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International Aid for America

Arch Enemy

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Why is it that when a devastating event in America happens, we don't get much offers for Aid from other countries. Yet when other countries are hit, everyone helps?

I'm not trying to put anyone down. I'm just trying to see if this is due to the "America's the greatest" mentality.
 
Arch Enemy said:
Why is it that when a devastating event in America happens, we don't get much offers for Aid from other countries. Yet when other countries are hit, everyone helps?

I'm not trying to put anyone down. I'm just trying to see if this is due to the "America's the greatest" mentality.

I think aid is offered more when a country can't accomplish the job itself. Did we offer any aid in the European heat stroke a couple years back? If we did, never mind....
 
Obviously, some countries will thumb their noses at participation in the relief effort for political reasons. Others are simply unable, for economic reasons, to help. Heck, we have people in the US that have already jumped on the "It's Bush's fault" bandwagon. Cindy Sheehan (of course her opinion on this matter seems important to the media) was quoted today as blaming Bush's environmental policies for bringing Katrina to the Gulf Coast. :shock: I wonder how many people blamed Nixon for Camille in '69

We are lucky that this country has the resources available to handle a disaster of this magnitude but the economy will take a hit as a result.
 
Yes. All make good points, but I thought we had many countries on leashes.. shouldn't we at least plead for some sort of support.


By the way Wrath, nice looking sig.. though I'd add a border if I were you.. makes it look more complete!
 
FWIW, I heard the German Red Cross is kicking down some help.
 
Do you have any sources for this, or is this just what you've heard?

Not saying what you've heard is false, I'd just like some background information on this contribution.
 
Arch Enemy said:
Do you have any sources for this, or is this just what you've heard?

Not saying what you've heard is false, I'd just like some background information on this contribution.
I heard it out of the corner of my ear from a TV that was on in another room. I'm sure there's something if I look.
 
This is all I could find. It's pretty feeble citation. I'm not really willing to look much harder:

http://freeinternetpress.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4412

It was also reported today that Germany's Red Cross has offered assistance to the U.S. Red Cross but, at last report, that offer has not been taken up. I believe this means that the U.S. Red Cross officials simply have been too overwhelmed itself to respond, but I'm confident its officials will gratefully acknowledge and accept the offer.

The TV was tuned to CNN.
 
Ah ok, I was looking as well.

Your searching skills are pretty good! I had a hard time finding anything.
 
Another reason is that you americans live in a very huge country. Like for example this hurricane only affected a small part of your economy and population. So even if a very big hit for the state of louisiana you have 49other state, that can help. But good that the german wanted to help.
 
Arch Enemy said:
Yes. All make good points, but I thought we had many countries on leashes.. shouldn't we at least plead for some sort of support.


By the way Wrath, nice looking sig.. though I'd add a border if I were you.. makes it look more complete!

I don't know where your from.. But we don't plead ......
 
Bergslagstroll said:
Another reason is that you americans live in a very huge country. Like for example this hurricane only affected a small part of your economy and population. So even if a very big hit for the state of louisiana you have 49other state, that can help. But good that the german wanted to help.

So how much has to be detroyed for us to qualify for "Offers" of help?

So if London gets vaporized should we not respond because the EU has many other nations and cities?
 
Last I heard, there were 11 countries that have offered help so far. Including, amusingly, Venezuela. Which I would happily trade Pat Robertson to them.
 
shuamort said:
Last I heard, there were 11 countries that have offered help so far. Including, amusingly, Venezuela. Which I would happily trade Pat Robertson to them.

Venezula can keep there aid and take Pat with em....LOLO
 
It's funny, particular Americans see themselves as superior then 3rd World Countries. Yet 3rd World Countries are able to come together and help each other way more then Americans do, in the wake of tragedy.

I hope we do get help from Venezuela, We need the help and maybe we should plead for some help.. we'd make our selves look alot better.
 
Arch Enemy said:
It's funny, particular Americans see themselves as superior then 3rd World Countries. Yet 3rd World Countries are able to come together and help each other way more then Americans do, in the wake of tragedy.

I hope we do get help from Venezuela, We need the help and maybe we should plead for some help.. we'd make our selves look alot better.


You want to give me a for instance on this theroy of yours...PLEASEEEEEEEE
 
Alright. In Venezuela, I joined a Church team who's objective was to construct a Church in Maquetia, Venezuela. Around there you could see the after-effects of a mud-slide, then you begin to hear stories of what happened. People, already living in such poverty that they can barely afford food, sometimes they just went without eating altogether. Once this mud-slide happened (if Miami sees this he might be able to give the date of the really big Mud-Slide, in Venezuela recently) hundreds of poor people lost all of their belongings (the poor build their houses on the side of foot-hills and one atop of another) yet those who still had housing took in as many people as they could. People came from all around Venezula to help "dig-out" the property of people whom they'd usually consider "out-casts". One of my good friends in Venezuela, Jose, quit his job in order to help these people out.. he gave out his ability to make an income in order to save the lives of his fellow people, even if they didn't have anything to begin with.

