Viewing Single Post From: Tsumani Tragedy

Viewing Single Post From: Tsumani Tragedy
Amy_Lee_Fanatic	Mar 10 2005, 04:07 AM
Posts: 4 Group: Members Member #39 Joined: January 1, 2005	So, I haven't been around for a while, but I saw this thread and I was pretty dam pissed off. I wouldn't mind seeing this in the debate thread if anyone wishes to continue this. Or you can go ahead and ban me for stating this, but I will not read this garbage and say nothing. Firstly, what's with the whole making America out to be this country that no one ever helps, that all they ever do is give, give, give and get nothing in return? Are you telling me that the $900 that my school alone (1,200 students, 60 staff), raised for the victims of 9/11 was not helping out at all? Get your stats right before you accuse other countries of not helping out. During and after Sept 11, for nearly a whole month, they had numbers that you could donate to, going across the bottom of the TV. So really this makes it worse, that you don't even realise when people ARE coming to your aid... Oh and by the way, how on earth can you cry and say no one would help you? Look at these GDP per Capita's and you might see why helping these other countries who were affected by the tsunami, is important... United States: $39,711 (if you don't mind) Australia: $29,814 (for arguments sake) Now would you please focus your eyes on these figures... India: $3,019 Indonesia: $3,661 Sri Lanka: $4,107 Maldives: $7,008 Thailand: $7,851 Do you see where I am going with this? I'd hate to see what the world would come to if everyone had your opinion of "I'll only help you now, if you've helped us before." Tell me when there has ever been a natural disaster that has wiped out 250,000 people and left millions homeless, from one area in America? Please tell me? I want to know. I put this idea forwards to you... Say a foreign man's house has been torn down by a tornado down the street. His entire family are dead, all his belongings are gone, he has no clean water, no money, nothing. Now would you honestly just stand there, watching him, and do nothing, because he has never done anything for you? Not the same scenario, I know, but the idealisms are the same, and honestly, it's pathetic. I leave you with this to ponder, how 'generous' your government seems to be... Quote: "Americans are regularly told by politicians and the media, that America is the world's most generous nation. This is one of the most conventional pieces of 'knowledgeable ignorance'. According to the OECD, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the US gave between $6 and $15 billion in foreign aid in the period between 1995 and 1999. In absolute terms, Japan gives more than the US, between $9 and $15 billion in the same period. But the absolute figures are less significant than the proportion of gross domestic product (GDP, or national wealth) that a country devotes to foreign aid. On that league table, the US ranks twenty-second of the 22 most developed nations. As former President Jimmy Carter commented: 'We are the stingiest nation of all'. Denmark is top of the table, giving 1.01% of GDP, while the US manages just 0.1%. http://www.vexen.co.uk/USA/foreign_aid.html That's all I wish to say, act as you will.


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