The World Rushes To Tha Aid Of America

Your heart is in the right place but your information sightly out of date. The world's nations have offered what they could but GWB is too proud to accept help with his third world southern states. Save a cent waste a milliion dollars.

He has however accepted the increased oil supplies from strategic stores worldwide so his nation's 7 litre SUVs can continue run on subsidised fuel with the minimum disruption to their lifestyles.

Does the world's richest country need anybody elses' help really? Will sorting the mess out in Louisiana break the bank?

Especially when the US is filled with one of the world's largest standing armies for the most part sitting around polishing tanks and planning "exercises".

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Does the world's richest country need anybody elses' help really? Will sorting the mess out in Louisiana break the bank?

When someone needs help you should first see if they are rich. If they are, don't help them. Their suffering will be soothed by their money.

There is little that can be gained by sending more "help" down there now, things are so messed up that it is best to let those in charge try to sort it out and then ask for assistance.
Relief organizations are asking us to stay out until they need us, at that time they will have many volunteers providing all manner of help.
I understand that already there have been many hundreds of millions donated privately, far more than that through corporations and $10,000,000,000 from the government.

Logistics are a total nightmare. Getting aid and rescue to the people that need it is very difficult for any number of reasons.

Deane, I think I understand where your are coming from but it is saddening to me to think of the volunteerism, money and lives that the US has dedicated to helping other less fortunate nations and peoples being thanked by a "screw 'em, they don't need it" attitude.

I'm not defending the infantile international relationship skills of GWB, but perhaps we aren't ready for international aid yet. Hopefully we can get it when we need it.

David

For the record John Howard's Government is giving $10 million Australian to the American Red Cross. To put this into perspective I believe the original reaction in the early days of the Tsunami was to pledge the same amount which is being spread over the next 5 years.
The breakdown in America is to be expected. Noone is prepared for worse case scenarios are they.
Americans are interesting people . Well meaning but also rather naive. Without the inate cynacism of Australians and having great respect even amongst those at the bottom of the economic scale for their country and their leaders.
Whether the majority of Americans will respect there fellow citizens in N O is another matter.
I suspect they will. As to how the rest of the world responds will depend on commonsense approaches by individual governments.

I know the Canadian military has their disaster response team preped and ready to go. The will be taking a desalination equipment; just waiting for the go-ahead signal.

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Originally posted by Tarquin Maynard-Deanne - I think that quite a bit of the US Army / Navy / Airforce is a tad distant from CONUS. 165000 in Iraq, for example?

Mike - 165,000 troops in Iraq from a force of half a million troops - plus 700,000 National Guard?? Leaves quite a few to help Louisiana no?

And by the way, Deanne is a female name. Is that a typo up there or are you just being tiresome?

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Originally posted by Lomo:
To put this into perspective I believe the original reaction in the early days of the Tsunami was to pledge the same amount which is being spread over the next 5 years.

except that original amount of $10million up front is now over $1 billion over 5 years, is it not?

Wonder what Dubya thinks of Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro's offers of assistance?

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Originally posted by Tarquin Maynard-Portly:

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Originally posted by Deane F:
Mike - 165,000 troops in Iraq from a force of half a million troops - plus 700,000 National Guard?? Leaves quite a few to help Louisiana no?

I'm sure you are aware that the US has troops spread throughout the world - Japan, Korea, Europe, Diego Garcia etc and I'm also pretty sure that North Korea would just love to see Uncle Sam pull out of the South.... geopolitics anyone?

You also show a lack of understanding of the way the US National Guard works.

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And by the way, Deanne is a female name. Is that a typo up there or are you just being tiresome?

Its a typo. Much like the lack of an apostrophe after "Louisiana", above.

Live with it, stop being so precious.

I'm well aware of how the National Guard works. You're drawing a long inference from my post perhaps. Either way, the astounding thing, to me anyway, is the enourmous resources available to the US that are not being utilised day after day as I watch CNN. Perhaps it really is the "elephant in the room" syndrome and the Rev. Jackson is right about the people of the US having an enourmous tolerance for the suffering of black people?

You repeatedly mispell my name - albeit you have not addressed me personally in a post for quite a while - and I have no choice but to live with it really.

As for the apostrophe Mike - well, I guess being good at grammar makes up for the English doing rather poorly these days in sporting contests with the former colonies.

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Leaves quite a few to help Louisiana no?

Where does the apostrophe go? Does it need an apostrophe?


Doing quite poorly against the Aussies so far.

