We're only as good as our money

[ChadTower]

Just more proof that the rest of the world only wants to deal with us when they are asking for money... ---fudgesicle--- them, they can deal with it themselves.  We're 'total scumbags' until they need money, then all of a sudden we're 'stingy'.  Uh, when does anyone EVER say thank you for the billions and billions of OUR DOLLARS we send around the world? 

That never fails to piss me off, thinking about how much we could do in our own country with the nearly unlimited amount we send out around the world to ungrateful places.

[GGKoul]

Just more proof that the rest of the world only wants to deal with us when they are asking for money... <auto-censored> them, they can deal with it themselves.

[ChadTower]

Ah yes, the coalition made up of 90%+ American troops, resources, and casualties.

You're telling me billions of dollars a year in foreign aid buys us a few thousand poorly trained troops that don't do jack ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- but sit around and use US physical resources?

[DrewKaree]

According to all sorts of folks here, that coalition only equalled 3 or 4 Ethiopian troops and a few white handkerchiefs from the French

I dunno what prompted this, but I'm interested to hear it, C T.

What galls me is hearing crap about how we just committed the most money in U.S. history to AIDS efforts, and -IT'S PAINTED AS NOT ENOUGH- yet to help the Iraqi people, we're said by our own Senators to be spending TOO MUCH! 

We never spend enough on someone's pet project, yet we seem to be so far in debt we can't pay the interest on loans we OWE OTHER COUNTRIES!  Perhaps after Mr Byrd retires we'll be able to save all the money on the stellar road system in his state on paying down the debt.  With all the money his state gets, we'll be out of debt in less than five years

Ya know what?  I say we invade another oil-rich country in the name of WMD's, steal all their oil so we can save some caribou instead of their camels, sand toads, snakes and whatnot, and sell it to the French.

[ChadTower]

This is the story that prompted my rant, which admittedly I shouldn't have made:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/powell.aid/index.html

The next person that tells me "WE SHOULDN'T INVADE OTHER COUNTRIES FOR THEIR OIL" is going to get punched in the head.  IF WE INVADED FOR OIL, WHY THE *EFF* DIDN'T WE TAKE ANY?!

I hate living in MA most of the time.  Moron liberals who couldn't justify views they don't even understand and have never bothered to think through to a conclusion.  FULL OF THEM.

[Grasshopper]

I see the Christmas spirit didn't last very long........

[DrewKaree]

I see the Christmas spirit didn't last very long........

When someone tells us we need to do even more than what we're doing, it kinda makes it disappear quickly.

[Sephroth57]

yeah im not sure whats goin on here... but its bull$hit!! and thats a fact

[Dartful Dodger]

I see the Christmas spirit didn't last very long........

When someone tells us we need to do even more than what we're doing, it kinda makes it disappear quickly.

In America, despite what the rest of the world thinks, it's illegal to celebrate any Christian holidays.

[patrickl]

Just more proof that the rest of the world only wants to deal with us when they are asking for money...

That was a remark (of a relief worker up to his neck in distressed people) about rich nations. That would also include Europe and Japan. No just the US.

As usual "the US" looks at this the way of absolute figures. Of course the US is a big country so being the biggest contributer doesn't mean that much. The Netherlands immediately pledged $2.5 million for relief aid (and more when it is needed). Scale that to population and you get $47 million. Scale it by GNP (2003) and you get $72 million. So the dutch contribute a lot more even on our first pledge and he called us stingy too.

What bothers me most here is that 50K up to maybe 80K people are dead and all "the US" can whine about is money!

[GGKoul]

Ah yes, the coalition made up of 90%+ American troops, resources, and casualties.

You're telling me billions of dollars a year in foreign aid buys us a few thousand poorly trained troops that don't do jack <auto-censored> but sit around and use US physical resources?

Plus this buys the US the ability to fly jets over the country when attacking another.

