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Originally Posted by RayChuang
Yes, I want to ask the same question: where are the folks in the entertainment industry in regards to what they can do for fundraising to help the appropriate relief agencies in this time of dire need? http://webpages.charter.net/connectingzone/think/3.gif You'd think they would have quickly reacted by now and made major announcements to do a major fundraiser concert that could bring in many millions of US dollars to donate to the Red Cross and other appropriate agencies. I haven't heard a peep from Bono of the rock band U2, who is known to lead relief effort fundraisers in the past.
I do know that tennis superstar Maria Sharapova--who was in Thailand for a tennis tournament--has publicly donated US$10,000 for relief efforts already. http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...celeb_eo/15605 |
CNN is reporting that the U.S. is planning to up the pledge by $315 million. For a total of $350 million so far.
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-Automated Hollywood Responder Daemon-
RayChuang, I'm sorry, Hollywood doesn't respond to non-political disasters and events. If you can link the deaths with Bush, we will respond immediately with accusations and donations from us. Thank-You, Hollywood |
Originally Posted by RayChuang
I haven't heard a peep from Bono of the rock band U2, who is known to lead relief effort fundraisers in the past.
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FIRST OF ALL...
The US pledged 35 mil when we initially thought 3000 people had died. http://www.nypost.com/commentary/37436.htm IT'S ABOUT THE TRAGEDY - NOT MORE BUSH-BASHING THE political and ideological exploitation of perhaps the worst natural disaster in all our lifetimes is almost beyond belief — were it not for the fact that nothing these days is beyond belief. Even as tears spring into the most hard-hearted person's eyes at both the unimaginable scope of the tragedy and at the wrenching individual stories of loss, opinion leaders just can't help themselves. They are using this cataclysm as little more than cheap debate fodder about the nature and character of the United States, its president and its citizens. Don't misunderstand. It is fine and proper to have a debate and discussion about the degree of generosity the United States could, should and must show in the wake of this literally earth-shaking event. But at this moment, the United States is not the issue. The foreign-aid budget of the United States is not the issue. Our government should not be the focal point of the discussion right now. Don't we owe the dead, dying and injured the minimal grace not to convert their suffering into a chat-show segment — the latest left-right clash over the Bush presidency? And couldn't the editorialists at The New York Times have forborne — even just for a week — making use of the tsunami to complain about U.S. government spending on "development aid"? Development aid is the blanket term for American grant money handed out to other countries, supposedly to help their economies grow. Development aid has nothing — nothing — to do with what has happened. The aid at issue now is disaster relief. Secretary of State Colin Powell found himself in the position of having to remind the world that over the past four years the United States has provided more such aid than all other nations on the planet combined. It is appalling that he had to mention this, and that President Bush was compelled to cite the same information on Wednesday, because you're not supposed to brag about how charitable you are. But once a United Nations official decried the American aid pledge as "stingy," the administration had little choice. Any rational person would have understood without having to be told what the president told the world on Wednesday morning, which is that the $35 million pledge "is only the beginning of our help." But maybe people are looking for a sideshow to distract them from the sickening pictures and the keening cries of the untold numbers of mothers whose babies were swept away. |
You give, they bitch
You don't give, they still bitch |
Secretary of State Colin Powell found himself in the position of having to remind the world that over the past four years the United States has provided more such aid than all other nations on the planet combined.
I've been saying this for years. Maybe we should include this fact on every damn correspondence we have with the "outside" world. Maybe even put it on embassy business cards. |
I called up Bono to see how much he's going to pledge; he answered his phone with "Hello, Hello..."
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Originally Posted by DVD Polizei
Secretary of State Colin Powell found himself in the position of having to remind the world that over the past four years the United States has provided more such aid than all other nations on the planet combined.
I've been saying this for years. Maybe we should include this fact on every damn correspondence we have with the "outside" world. Maybe even put it on embassy business cards. |
The only time to bash is on...New Year's Eve. :banana:
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Originally Posted by DVD Polizei
Secretary of State Colin Powell found himself in the position of having to remind the world that over the past four years the United States has provided more such aid than all other nations on the planet combined.
