Old Weird Ward
Unless otherwise noted, that which is posted here is opinion, which is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. If you don't like my opinions, go somewhere else. Nobody is forcing you to actually read this drivel.
The presumption exists that you can read at all.
That may be a large assumption.
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Wednesday, December 29, 2004
- - - - - Disaster Relief, the UN, and the US - - - - -
At the top of the news, of course, is the disaster in SE Asia. The current estimate is 100,000 dead, plus God knows how many will die in the near future due to disease, lack of food, etc.
And what makes The News?
The United States, according to this Norwegian twit, Jan Egeland who works for the UN, is "stingy", based on gross national product.
The U.S. government is always near the top in total humanitarian aid dollars - even before private donations are counted - but it finishes near the bottom of the list of rich countries when that money is compared to gross national product.
Such figures were what prompted Egeland - who is also the U.N. emergency relief coordinator - to challenge the giving of rich nations.
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Yup, that's what he said. You can see it in the Seatlle Post-Intelligencer HERE.
Note - "Before private donations".
Americans, as individuals, kick in a BUNCH of money for various international causes. Shoot, I kicked in a little, to a charity that by my own personal evaluation sends a bunch of loot to where it's most needed, without the beaurocratic nonsense that's involved in governmental and UN disaster relief. And I'm sure that the money that I donate out of my own pocket isn't going to line Kofi Annan's relatives' pockets.
Do I sound cranky?
Good!
The more I look at the UN's operations, the crankier I get.
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