[GGKoul]

This is the story that prompted my rant, which admittedly I shouldn't have made:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/powell.aid/index.html

The next person that tells me "WE SHOULDN'T INVADE OTHER COUNTRIES FOR THEIR OIL" is going to get punched in the head.

[Dartful Dodger]

What bothers me most here is that 50K up to maybe 80K people are dead and all "the US" can whine about is money!

What bothers me most here is that

[ChadTower]

And if the Dutch want to give that much money, fine, let the Dutch give up Dutch money.  I'm sure the Dutch send out just as many billions in foreign aid around the world as we do, right?  The Dutch spend hundreds of millions to fight a behavioral disease in Africa, right?  The Dutch have to fund policing the entire freakin' planet, right?

Let the Dutch contribute what the Dutch want to contribute but until their overall contribution to the world's "poor nations" comes to within a fraction of ours they should keep their Dutch mouths shut about our numbers.

[DYNAGOD]

Ive got an idea...I think 2005 should be all about giving..
To ourselves..
For one year..America doesnt give one dime to the nations of the world, doesnt contribute one dime to international aid,crumbling nations,internal political pork,etc etc..
we instead, project all that capital back on the people whom are working hard to make it but yet are suffering daily at the hands of our own govements piss poor spending habits and dealing with a declining quality of life daily for it..
i think 2005 should be all about getting america back to where it needs to be..
on another note,funny, i didnt see any international aid packages coming our way when florida was hit by 3 consecutive hurricanes causing billions on lost revenue and decreased oil shipping...

[DrewKaree]

Chad, I'm so sick and tired of trying to read between the lines about what you're saying.  Can you for once just come out and state how you really feel? 

  

[GGKoul]

Chad, I'm so sick and tired of trying to read between the lines about what you're saying.

[fredster]

What bothers me most here is that 50K up to maybe 80K people are dead and all "the US" can whine about is money!

That wasn't the point. It's horrific what has happened. The point I think Chad was making was that it doesn't matter what we do, we are always demonized by other countries.

Speaking for myself, I bet you will see a huge outpouring of goods and services as well as money to protect these people.

[GGKoul]

Sorry that some people see it fit to minimize or overstate our goals to suit their own world view, but we are there to help at a governmental and individual level in times like these.

We don't need thanks with caveats like this from GGKoul, who has a chip on his shoulder big time -

Yes, but the US doesn't just give away the money.

[Dartful Dodger]

GGKoul

I wanted to make fun of your "global politics 101" post, but when I hit the quote button I got a "This post has been removed" error.

Don't worry, I read the post, and it hasn't changed my opinion of you, it just reinforced it.

 

[GGKoul]

GGKoul

I wanted to make fun of your "global politics 101" post, but when I hit the quote button I got a "This post has been removed" error.

Don't worry, I read the post, and it hasn't changed my opinion of you, it just reinforced it.

 

Glad I was able to help.

[Sephroth57]

i agree, even if not for a year, for 6 months. if we stopped sending foreign aid to all these countries that send us nothing back and spent it all on our own country fixing and making things better, it would be great. I think were being a little too nice to other people and should watch our own back. Once you get too friendly with everyone you forget about those people that still hate you and are just smiling to your face

[DrewKaree]

Once you get too friendly with everyone you forget about those people that still hate you and are just smiling to your face

While they plot to blow up buildings in your country


GG, mebbe the translation was lost there.   Dunno.  It seems as ifthe entire post I last had went right over your head. 

[Dartful Dodger]

GG, mebbe the translation was lost there.

[fredster]

And I agree with  DYNAGOD, what if the US stop giving foreign aid and invested the money internally?  The US could use the billions of dollars to fix some internal issues.

We give that money because those people need it more than we do. Sure, we try and help others. It's not completely self centered. IF it was we wouldn't give any to third world countries.  We do it to help out.

Hey whatta you know? The US acted without a UN mandate again. We jumped right into a world situation without asking anybody what they thought about it. Darn us.

I'm just stating the facts of world politics.

