And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

KaGee · Dec 28, 2004

U.N. official slams U.S. as 'stingy' over aid By Bill Sammon THE WASHINGTON TIMES The Bush administration yesterday pledged $15 million to Asian nations hit by a tsunami that has killed more than 22,500 people, although the United Nations' humanitarian-aid chief called the donation "stingy." "The United States, at the president's direction, will be a leading partner in one of the most significant relief, rescue and recovery challenges that the world has ever known," said White House deputy press secretary Trent Duffy. But U.N. Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland suggested that the United States and other Western nations were being "stingy" with relief funds, saying there would be more available if taxes were raised.

There rest of the story : HERE Too bad the UN headquarters isn't in Sri Lanka.

Rudderman · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

Actually, I noticed that myself even before the UN said anything. For example....Ireland has a population of 4 million people. Our government is giving 1.3 million dollars. USA...population of 293 milion people. If you work out the maths, for the USA to give the equivalent funds as Ireland have, they should have given $95 million dollars instead of the alleged "stingy" $15 million. You have to admit that it does look a bit stingy on the surface!

Fly Rod · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

We are the most giving country in the world!!! How does this guy Jan Egeland think that I or other Americans want their taxes raised!!! Let his homeland[norway] raise his taxes to send more money!!! Just think what this country could do if we kept alot of the giveaway monies to other countries that we will never get back!!! We could be like the Quwaitees, when our vechicle breakdown we just go get a brand new free vechicle!!!

All these other countries erk me!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

SpinnerBait_Nut · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

I'm with you flyrod. Why not keep all that money here to feed and house the many homeless vets that they have forgot about?

KennyKenCan · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

Oh, so the USA is suppose to pay for all of this too? Why don't France, Germany and Russia send the aid? Why does it always have to be the USA? The USA is expected to stop AIDS, stop Terrorism, save the Whales, save the African nations from starvation, supply South America with free medical services, end the Irish conflict, end the Korean conflict, protect Europe and Japan, find a cure for cancer, supply new technologies that the rest of the world can steal from us without paying royalties, engineer and develop the standards in air polution and allow those to be stolen too, and the list goes on and on, all while the rest of the world sits back and laughs their asses off at the USA! Just when the hell is the rest of the world, going to do something, about anything? And if the U.N. wants to say anything about the USA, then they must first repay us every red cent they stole from the "oil for food program" in Iraq, and while they are at it, why not pay their outstanding parking tickets here in NYC, which total over $1 billion! To hell with what the U.N. says!

pjc · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

......UN..=.."Ungrateful Nations".... imo the UN MUST repair its own flaws, such as graft and corruption, before criticizing the USA. Recent response from the UN regarding several of its senior members resigning was called merely a coincidence when asked if the resignations were related to the Iraq food for oil scandal.

rogerwa · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

I don't think 15mil is the last of it. I think this was a very premature statement. A cheap shot, I guess.

SoulWinner · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

$15mil, plus food, plus water, plus medical supplies, plus flying it all over there aboard C-5 Galazies and C130 aircraft. America is gonna shine here.

SpinnerBait_Nut · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

SW, despite what every country trys to do to us, the United States of America always shines through.

Sea Six · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

I agree, it's Europe's time to do something. They don't support the war against terror, they can support this disaster relief effort. Also, isn't it ironic that Indonesia abandoned our troops in our time of need because their people were kidnapped by insurgents, but now they need us to help them out? We'll relieve your people by putting them in a military uniform and sending them to Iraq - free room and board for the duration!

KennyKenCan · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

Right on Sea Six!

12Footer · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

Originally posted by SoulWinner: $15mil, plus food, plus water, plus medical supplies, plus flying it all over there aboard C-5 Galazies and C130 aircraft. America is gonna shine here.

America allways does, and does so first. While the UN moans about how Bush caused this terrible act, we are sending search/rescue teams over in record numbers, looking for the living, as the effected islands bury thier dead. The United Nations is beyond corrupt. It is the imbodiment of the "anti-christ" in our time! (my 2 sence)

DJ · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

I believe Mr. Jan Egeland is suffering from "Euro Envy". We will of course be the leader in the relief effort, yet those pompous A$$E$ will never admit it. Our dues to the UN are roughly $300 million per year. Maybe we should pledge that. I would suggest that we institute a "lend-lease" program like we did before and during WWII. Basically the lend-lease act allowed credit to be spent for supplies, machinery, etc as long as those products were from US sources and produced in the US.

