Wave of Compassion
Seems that when some innocent dieThere has been a lot said about the Asian Tsunami relief funds being made by the United States, that it has been "stingy". While this isn't a competition, with each country trying to give more than another, the U.S. has wanted to place itself up on a pedestal as the last superpower, and so it is naturally going to be expected to do more than other countries.
All we can offer them is a page in a some magazine.
Too many cameras and not enough food,
This is what we've seen.
- The Police, Driven to Tears
The initial response was not only stingy it was downright embarrassing to those Americans who care about the less fortunate populations of the world. Until yesterday's ten-fold increase of monetary aid, we were pledging less money that George Bush planned to spend on his own (totally unnecessary) re-inauguration, expected to cost tax payers $40 million.
We now hear that we have depleted funds typically set aside for such emergencies, which is remarkable to me when we know how quickly billions of dollars are made available for emergencies within our own borders. As the nation which consumes the most of the world's resources, and which has such huge economic power, that we have already depleted our global emergency funds with this latest pledge is a sign we simply do not earmark enough money for such matters.
Yes, Bush tells us we gave some $2.4 billion last year for humanitarian needs around the world. If so, now that we are in a new year, how can $350 million put us in such a hole?
Fortunately, the wave of compassion is most strongly found in individual contributions being made all over the world. Experts expect these to be easily more significant than donations contributed by nation states. Clearly a sizable population feels that their governments are not pledging enough of their tax dollars, and are stepping up to provide more.
What I still see missing, though, is a significant gesture of compassion from our top so-called compassionate conservative, George Bush. A huge number of the dead and displaced are in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation. We've already done so much to alienate Muslim's around the world, it does not help if we make matters worse by giving them more reason to dislike the us.
The earthquake near Sumatra and the ensuing tsunami produced a catastrophe of epic proportions, yet much of the official U.S. response has shown little that reflects an equally significant reaction. It took Bush too many days to speak publicly about this. He should have done so much, much earlier. It almost reminds you of his "deer in the headlights" reaction the morning of 9/11, as if he did not know how to respond. What happened to his compassion? Where is his call for American's to sacrifice something? (Then again, if at a time of war, he cannot find a reason to ask for sacrifice, why should I expect anything from him now?) Why not lead by example and sacrifice his lavish plans for a waste of time inauguration? He has political capital after all, why not use some of it in a good cause?
Until the world sees some meaningful, significant sacrifice, all it will see are our cameras and photographers, and leave us wondering just what type of disaster it will take in the future for the administration to get it right without reacting to public opinion, but rather earning the respect of a public by the generous compassion of our actions.
Posted at 1/01/2005 07:23:00 PM PT
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3 Comment(s):
You bash Bush and America's response, but you haven't mentioned the Sec. Gen. of the U.N. and his skiing trip.
You criticize the spending of $40 million on the inauguration, is that because it is salt in the wound? It is a long honored tradition, and a time for Bush to retake his oath and reflect.
Private donations in America are exponentially larger than in any other Western Country.
In terms of response time, true every hour matters. But rather than hastily sending aid to the region, we needed to assess the need. You should be asking whether the U.N. (post oil-for-food scandal) is even capable of legitimately overseeing the international operation.
"You criticize the spending of $40 million on the inauguration, is that because it is salt in the wound? It is a long honored tradition, and a time for Bush to retake his oath and reflect."
Do we really need to spend $40 million for Bush to take an oath and reflect? Come on, this is as good a reason as any to break the wasteful tradition.
Meanwhile, it is nice to see the latest developments that seem to show a greater effort to do what we can (see my most recent post).
Driven to Tears, one of my favorite songs by the way.
I think the American response would have been greeted with more heartfelt enthusiasm if the USA was not spending such an obscene amount of money invading and occupying countries like Iraq. America is capable of doing so much good in the world, but it takes some of the air out of the balloon when we use our might to do so much wrong. Even if the Bush Administration does not want to do more for the victims of this tragedy, the American People will still step up and do their part.
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