How you, too, can earn a paltry $15 million

Thank you very much for pointing this out…God Bless you. Whoever the fuck had the balls to present that figure ($15,000,000) to the press needs to be tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail…I sincerely believe that the Bush administration sent up that flag hoping it would fly; we now have a clear definition of “compassionate conservatism”.

What you all are forgeting is that 2,000 American lives are worth much more than 12,000 Asian lives any day. Somewhere in the neighborhood of $19,999,998,800 more. That of course assumes that Iraq was because of 9/11… Also it doesn’t count Afghanistan or the money given to the people who’s family member’s died.

lowculture.com rocks

– “ALSO, ALSO, ALSO RELATED: Fuck you, America.”
Grave, how much have you contributed? On a personal level I mean. Or do you assume that your magnificent judgment only applies to the dispersal of the wealth of others? My check’s been written for $1.5K, delivered to the Red Cross on Thursday during my regular platelet donation.
As I type, this page –
http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/my-pay-page/PX3BEL97U9A4I/102-0475093-3387338
– is climbing by about $1,000 a minute, with substantial increases each time I tap the refresh key. And of course, it’s only one vector for American gnerosity.
Tell you what, next time you’re in West LA, phone me. I’ll meet you at the airport and you can BLOW ME, little boy.

Japan has pledged $30 million, twice as much as the US. CHINA, which was a 3rd world country a few years ago, has pledged more than $2 million. But they’re yellow too, so I guess they don’t count.
Thanks Grave. I’d be yanking my hair out once again over American arrogance were it not for the blogs.
One more story about 55,000 people dead, 12 of them Americans….grrrrrr

Yeah–what a stingy country we live in. Do you realize how much money we give the rest of the world on an annual basis? In FY2004 ALONE, the U.S. granted a total of $596,570,000 to the four countries most impacted by the recent tragedy (Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and Indonesia). That’s only FOUR countries. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be giving more money to the recent victims–I think we should. But before you all go on your little American-hating trips, you should look into your facts a little closer. We are not stingy or selfish.

When I was in Peace Corps in Kenya, Sweden gave more foreign aid to Kenya than the US did. Sweden. The vast majority of what we call “foreign aid” is aid to Israel. Doesn’t equate in my book.

I think the point is, ANNOYED READER, that the citizens of our nation shouldn’t have to shore up the donations of the government IF the government is going to present itself as magnanamous, selfless givers (giving less than many other “lesser” countries). The other point is that we don’t even BLINK A FUCKING EYE at spending 200 billion to fight a pointless war, but getting $35 million to help millions in a ravaged, soon to be rampantly diseased land is like pulling teeth.
I’ll donate my own money for sure, but I bet a lot of people are donating because they can’t believe how stingy our government is being.
$35 mill? Like my friend said, that’s like giving a penny to help breast cancer.

If you want people to read this post, you should remove some of the pictures of all the darkies and replace them with pictures of that heroic supermodel.
Bonus: I hear she’s single again!

just goes to show how racist white people are. we give a billion to the jews in israel, and fuck the palestinians and the other brown people whenever we get a chance.