KaGee · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

Care to guess who's airplanes were the FIRST to be flying recon to access the damage??? It wern't no Euro AIRBUS'....that's for sure!!! US NAVY, P3 Orions were in the air within hours. Steve Forbes was quoted today as saying that New York was too good for the UN, and it was time for them to leave. I agree. Expell them. And another thing that's raised my blood pressure this morning.... Where are the Muslims? These are their people... Indonesia has the worlds largest Muslim population... So where are the Islamic states?? They got ton's of oil money... why are they given a pass here?? I say let them help their bretheren for a change.

Sea Six · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

And Sri Lanka is a haven for Al-Quida - maybe Osama will kick in a few bucks.

62_Kiwi · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

What has happened is a mega-tragic natural disaster on a scale not seen before in modern times. The sheer magnitude of this event has not yet fully sunk in to most people, I believe. The huge job of relief work, cleaning up and rebuilding is going to be on-going for quite some years. It is surely going to cost billions, not millions. At this early stage, it's encouraging to see so many nations rushing to the aid of those in need. However it's sad to see somebody from the UN using this issue to take pot shots at the USA - when the numbers quoted would surely be irrelevent to the big picture at such an early stage. Anyhow, the devil is always in the detail - these political guys will selectively filter information to prove whatever point they want to make. I would ask - has the UN taken in to account the military forces in the area (I've already heard of 2 aircraft carriers in the region complete with mobile hospitals, troops, helicopters, planes etc, etc) or the 12 C130 planes currently delivering relief supplies? Just the running costs of those aircraft carriers would be at least $15M a day - I would expect

The role of the UN should be to unite the world in providing and distributing aid to those in need - not playing petty politics, especially at a time of such disaster.

KennyKenCan · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

62_Kiwi, I don't know how much media coverage you are getting down there about this most tragic event, but here in the U.S., it seems that the media thinks that this is a page 56 type event. Not too much coverage of what happened, or what is happening right now. The American media must think that being only a few Americans were killed, that its not a news worthy event. Really wish we knew more.

62_Kiwi · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

KKC - I guess it's more immediate to us, being in our back yard, down here in the Asian Pacific region. It's huge news here - dominating all mainstream news sources since the event. It really takes a while for the magnitude to sink in. Here are a few quotes which I think sum it up.

"Authorities across the region are running out of places to put the dead -- lining them up in schools and stacking them in the street." "There's no power, there's no petrol, there's no movement, there's no support getting through to the injured, and I believe there are bodies that need to be identified and transported out of there. With this heat, sanitation problems will arise." "The tsunamis' paths left massive, indiscriminate destruction in areas that included some of the world's richest tourist sites and impoverished villages."

The big fear at present is that of disease with all the dead bodies around. I saw an item on TV last night showing dead bodies floating out at sea. Also there were buses floating out at sea - all sorts of things. A friend of my family in Thailand said that just prior to the Tsunami, all the water was sucked off the beaches - everyone flocked to the beaches to see this strange event - no water! Of course that was the only indicator that something catastrophic was about to happen...

cmyers_uk · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

Sea Six

"I agree, it's Europe's time to do something. They don't support the war against terror"

Ill pass that on to the familys that have lost British soldiers over in Iraq we think we are doing something for the war on terror and weve been there from the start. Also if you read what he said he did not say the US donation was stingy.

mikeandronda · Dec 28, 2004

Re: And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

Chris no doubt that your country is our best ally.....Im sure sea six was not including your country, but more like france and spain and germany.

And you wonder why I despise the U.N.

Admiral

Petty Officer 1st Class

Commander

Honorary Moderator Emeritus

Commander

Lieutenant Commander

Commander

Commander

Honorary Moderator Emeritus

Petty Officer 2nd Class

Commander

Fleet Admiral

DJ

Guest

Admiral

Petty Officer 2nd Class

Lieutenant Junior Grade

Commander

Lieutenant Junior Grade

Senior Chief Petty Officer

Lieutenant Commander