The Americans

[flarewearer]

Seriously, seeing as some people on this thread seem to be so without sin as to start casting a lot of almighty stones themselves, where were you denouncing the corrupt, authoritarian regimes of the countries hit by the tsunami?
Oh but that was different wasnt it, this is the USA, and therefore one must use every opportunity to get the boot in at them, even when they are well and truly down.
Don't judge a country by it's government.
Put up and shut up.


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[novium]

Just SHUT up, will you, you are making the rest of us look bad.

Quoting alias from 23:34, 1st Sep 2005

Quoting Haunted from 22:37, 1st Sep 2005
Bare in mind Alias, the US did not get involved in WW1 until they discovered the central powers were allying with mexicans against the US.

I don't think it deserves to go on a list of 'good deeds'. The same list that crops up every single time someone mentions something critical of the US.

Actually the Zimmerman note which I hope that you are referring to was sent to Mexico and asked them to join the central powers *IF* the US entered the war. Make sure you have the facts stright before you talk out of your ass.

You don't think that it was a good deed - fuck you and be thankful you don't speak German.

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All the truth in the world adds up to one big lie.

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I have no witty signature.

[Fulton]

"Seriously, seeing as some people on this thread seem to be so without sin as to start casting a lot of almighty stones themselves, where were you denouncing the corrupt, authoritarian regimes of the countries hit by the tsunami?

Oh but that was different wasnt it, this is the USA, and therefore one must use every opportunity to get the boot in at them, even when they are well and truly down.
Don't judge a country by it's government.
Put up and shut up."

I would like to point out that when the tsunami struck, india refused foreign aid on account that it considered that it had enough resources to look after itself. it seems petty of the US to not do the same when it clearly does not lack for resources whereas other simultanious catastrophies in for example Romania, although they are not as large or dire, are probably less able to be delt with by the local government. It seems ironic that India is too proud to accept aid while the US is not. Their government need not have anything to do with it.

"You don't think that it was a good deed - fuck you and be thankful you don't speak German."

Also, before you decide that america has a more noble history than its europian counterparts, remember that 102 years before this war, when America was fighting alongside Napolian, if they had had their way you would be speaking French

[monkeymadness]

Quoting Fulton from 13:26, 2nd Sep 2005
I would like to point out that when the tsunami struck, india refused foreign aid on account that it considered that it had enough resources to look after itself. it seems petty of the US to not do the same when it clearly does not lack for resources whereas other simultanious catastrophies in for example Romania, although they are not as large or dire, are probably less able to be delt with by the local government. It seems ironic that India is too proud to accept aid while the US is not. Their government need not have anything to do with it.

"You don't think that it was a good deed - fuck you and be thankful you don't speak German."

Also, before you decide that america has a more noble history than its europian counterparts, remember that 102 years before this war, when America was fighting alongside Napolian, if they had had their way you would be speaking French

What a stupid post.

[Preacher's Kid]

What the fuck does this historical ego-masturbation have to do with what's happening in New Orleans? Give money to the red cross god dammit. Or give money to other int'l charities/NGOs which will probably take a hit in donations due to Katrina's humanitarian costs.

This scholars on this board seem quite happy to argue on and on about nothing and without giving much of a shit about real human desperation. The US isn't populated by 300 million George Bushes.

[Gubbins]

Quoting Preacher's Kid from 21:42, 2nd Sep 2005
The US isn't populated by 300 million George Bushes.

...Now there's a thought to give you nightmares.

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...but then again, that is only my opinion.

[DrAlex]

If it was, I'm confident I'd be dead by now for being a "wannabe carpet-head".

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RUSH KATO '05!

rush.kato@gmail.com

[Fulton]

monkeymadness: Pray explain why my previous post was stupid. Was it because I am an unregistered user and don’t know how to quote properly, or is it because of something I actually said? If the latter; what makes it so?

[monkeymadness]

Quoting Fulton from 09:05, 3rd Sep 2005
monkeymadness: Pray explain why my previous post was stupid. Was it because I am an unregistered user and don’t know how to quote properly, or is it because of something I actually said? If the latter; what makes it so?

Mainly just the style and substance of the post.

If you give me a large enough piece of paper and concentrate really hard I might be able to explain the salient details using simple picture diagrams.

or maybe not

[Idealist]

People are always harping on a bout how third world governments are able to help their own countries, but are so corrupt that they choose not to.

Perhaps Bush is taking a leaf from their book.

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"...I'm in love with someone I haven't even met yet..."

[raheli]

Quoting Idealist from 12:43, 5th Sep 2005
People are always harping on a bout how third world governments are able to help their own countries, but are so corrupt that they choose not to.

Perhaps Bush is taking a leaf from their book.

[hr]

"...I'm in love with someone I haven't even met yet..."

That may be hitting the nail on the head, which makes the "americans don't deserve my help because they're scum, and obscenely rich anyway" attitude even more contemptable.

[Gubbins]

Turns out diplomats were denied access to New Orleans after the flood, preventing them from establishing communications with foriegn nationals.

Anyway, where's all the news coverage of the 73+ people who have died in China after Typhoon Tamil? Is the same quality of aid getting to them? I'd *like* to think the answer is yes...