Instead of helping one another, in America, we have some people who do help (Red Army.. I mean Red Cross, Baptist Mens Association, National Guard, etc) but then you have those who are going about their daily life like nothing happened. These people are not even re-acting to the plead from Gov. Mike Easley to conserve Gasoline, and to try and not take on LONG trips during the Weekends. Then you have those who are refusing to help, instead they're feeding off of the misfourtunes of others and looting, stealing, killing, and rapeing.
 
Despite having just been battered by Typhoon Talim, a Taiwanese NGO called Tzu-Chi Buddhist Compassionate Foundation has offerred help. A team has already been sent from Taiwan to the offices of its chapter in Houston to see how the group can be of assistance. Tzu-Chi was one of the first NGOs on the ground in Indonesia and Sri Lanka after the tsunami hit with medical aid and food and water.

Sorry, no link. The news came from my wife who works for the organization here in Taiwan.
 
Prime Minister John Howard has committed 10 million Australian dollars to the effort.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1452110.htm

"Given the extraordinary generosity of the United States when other countries are in need and given the very close relations between Australia and the United States, and given also the scale of this disaster, we believe it is a very valuable gesture," he said.
 
ludahai said:
Prime Minister John Howard has committed 10 million Australian dollars to the effort.

"Given the extraordinary generosity of the United States when other countries are in need and given the very close relations between Australia and the United States, and given also the scale of this disaster, we believe it is a very valuable gesture," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1452110.htm

I just love that guy...and not just for this....

I say if Arnie ever gets a chance to run for President, I'd get Howard over here myself and put him up for election...

And that quote should be on the front cover of every newspaper in the US today...
 
Calm2Chaos said:
So how much has to be detroyed for us to qualify for "Offers" of help?

So if London gets vaporized should we not respond because the EU has many other nations and cities?

Sorry this seem to be the biggest natural catastrophe in America history so you seemed to need help. Basicly USA should get help then you ask for it. And it also seem like many country would like to help that is great. My earlier point was just that you as a huge country with 300 millions can take care of catastrophe much better then small countries, at the same time you are much more unifed union then the EU.
 
Bergslagstroll said:
Sorry this seem to be the biggest natural catastrophe in America history so you seemed to need help. Basicly USA should get help then you ask for it. And it also seem like many country would like to help that is great. My earlier point was just that you as a huge country with 300 millions can take care of catastrophe much better then small countries, at the same time you are much more unifed union then the EU.

OK ... makes sense to me
 
Arch Enemy said:
Alright. In Venezuela, I joined a Church team who's objective was to construct a Church in Maquetia, Venezuela. Around there you could see the after-effects of a mud-slide, then you begin to hear stories of what happened. People, already living in such poverty that they can barely afford food, sometimes they just went without eating altogether. Once this mud-slide happened (if Miami sees this he might be able to give the date of the really big Mud-Slide, in Venezuela recently) hundreds of poor people lost all of their belongings (the poor build their houses on the side of foot-hills and one atop of another) yet those who still had housing took in as many people as they could. People came from all around Venezula to help "dig-out" the property of people whom they'd usually consider "out-casts". One of my good friends in Venezuela, Jose, quit his job in order to help these people out.. he gave out his ability to make an income in order to save the lives of his fellow people, even if they didn't have anything to begin with.

Instead of helping one another, in America, we have some people who do help (Red Army.. I mean Red Cross, Baptist Mens Association, National Guard, etc) but then you have those who are going about their daily life like nothing happened. These people are not even re-acting to the plead from Gov. Mike Easley to conserve Gasoline, and to try and not take on LONG trips during the Weekends. Then you have those who are refusing to help, instead they're feeding off of the misfourtunes of others and looting, stealing, killing, and rapeing.

I think your very naive in your perception of this country and it's people. You can't cmpare 300,000,000 people to a few people in a village. There are literally 100,000's of people in the US working on or assiting in the effected areas in one way or another. Money, food, supplies are all being donated, routed and distributed to the best of there ability at the moment. But to think that because 300,000,000 people don't show up in these areas is a sign of not coming together. I am sorry but thats a assanine statement.

First off they don't want people there. There is no room for the people that have to be there, let alone those other 245,000,000 your proposing show up. This is exactly why the red cross was invented was to help in situations like this you have different organizations that are designed to coordinate this effort. But to compare a few hundred people in a small town to few million in a major city makes no sense except for taking an unwarranted shot at the US and its people. Millions in donations, food, clothing, medical, man hours and whatever else is needed is enroute and continues to be raised. And we do this as a nation without the need to plead for anything form anybody.
 
and of course without any facts, you assume that Maquetia is a "small village"?
 
Methinks this thread is now irrelevent with all the offers of aid pouring in.
 
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