Howard

This reminds me of that non-PC poster:: "Arguing on the internet is liking winning in the special olympics...." Later corrupted to "A vote for bush etc etc...

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Originally posted by John Sheridan:

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Originally posted by Lomo:
To put this into perspective I believe the original reaction in the early days of the Tsunami was to pledge the same amount which is being spread over the next 5 years.

except that original amount of $10million up front is now over $1 billion over 5 years, is it not?

Correct John,
I had this in my head at the time and somehow it did not get to paper.
Interesting that we have had two major disasters this year involving two countries at extremely different wealth situations.
Looking at the news reports one could be forgiven for thinking that initially they were one and the same.
It does show that man for all his technology is not so smart when dealing with the raw facts of nature.
Also I have a horrible feeling that the end of the world is reflected in the behavior and attitudes mirrored in the New Orleans debacle

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Originally posted by DAVOhorn:
So come on world the Yanks need our help and need it now.

I bet not much will be forth coming.

So when Uncle Sam has sorted this mess out, and they will, and another tragedy happens in another part of the world i wonder what will happen.

What a load of uninformed bollocks.

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Originally posted by Steve G:

What a load of uninformed bollocks.

Don't beat about the Bush.
Tell him what you really think!

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Originally posted by Nime:

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Originally posted by Steve G:

What a load of uninformed bollocks.

Don't beat about the Bush.
Tell him what you really think!

I was going to go into details etc. but I've seen some of his earlier posts and realised it would be a waste of time!

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Originally posted by Nime:
He has however accepted the increased oil supplies from strategic stores worldwide so his nation's 7 litre SUVs can continue run on subsidised fuel with the minimum disruption to their lifestyles.

...and he's too naive to realise that those bloody hairdresser cars are the reason (partially anyway) that the shit hit the fan on the tornado in the first place.

Nime

My SUV is only 5.4 litres. I need the torque to be able to take the dog to the park.

domfjbrown

A tornado eh? Glad to see you are well informed.

Jim

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Originally posted by Exiled Highlander:
domfjbrown

A tornado eh? Glad to see you are well informed.

He probably reads the Daily Mail.

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He has however accepted the increased oil supplies from strategic stores worldwide so his nation's 7 litre SUVs can continue run on subsidised fuel with the minimum disruption to their lifestyles.

SUBSIDIZED fuel?
Gotta get me sommma that fo sho.

You are out of your mind.

Just because your government taxes the life out of you on fuel does not mean that the fuel in the US is subsidized.
When fuel in the US was $1.50 a gallon, approximately half of that was federal, state and local tax plus other excise taxes sprinkled liberally. The REAL cost of fuel includes paying the importer's barrel cost (a small fraction of our oil consumption is actually pumped from US-based wells), refining, transportation, distribution, retailing, etc. and it is an amazing bargain in the US.
Our government taxes us there and in other places but has never chosen to tax fuel to discourage use like our friends in the UK and other places.
Perhaps the refining etc. system is more efficient in the US, I don't know.
Now that our fuel is $3++ a gallon (doubled price from a year ago) it is a fascinating study in economics and accounting. How, when the raw material has increased by, say $60 to $70 a barrel, does the price, after taxes and production costs, double? Rationally, only the distribution costs could have risen as we burn fuel in trucks to deliver fuel so we can burn it in our cars...
The reasons for the dramatic price increases: Fear and gouging.
I should buy more stocks in the energy sector.
David

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...and he's too naive to realise that those bloody hairdresser cars are the reason (partially anyway) that the shit hit the fan on the tornado in the first place.

Meaning?

Jim

It's still going to rat-shit in the States. The local sheriff has told the local people outside New Orleans that if they suspect looters to shoot them with them own weapons (BBC news 10 o-clock).

Unbelievable.

Justyn.

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Originally posted by NaimDropper:

You are out of your mind.

David

I might have preferred the interrogative...

OK, I'll revise:
Are you out of your mind?
I know I am.
Takes one to know one and all that.
Original post reads more harshly (is that a proper word?) than intended, only trying to stimulate discussion and not insult.
David

I was listening to a radio programme about conflict solution yesterday. Hey! It works! I must be an expert! You now owe me several thousand dollars in consultation fees for taking advantage of my new skills. You can pay in lead-free petrol if you like. But none of that cheap US stuff thanks very much. I prefer the real thing. Currently at 11.20DKK per litre!

Don't know if I can import any of your "real" petrol. Clearly my SUVs would run better on it.
Next time you're in Ohio stop by and we'll see if we can get some of that magic stuff.
If not, perhaps some imported single malt will do...
David