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...but then again, that is only my opinion.

[iohannes]

We help them. Final word.

Why? Because they need help. That's all that matters right now. Wait until the flood waters recede before we start laying blame on the fact that FEMA is pointless when federal funding is cut to fight an illegal war, before we start pointing out that it's difficult for the National Guard to do their job when they are doing the army's job in Iraq, before we blame Bush for writing cheques he cannot cash, and before we point out that the rest of the world has been saying for the past 20 years that unless we do something soon, the climate and Mother Earth will rise up and bite us in the ass, as shown by the fact that Katrina is the largest hurricane since records began.

But we help them. Not because they are black or white, rich or poor, American or whatever, but because they are human. And we do it without any thought of political or financial gain. And the reason we do that is because that is what makes us better than the Bush's, Cheney's, and Rumsfeld's of this world.

So shut the fuck up and donate to people like the US Red Cross because you aren't the hateful evil arseholes that you'd like others to think you are.

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That is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

[ELysistrata]

Hear, hear.

[Gubbins]

So help them. After all, it's unlikely that they're any more to blame personally for their situation than you or I. I don't like the American government's attitude any more than the next man (any idea if Bush can be held accountable for war crimes or something?), but that's my opinion.

But there's two sides to this. If the US can take care of itself, let it. There are plenty of other things going on in the world in places that can't deal with it, because they don't have the money, the resources or the infrastructure. Places like Bangladesh, Somalia, Rwanda, all have people much more needy than a few thousand folk in New Orleans. Make sure thousands of people aren't dying needlessly in those places every day, then deal with the homeless few in the US. Big Brother has grazed its knee - but let's not forget the bigger picture.

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...but then again, that is only my opinion.

[the american]

Y'all Brits don't know our government or the people here. I'm with Preacher's Kid.

Face the facts, when something tragic happens around the world, everyone looks to the Americans for a handout. And we've got the money, so we do it.

Conversely, we do attempt to police the entire world, which sucks, and it's a waste of American lives sometimes.

Makes me sad to see no sympathy for us whatsoever, and I understand why. You get your opinion of America from the propaganda machine, both the BBC and American networks, and bash us and our president b/c it's the cool thing to do. Scholars? I wouldn't go around calling yourselves that.

[alias]

Quoting Gubbins from 11:10, 6th Sep 2005

But there's two sides to this. If the US can take care of itself, let it. There are plenty of other things going on in the world in places that can't deal with it, because they don't have the money, the resources or the infrastructure. Places like Bangladesh, Somalia, Rwanda, all have people much more needy than a few thousand folk in New Orleans. Make sure thousands of people aren't dying needlessly in those places every day, then deal with the homeless few in the US. Big Brother has grazed its knee - but let's not forget the bigger picture.

[hr]

...but then again, that is only my opinion.

The damage that this disaster has caused is conservatively estimated to be close to 100+ billion dollars; for a country that is already close to 750+ billion dollars in debt, this isn't a matter of a grazed knee. Over 250,000 people have been relocated to Texas alone - I have a feeling that the majority of people posting on this board have no idea the real magnitude of this natural disaster.

People really need to get past the fact that the affected area just so happened to occur in America; please look through the macro environment and look at the images of the people who have lost anything - if then you feel compelled to help out, please do not hesitate to do so. Empathy.



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All the truth in the world adds up to one big lie.

[Guest]

The 10,000 or so dead is a real tragedy, particularly as there is a fair chance the worst of it was easily avoided. And giving money to the American Red Cross or similar is certainly well spent. However, I feel sure there are rather more worthy causes. In a few months, or even years, this disaster will have passed, not forgotten surely, but those displaced by it will again have the relatively affluant (relative to most of the world) standard of living once more.

Who here was at the make Poverty History march in Edinburgh? More than a few here I feel sure. One of the many things that should have made many people realise is that poverty in the third world is killing 50,000 people a week, and in no way, tragic as it is, can this disaster compare with the loss of life and tragedy of what is going on in the third world continually. If you want to help a worthy cause, give to Oxfam or similar, the need of Africa is greater, even now.

[flarewearer]

Quoting from 18:31, 6th Sep 2005
One of the many things that should have made many people realise is that poverty in the third world is killing 50,000 people a week, and in no way, tragic as it is, can this disaster compare with the loss of life and tragedy of what is going on in the third world continually. If you want to help a worthy cause, give to Oxfam or similar, the need of Africa is greater, even now.

If the "first world" can't sort itself out, what hope is there for it sorting out the "third world"...
...whatever happened to the second world?

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[Plastique]

Quoting alias from 19:55, 6th Sep 2005

The damage that this disaster has caused is conservatively estimated to be close to 100+ billion dollars; for a country that is already close to 750+ billion dollars in debt, this isn't a matter of a grazed knee. Over 250,000 people have been relocated to Texas alone - I have a feeling that the majority of people posting on this board have no idea the real magnitude of this natural disaster.

Actually, US national debt is closer to $7.9 trillion, 10 times the ammount of US currency in circulation, but your broader point is correct. There are estimates that around 400,000 jobs have been permanently lost, leaving a great deal of people with no means to restart their lives.