I've been saying this for years. Maybe we should include this fact on every damn correspondence we have with the "outside" world. Maybe even put it on embassy business cards. I don't know how much this all had to do with Bush bashing as mentioned in the article though. Papers in many other countries seemed to be criticizing their government's response as well. And it sometimes does take the media to get the government moving. It may have been premature this time, but it is a pretty time sensitive issue. |
Originally Posted by Aldarion
Papers in many other countries seemed to be criticizing their government's response as well.
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Originally Posted by Aldarion
Hmm, it would be interesting to see the stats on that for each country. It's hard to measure US contributions sometimes since there are a lot of private donations that are not captured in some of these measures, and that may result in underweighting.
I read where we just sent a C-130 full of bottled water over there. Few countries will even have the type of equipment that will be needed on such a huge scale. |
Originally Posted by kvrdave
I wondered about how Spain's populace would react to part of their aid being in the form of loans. Nothing wrong with loans, mind you, but it's like getting someone a cell phone for Christmas and they are stuck with a monthly charge.
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Originally Posted by Myster X
You give, they bitch
You don't give, they still bitch |
Originally Posted by DJ_Spyder
it comes as no suprise that the NY Times would take cheapshots at Bush.
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Can a mod move this thread to Politics Talk now please?
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Originally Posted by Numanoid
Can a mod move this thread to Politics Talk now please?
As with most posts that are going nowhere (crap, that could include all of the Star Wars threads :( ), move it to Politics Talk. |
I read on another forum the time tables for at least 3 navy ships including an aircraft carrier that will be there in a few days.
looks like the ships themselves will be used to desalinate water for drinking |
Originally Posted by DaveNinja
I called up Bono to see how much he's going to pledge; he answered his phone with "Hello, Hello..."
He is going to pledge "Quatorce". |
Good old Kofi and the UN............
http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=660 : Mr. Secretary, picking up on Richard's question, I think a lot of people are asking exactly why you waited three days on vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, before you decided to fly back to New York in the face of this extraordinary crisis. Could you give us a full explanation of your thinking on that? Secondly, what kind of signal does that 72-hour delay send to the nations to which you are now appealing for greater help? SG: First of all, there was action. It wasn't inaction. We live in a world where you can operate from wherever you are. You know the world we live in now. You don't have to be physically here to be dealing with the leaders and the Governments I have been dealing with. You don't have to be physically here to be discussing with some of the agencies that we have done. I came back here because we have reached a level that I wanted to have meetings with all the people that I have met with today. So, we have taken action. And I don't have to be sitting in my office to take action. I think the same goes for you in your profession. Q: Given the magnitude of this disaster, shouldn't the United Nations, rather the United States, have taken the lead in establishing a coalition of donor and affected countries to deal with this disaster? And following up on the last two questions, shouldn't you, as Secretary-General, possibly be visiting the affected region to show moral support to the affected communities? SG: First of all, on the question of how we pool the international community together, I think it is important that an initiative has been taken. We ourselves were discussing our possible initiative, but I applaud what has been done by the United States Government, by the United States Administration and President Bush. As I have said, we have spoken to other countries which are also going to join the group, and that group will be in support of the efforts that the United Nations is leading. So, we are very satisfied with that. |
As a somewhat random aside (hadn't seen it mentioned yet in 20 pages surprisingly) -- $35 million -- or even $15 million for that matter -- goes a hell of a lot further in Indonesia or Sri Lanka than it does over here.
But yeah, I'm just really thankful that my folks live on Sulawesi and not Sumatra. Already gave $50 through MAP. |
There's a story out that Thailand -may have- known the wave was coming but chose not to report it so the tourists wouldn't freak out.
Has anyone else heard this? |
No, haven't heard that one yet, though I wouldn't put that past anyone to avoid panic and possible loss of revenue. Too bad it ended in loss of life.
Also, while looking for stories about this, I spotted this website: http://www.thaiwave.com/; probably not the best name, in retrospect. |
Originally Posted by Giantrobo
There's a story out that Thailand -may have- known the wave was coming but chose not to report it so the tourists wouldn't freak out.
Has anyone else heard this? Link to any stories?? |
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