Presented without comment:
Bush gala has big donations pouring in
Tue Dec 28, 9:40 AM ET Top Stories – Chicago Tribune
(….cuts for length)
By Mark Silva Washington Bureau
Soldiers will dance free of charge at President Bush (news – web sites)’s second inauguration, a record $40 million-plus celebration for “a nation at war” financed by some of the same big donors who bankrolled Bush’s re-election campaign.
The president’s private inaugural committee, calling on corporate and individual donors to contribute as much as $250,000 apiece, has struck a military-minded theme for a three-day series of events leading to the swearing-in on Jan. 20.
….
Most of the money for ceremonies, such as the elaborate balls and the parade through Washington after Bush’s swearing-in at the west front of the Capitol, will come from a private committee with a stated budget of $30 million to $40 million. However, it is likely that Bush, who raised a record $270 million for his re-election, will surpass the $40 million spent on his first inauguration in 2001.
By comparison, President Bill Clinton (news – web sites) raised and spent $33 million for his inauguration in January 1993 and $23.7 million for his second swearing-in in 1997.
….
The fundraisers are asking corporate donors to purchase a $250,000 “underwriter package” that includes tickets to all inaugural events, 20 tickets for one of three candlelight dinners that the president will attend on the eve of the inauguration and two tickets for a more intimate lunch with Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
They are courting individual donors with a $100,000 “sponsor package” that includes fewer tickets to one of the candlelight dinners.
Twenty-one companies and individuals have donated the maximum $250,000. They include businesses with an interest in the outcome of the administration’s agenda on such matters as oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Among the top donors: Exxon Mobil Corp., Occidental Petroleum Corp., ChevronTexaco Corp. and Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens, according to the committee’s accounting of about $8 million raised through Dec. 23.
Other $250,000 donors include former Enron President Richard Kinder of Houston; Dell computer founder Michael Dell of Austin, Texas; United Technologies Corp.; Stephens Group Inc., an investment firm in Little Rock, Ark.; and Sallie Mae Inc., the Reston, Va.-based organization that makes student loans.
Another 24 companies and individuals have given $100,000 apiece. These include Northrop Grumman Corp., a leading defense contractor; International Paper Co.; financial services company GMAC; and Al Hoffman, the Florida-based finance chairman for the Republican National Committee (news – web sites).
….
Mike Hightower, a vice president and lobbyist for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, is among those fundraisers. His company donated $100,000 for Bush’s first inauguration. And Hightower, involved in more than $3 million of fundraising for Bush’s re-election, is asking his company to help sponsor the 2005 inauguration.
….
Although the inaugural committee has imposed limits on top donors, there is no legal limit. This makes an inauguration a unique opportunity for political donors in an era when “soft-money” donations to political parties have been strictly curtailed by law and no individual or corporation can give more than $2,000 to a presidential campaign.
“This is one of the few places left where corporations, wealthy individuals and others can provide a huge sum of money to directly help a president, and gain access and influence as a result,” said Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a Washington-based public interest group.
….
The government’s expense will be limited to about $3 million, supporting the swearing-in and related services. Bush will be escorted by a bigger-than-normal military honor guard, and review troops as he departs.
….
Inauguration’s $250,000 donors
COMPANIES
Altria Corporate Services Inc.
(New York)
Parent company of Kraft and Philip Morris
Ameriquest Capital Corp.
(Orange, Calif.)
Financial services company
Argent Mortgage Company
(Orange, Calif.)
ChevronTexaco Corp.
(Concord, Calif.)
Corporate Capital LLC
(New Orleans)
Investment firm
Exxon Mobil Corp.
(Washington)
Golden Eagle Industries Inc.
(Charlotte)
Buiding materials company
Kojaian Ventures LLC
(Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)
Long Beach Acceptance Corp.
(Paramus, N.J.)
Auto loan company
Occidental Petroleum Corp.
(Los Angeles)
Rooney Holdings Inc.
(Tulsa)
Construction company
Sallie Mae Inc. (Reston, Va.)
Student loan organization
Southern Company Inc.
(Atlanta)
Energy utility
Stephens Group Inc.
(Little Rock, Ark.)
Investment firm
Town and Country Credit
(Irvine, Calif.)
Mortgage company
United Technologies Corp.
(Hartford, Conn.)
Aerospace and industrial manufacture
—
INDIVIDUALS
Elliott Broidy
(Los Angeles)
Founder of investment firm Broidy Capital Management
Michael Dell
(Austin, Texas)
Founder of the Dell computer company
Richard Kinder
(Houston)
Former Enron president
S. Davis Phillips
(High Point, N.C.)
Former North Carolina commerce secretary
T. Boone Pickens
(Dallas)
Texas oilman
Sources: Presidential Inaugural Committee, company Web sites, news reports
Note: List current as of Dec. 23.

Oh the troll’s deliciously smarmy tone almost warms my heart in these tragic times. I’m a fucking freelancer and don’t have the time to write that kind of long-winded self-righteous windbaggery.

> The topic here is the size of our charity
> towards the disaster.
Exactly; and you are unable to comprehend that American charity will not be first and best expressed through government. The idea that you, as an individual, might have a sacrifice to make is scary.

I’m a mean person, and I suck. I lied about the big fat check and the blood donation too.

Brian–And you’re all about short-winded self-righteous windbaggery. Thanks from all of us evil trolls for keeping your windbaggery to a minimum. I don’t think I could stand the sound of your whiny voice for much longer than that.

Just a thought….
If you were walking down the street, gave a ten to someone asking for help and he threw it back at you, saying you should have given him a $20, what would you do? Would you be appropriately chastised, reach into your wallet and hand over a twenty, throwing in a five to make up for the insullt? Or would you point out to the person that you didn’t have give anything?

