U.N. Official Slams U.S. As "Stingy" Over Relief Aid

[danielson]

it has nothing to do with poverty, greed, pride, jealousy, etc... the key issue here is that the US and the US people are by far and away the most charitable in the world. some stats:

-in '03 US contributed 57% to the budget of the World Food Program (feeds 104million people in 81 countries)
-in '01 Bush contributed his first contribution towards a Global Fund to fight the Aids Pandemic. How much? $200 million. The US is by far the largest contributor.
-the US is the largest contributor to the Committee of the Red Cross at 25.84% of all contributions received and 28% of contributions for field ops.

and that is just the gov't. as for the people:

the US people give on average $9+ billion per year (based on numbers from 2000)

the basic fact is that we give so much money on a yearly basis to others, but still get criticized for not doing more. that money would do wonders to help Americans, yet as a country we care enough to send it abroad. as far as this event we are putting up more money than any other country, and according to our gov't this initial amount is just the beginning of our involvement in trying to help. why should we be giving more than the WHOLE EU combined? the UN has consistently leaned on the US to achieve their goals, yet the UN offers nothing but acts of disdain to the US in return. why is it we give the most money, pledge the most troops and yet sit there and allow ourselves to be belittled, attacked and used?

i'm not saying we should not give; i strongly agree in helping others and do my part in pledging funds and time to multiple charities throughout the year. however, maybe it is time we took care of this on our own and told the UN to fuck off!

agreed....The UN needs to reform, they have tlked about implementing it, lets see if they do. They are essentially impotent and at present only act as an international forum, however they do know how to distribute aid. Im sure Kofi Annnan would not make these comments. Even if the Us does not give the same %GNP as other countries it still gives more, which people shouldnt lose sight of. I have no issue with the fact the US gov. decides to choose on what it gives, just that it does give and isnt influenced by religious leaders when it does (i.e. the HIV money only being given to pro-abstinence educators etc). And europe should be giving more, you are right, the EU has given a set amount and each country is giving individually so we will have to see how much they do give in the end

I wonder how many of these countries would offer to help US if we needed it? My guess is very few. Some of these countries probably had a fair share of their citizens dancing in the streets after 9/11. Since we are leading the fight on terror, both financially and with blood, lets let our buddies in France foot the bill for a change. Maybe Kofi Annan and his corrupt UN partners can get out their checkbooks and donate some of the money they have skimmed over the years

India was one of the first countries to PLEDGE use of its bases in the war on terror against afghanistan before Pakistan had to have its arm twisted with money. Its the worlds largest secular democracy, has provided troops and intelligence to the UN and probably the US in the past too.

Thailand has served as a harbour to the US navy before and is a mostly buddist nation and therefore most likely felt sorrow for the 9-11 victims.

Sri Lanka is still effectivly in a civil war and has been dealing with terrorism for a long time so knows ACUTLEY how tragic an attack can be.

In fact, only Indonesia might have had a large number of people rejoicing post 9-1 due to its high numbers of poor ineducated muslims and even then, thats simply reaching since i know nothing of the country. Whilst militants have come out of there I am also sure there are many people there (majority i do not know) who were horrified post 9-11

would you really let doctored CNN footage of rejoicing palestinians (like they didnt have any beef with the US ) sway your view over innocents i Indonesia and the other countries recieving aid. Irish people in the US had nowingly donated to the IRA for years and even openly celebrated in the pubs of boston, are we to condemn all Irish-americans for their actions?

 

[hooch]

i posted a queston about this yesterday and just bumped it...

why are we the ones who are "required" to help... i have yet to see any of these countries donate manpower to help the cause in Iraq...

What fucking cause???????????????

 

[hooch]

Well...the first aid package announced by the US totaled 15 million. It did sound kinda fucked. More was spent on building the new public library where I live.

 

[EnderJE]

The US shouldn't give a dime to any country unless its for its own interests....

Damn right.

 

[the nature boy]

-in '03 US contributed 57% to the budget of the World Food Program (feeds 104million people in 81 countries)
-in '01 Bush contributed his first contribution towards a Global Fund to fight the Aids Pandemic. How much? $200 million. The US is by far the largest contributor.
-the US is the largest contributor to the Committee of the Red Cross at 25.84% of all contributions received and 28% of contributions for field ops.

and that is just the gov't. as for the people:

the US people give on average $9+ billion per year (based on numbers from 2000)

source?

 

[rsnoble-im-back]

Like I mentioned in another thread, I hate not giving help but on the other hand with all the messes of shit in this country that need assistance goddamn! Of course as long as our leaders have nice cars and smooth paved roads from their cushy 50 bedroom homes to their office in DC it's all that matters. All this out of country aid just goes to show u what these rotten bastards could do to help their own fucking country but no we can't have that.

 

[HUCKLEBERRY FINNaplex]

Yep,as screwed as our gov is,they seem to give about 10 times to foreign countries as they do their own citizens,so that UN guy needs to STFU.lol

 

[75th]

Those UN folks should donate some of that oil-for-food profits they are sitting on.

 

[onebigab]

Those UN folks should donate some of that oil-for-food profits they are sitting on.

Maybe these UN folks should step up to the fucking plate and go over there and do some fucking work. Instead of sittin on their ass and begging for someone else to do it for them.

 

[p0ink]

someone please point me out the article in the constitution that gives the government the authority to spend tax payers' money on 'relief' for other nations.

also, the government may be giving 15 million, but how much money do you think private charities in the US are raising.

typical holier than thou, pencil-neck, arrogant europeans calling out america for being so 'stingy'. if the EU cares so much about 'humanity' and 'human rights' why dont they put their fucking money where their mouth is.