure in most countries including water, hospitals, Several Choppers, including Blackhawks and Hueys, Medical staff, Federal and State police, and $1,045, million in aid,) you have countries such as Timor sending money, Korea, and China have both contributed $100's of millions, Although I am not sure China's contribution is similar in size to that of Australia and Germany, the people of Indonesia have raised Millions themselves in donations, Australian people have given in excess of $100 million, other countries including UK, France, Sweden, And many more have all pledged millions, and infrastructure Support. I might also add that the US is not coordinating the effort, it is in fact Australia at the behest of the UN and the Government of Indonesia & Thialand, mainly due to Experience in this field and having a full time emergency relif team from all armed forces and police forces. Having said that the US contribution has been large as well, but when you want to Pat someone's back look to Human Kind not just the US.

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!