Jessica….
Since you didn’t have to give anything, it would be nice. Maybe not as nice as you could have been, but nicer than not doing anything at all.

> …I lied about…
To whoever’s pretending to be me: Nope, I gave 1% of my income to this crisis, and thanks for asking. And I donate platelets, not blood.
Jessica, there’s a reason we got under your skin today, OK? There’s no such thing as expressing your deep personal compassion with other people’s money. This is a satiric website that tends to get young readers who haven’t figured this out. But that’s what charity means, giving something as an individual because you think it’s right.
> …lives are needlessly lost in pursuit
> of revenge …
That’s not my take. Historically, the US and the west have run these nations by supporting local dictators and crime families. It hasn’t worked out. So now we’re going to insist that anyone who takes our money receives it in a democratic, capitalist market. Isn’t that what you want? Is there any other way to morally claim the oil than to pay a market price for it?

Once again, Annoyed Reader and DCLite seem to be selectively reading my posts in order to further their agendas.
Annoyed: cut and paste where i said I’m not donating out of my own pocket. Please. I’ll give you twenty four hours. Even if our government donated upwards of $100 million (which they certainly could afford), I would do my personal part. You’re missing that statement every time. What I’m not missing is how goddam proud you are to flaunt how much money you’re giving away. It doesn’t make you a better person the bigger your donation sweety. Compensating much?
The war in Iraq is “revenge for papa” and nothing more. Saddam is out of power, which is an amazing and wonderful benefit, but if we refuse to leave until everything in Iraq is a shiny happy America II, we’ll have troops living and dying there until the last trumpet. COUNT ON IT.
DCLITE: anyone who is helping in Sri Lanka is part of the world’s best population. Anyone who gives of themselves is worthy of laudation (and yes, that includes the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan who are giving their lives not even in protection of their OWN country, but someone else’s). My statement about the oil was a type of metaphor. It seems as I grow and learn more about our ‘wonderful’ country it becomes obvious that like many have often theorized, there is no altruism. If there was a way for the U.S. to actively benefit from helping these tiny countries like Sri Lanka or the devastated islands via oil, or political support,or trade, then you can bet your ASS we’d be bent over backwards to help them rebuild.

‘s alright. I rather liked MC Lyte when she was around.
As far as the “best population” thing goes, I was figuring that you would have included the troops (as well as the other volunteers) in that grouping. I think I said as much.
The oil comment I didn’t read as a metaphor; it seemed fairly direct. My apologies. Part of the problem I have with these type of discussions (online) is that some of the subtleties of face to face communications are lost.
As far as the US benefiting from their efforts (directly or otherwise), I’d say you’re probably right. Countries (and other large groups) tend to act in their own perceived interests (was it Kissinger who said, “Countries have no friends, only interests”?).

DC-ite. Sorry for the confusion. It’s hard to type sarcasm,metaphor and rolling eyes you know?
Suffice it to say that these countries will take any help they can get right now and every penny is helpful be it from Joe Q. Lunchpail or the highest echelons of government…but to be one of the richest countries in the world and to profess yourself as the entire world’s caretaker (i.e. the middle east), it does seem ridiculously cheap to only throw in $35 million. And I’m sure it looks ridiculous to other countries who are giving just as much, if not more, and who can’t afford it.
To me it seems the bottom line is, we see no future ‘give backs’ from these countries, they could never help us if we were devastated, so our government doesn’t really give a shit. And that’s sad. I know it’s the way the world works, but frankly, I DON’T CARE FOR IT! :: slamming fist on desk ::

>European wussy countries
Seriously. Think about a career in international relations. You’ve got ‘ambassador’ written aaaaall over you.

Just because some European countries don’t propose to be the world’s police and Number 1 Head Honcho doesn’t make them wussy.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Aid for Tsunami victims $35 million
Bush Inaugural $45 million
Cost for one day of Iraq war $177 million
Total in Iraq to date $200 BILLION

Good news: The Ferengi have pledged 20 million Quatloos.
Bad news: That’s 20 million in loan guarantees, with interest.
Just replace Ferengi with Bush, and Quatloos with Dollars.