  I guess you are an expert in world politics and we should just accept what you say as the undisputed truth.

2nd, During 9/11, I was the first person in my company of 600+ employees to go to the Red Cross to donate blood.  And I even set up a blood donation day at my company to get more blood donors for the injured people in New York.  So don't tell me I don't do anything to help a situation.

Thank you. Now let's quick bickering and figure out what we as a community should do to help these people.

[GGKoul]

And I agree with

[Shape D.]

I had a homeless guy ask me for money once, and I went to give him a dollar. (the only dollar I had at the time) As I tried to hand it to him he said "Thats it".  I kept my dollar that day, and that guy can starve if he want's to be a jerk about my generosity. Not that I didn't want to help him. but what makes people think they have the right to question what is offered freely to them.

[Dartful Dodger]

I had a homeless guy ask me for money once, and I went to give him a dollar. (the only dollar I had at the time) As I tried to hand it to him he said "Thats it".

[Shape D.]

With one ticket I won a $50 gift certificate at an Irish bar/restaurant.

Thats a whole lot of car bombs.

[Mameotron]

This is the story that prompted my rant, which admittedly I shouldn't have made:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/powell.aid/index.html

The next person that tells me "WE SHOULDN'T INVADE OTHER COUNTRIES FOR THEIR OIL" is going to get punched in the head.

[fredster]

Has anybody seen any story about the ships at sea? I  bet there were lots of small boats that won't come home to port.

30 foot + tidal waves would have destroyed a lot of small crafts, but we have yet to find out just how many.

[GGKoul]

Bush said $35m plege is only the begining

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6762079/

[patrickl]

Bush said $35m plege is only the begining

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6762079/

This issue is taken way out of proportion. As I said before, the guy who said this was up to his neck in victims, so of course he wants more money. In general he says that he expects rich nations to contribute more money quickly. Pretty obvious. I'm appalled that people try to make this into a political discussion. I'm even more shocked at the reply of some people here (how on earth is it possible that "the world" percieves 'mericans as "greedy pompous manipulating war mongering rednecks"?  ).

I'm glad to see that at least Fredster has his heart in the right place.

The victims need aid now, money should not be an issue! I don't know what the bible says about not helping people in need, but I hope it involves some burning in hell.

[ChadTower]

it's not about helping people in need, it's about MY choosing where MY money goes to help.  I give a LOT to charities but the recipients are MY choice and I'd rather the gov't leave that choice up to me.

[fredster]

We will help - Here's a quote from The President of the United States of America (today) :

[President] Bush said he would also examine a suggestion from German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on whether debt relief for Somalia and Indonesia would help hasten relief and reconstruction for the nation.

He added that the aid pouring in to the nations is only the beginning of U.S. assistance.

"We're still in the stage of immediate help. But slowly, but surely, the size of the problem will become known, particularly when it comes to rebuilding infrastructure and community to help these affected parts of the world get back up on their feet," Bush said after phone conversations with leaders from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India.

We are on it.  We are all over it.

[shmokes]

Chad, if you don't like America why don't you move to France?

[Dartful Dodger]

Chad, if you don't like America why don't you move to France?

Just because you think France doesn't care about helping others, doesn't mean you should ask Chad to move there.

[shmokes]

Well...it seems reasonable to assume that if America DOES care about helping others that France, naturally, would do the opposite.  Right?

[DrewKaree]

He's got a point. 

We speak Engrish in America.  They do the opposite.

Our women bathe and shave their armpits (libyans don't count).  They do the opposite.

We generally aren't rude and condescending to Americans.  They do the opposite.

We want to do the right thing and free a country from its nutjob dictator.  They want to do the opposite.

We want to use our white handkerchiefs for something other than surrendering.  They want to do the opposite.

    

He's got you trapped in a corner, Dartful.   

[ChadTower]

Chad, if you don't like America why don't you move to France?

I could... French is my first language, so it wouldn't be much of a problem.