US conducted some sub-surface nuclear tests (Operation Crossroads, 1946)

http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Baker2.jpg
http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Baker8.jpg

Uhmmm...hello - YES THEY DO. Try going there first before you refute someone.

Just watching CNN Headline news this AM and they just reported the death toll is up to 115,100.

No link yet.

I agree with your point about the Palestinians. I don't concerning this tragedy. This is a special case - thousands die, and thousands more could if they don't get help. Regardless of how some individuals there may feel, I don't think it's wrong to assist them with humanitarian aid.

Yeah, I was just talking about this last night with a friend of mine. Last night I took a look at a satellite image of NE Sri Lanka and Aceh, Indonesia, and what I saw, were no roads. There are huge areas which have no roads (some were washed away by the tidal wave, but modern roads were not common in these areas anyway), and rescue teams are just now getting to them, which makes me think we are going to get some pretty dramatic numbers.

-ohbfrank- -rolleyes-

I feel so bad for all of those people........ horrible stuff...... please donate if you can

Apparently people are giving in record numbers. Online donations have been coming in so fast some servers had trouble keeping up. :up:

link to Newsweek story

East Timor was not effected by the quake nor the tsunami. In fact, as dirt poor as the country is, they are donating $50,000 to the relief effort to help Indonesia, which is an incredible show of sympathy considering Indonesia brutally occupied and oppresed East Timor for a quarter century.

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041230/ap/d879t2r00.html

There's speculation that the administration may include a request for tsunami aid in its next request for money for the Iraq War. Estimates of the amount to be requested for the Iraq War range from $75 to $100 billion. The UN has estimated the relief needed to be about $1 billion. Wouldn't it be an incredible display of the kindness and generosity of the United States if we took just $1 billion of that $100 billion and diverted it to tsunami victims? Is this feasible? Would it improve our image and reputation and make us less hated in this part of the world?

Uhmmm...hello - NO THEY DON'T. The unique Balinese version of Hinduism is predominant. Try Google before you refute someone:
http://www.balivision.com/Article_Re...troduction.asp

improve image - probably only to Americans.

improve reputation/less hated - doubtful.

Whoops, you're right. It's an animist form of Hinduism. I just went there 6 months ago, but I stayed in the North, where it's predominantly Buddhist. That's where I got confused. Sorry.

I saw tape on FOX 11 news here in LA where this one man in Indonesia was crying and begging for America to come help. I hope he knows we're going to do the best we can. :(

I'm not saying we shouldn't do anything - I think giving a billion out of the Iraq funding is a good idea.

Best case scenario, IMO: a billion dollars will not improve our image or reputation, but it might keep it from getting worse. Of course a billion dollars won't make some people (including some in the US) happy, when more is going to the war, but you know what they say - damned if you do, damned if you don't (which George should be used to).

I see your point. My post wasn't directed at you but your post did remind me of that video.

...sorry, forgot to include the ;)

It's all good, my man.

reuters says they are at 120,000 now
http://reuters.myway.com/article/200...-QUAKE-DC.html

My god, remember how horrific it sounded when 3,800 was first reported?

Wow, this thing is hitting closer & closer.

I just talked to my buddy, and he found out today that a colleague of his drowned during a vacation in Sri Lanka.

And a teacher at my old German high school is reported missing in Phuket. The chance of him surviving is very low.

Needless to say, it's going to be one gloomy New Year.

time for thread title change

Hey, it's true!

Even if you don't agree with Egeland, it makes no sense to generalize like that,

UC Berkley IS a generalization.

Don't mind Myster X....he's under the delusion that california is full of psychotic liberals - literally.

MSNBC just said that the toll in Indonesia alone is now near 100,000 - they just got to one town that was completely devastated, with 15-20,000 more dead there. Utterly and completely amazing.