Nameless…
Your analogy doesn’t completely track. It’s not possible to stop a tsunami (at least, under the constraints of present day technology); there’s no culpability of any sort to the observer (which there might be under the idea that ‘well, maybe if I had done “X”, I could have stopped the robbery’).
But, following down the analogy anyway, what’s to prevent you (the observer) from saying back to your family, “while I appreciate your input, I’ve made my decision. Feel free to give if you want on your own”. Hence, private donations (amazon.com, for instance).
You are correct in that you have the right to voice your opinion to the government. You also have the right to follow your own conscious — and your own pocketbook — and not expect the government to be the vehicle of fulfilling your own desires. No matter how well intentioned and good hearted.
Now, to interject something a bit off topic, if you are putting forth the concept that only people who pay taxes have standing to voice an opinion to the US government, then that leads to the somewhat interesting conclusion that the US really shouldn’t care much about what anyone else thinks. That would mean that UN was *way* out of line to suggest that the US needs to pay more. Borrowing from your analogy, it would be as if a 2nd cousin phoned up to chew you (the observer) out for not giving out a twenty.

Where is Rush Limbaugh’s check?
Where is Bill O’Reilly’s check?
Where is Bill Bennet’s check?
Where is Ann Coulter’s check?
Those who measure love in dollars, where is their charity?

Ambulance, quickly, I’ve fallen unconscience!

U.S. ups the ante to $350 million
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/31/us.aid/index.html
OOPS! I forgot about that 315 million dollars I had in the sugar bowl. Guess we’ll throw that in.

all crap aside $15 million is stingy and you know it: America likes the image of being the richest country in the world, but fur coat and no-knickers comes mind.

that’s fucking repulsive.

i meant the paltry amount of $ noted, natch.

> OOPS! I forgot about that 315 million
> dollars I had…
Right, government is a stingy parent, a single, featureless, cold personality against which you can project your infantile traumas of disappointment, heartache and deprivation.
The world is so frosty and hurtful, but in your heart, all is gentle and pure!
Puh-leeze.

Ummmm….
Please take note:
the UN rep has since recanted his statements because they are outlandishly false.
why?
because the UN only recieves statistics on charitable donations that are alotted and organized by the governments of the nations around the world.
they do NOT keep tabs on private secotr donations to charity and if some of us in here would do just the SLIGHTEST amount of research, tyhey would find that the US isd accountbale for nearly 40% of the monetary contributions to worldwide charity every year.
we do not live in western europe where charities are managed by government institutions(largely ineffctive ones i might add).
the United States has always let the private sector handle charities and we are far from stingy.

you haven’t bursted my bubble nameless soldier.
(happy new year btw, i enjoy how we keep bumping into each other in here)
you have unfortunately disregarded the facts.
the US government has given more because of criticism, but the criticism wasn’t warranted.
people heaped criticism upon the US because the UN INCORRECTLY stated that we did not contribute to disaster relief.
did they account for US citizens individual contributions to CARE, UNICEF and The Red Cross this year?
i think you’ll find that those relief organizations rely on the money contributed by US citizens and companies more than any other government’s organized funds allocated to them annually.
would they have been able to act upon the disaster as quickly if they had not been provided with the funds we donated them this year?
probably not.
again – government organized charities does NOT reflect how much money the United States gives to charity.
we give more than any other nation on the planet always.
and i am hesitant to state that because its repulsive to think of this whole thing as a contest when so many poeople have died – but even more revolting are those who would use the tragedy to jump at the chance at misrepresenting the US fine record of charitable giving.
any chance to drag our nation through the mud huh?
who cares about the facts.

from where i’m standing, its islam that has to make the effort to win the hearts and minds of the world.
(i’m confident that history will prove contrary to your assessment of the effort in Iraq)
but thats neither here nor there – the point is that the UN misrepresented the amount of charitable contributions the US is responsible for.

I have no idea how IDIOT Americans are…
This blog and these comments really explains it all…Stop being so ignorant and selfish ppl…

ardnian, shut the hell up. other people hate us because we’re rich and beautiful. especially me. you, i’m guessing, are ugly and poor. which means we should invade your country asap to spread the wonder of american culture.

Very inteligent ardnian, I always agree with people who insult me without any evidence to back their statement up. And by the way I believe it’s arrogance that most countries dilike about America, sort of like yours. And anyway, what do you mean? Us or horns? I’ll restate, it is your insistance that you have the only true opinion that makes other peoples hate us. Thanks.

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