Let’s Bitch Again – Like We Did Last Summer
I’ve been quite entertained by the way the anti-Bush/Liberal/Socialist/Media crowd has been treating the issue of Tsunami relief. Generally, it has fallen into the realm of complaints for the sake of complaining. Immediately after the disaster hit, the United States stepped up and offered support. Private groups such as WorldVision and the Red Cross went into immediate action, and the government pledged at least $35 million within hours.
In the media, the criticism began immediately. CNN’s midday discussion show (which I can’t recall the name of, because I no longer watch this poor excuse for a news outlet. It was on the TV at the sub shop.) focused on the lack of a response. The international community complained that the US wasn’t doing enough. It was obvious, to me at least, that the complaints were baseless.
The main complaint given was that the US was only giving $35 million in relief funds. This was not true at all. The $35 million in relief funds were immediate pledges. It takes little more than a beaurocrat’s signature to pledge this amount to help in a disaster situation. To pledge this much required very little action, and allowed the US to start getting some work done while the situation was assessed further.
The $35 million in relief funds is merely a line of credit. Knowing that this amount of money is being given allows the relief crews on the site to begin operations, and purchase some of their needs. Without this small amount, relief operations must work with what they have on hand, and may not be able to do the job required to the extent needed. This money allows the relief crews to begin setting up operations, and to get people on to the job of figuring out what jobs need to be done, and what it will take to do them.
That’s step one. Step two is harder. Once you have an idea of what will be needed, another round of funding and manpower will be needed. This second round of funding takes more than just a simple beaurocrat’s signature. It takes an act of executive power. In step two, America increased the credit line for relief to ten times the initial amount. Like round one, this is not American sending a check to the affected area. We are, in effect, saying that the relief agencies and area governments can spend that amount of money to provide relief, and we’ll pay the bills. Other countries pledged funds for this purpose as well, and relief operations got underway in earnest.
In addition to funding pledges, American sent manpower. We have one aircraft carrier battlegroup, and other ships in the area to provide relief. These battlegroups are putting US Marines on the ground, aircraft in the air and hospital beds into service. On-board rations are being airlifted in, and injured victims are being airlifted out. Beds, used by the Marines in transit, are now filled with patients, multiplying the medical abilities.
The US Government is offering personnel in the form of disaster relief workers, as well. Private groups have people on the ground. Companies and private charities are raising large amounts of funding to help in the area. Amazon.com raised, within just a few days of the event, over $2 million in private donations to go to the Red Cross for disaster assistance. The American people are coming out of the woodwork to provide help.
So, why all the complaints about the US response?
It’s very simple.
Some people just want to complain. No matter what’s going on, there’s some reason to complain as long as a Republican is in office. If George W. Bush personally visited the area and raised 100,000 people from the dead, there would be those who would complain that he only raised the rich from the dead, and left the poor in the mass graves. There’s no satisfying these people.
A lot of the complaints can be counted to ignorance. There are plenty of people who just don’t know how government works. They hear that we’re giving $35 million for relief, and they think it should be more like $1 billion. They don’t know the difference between initial funding and long-term funding. They don’t understand the stages of funding. You can’t count CNN among these people. CNN knows better, but pushes the criticism anyway. CNN is corrupt, while the ignorant are merely being duped by them.
In the end, the amount of funding for this disaster will be far greater than we have seen thus far. The next rounds of funding will require further assessment, and eventually an act of Congress. In the meantime, the many levels of relief provided by citizens of the United States through private efforts will go virtually unnoticed, because much of it is happening through churches and Christian organizations.
As I typed this, an announcement came over the Associated Press that former Presidents Clinton and Bush will lead a major fundraising effort to help the disaster victims. Regardless, some will still call us stingy.
If YOU want to help, I suggest you click this link to donate to Tsunami relief efforts through WorldVision. In addition, please consider sponsoring a child through Worldvision so that the child, his family and community can be given the support, food, medicine and education that are so needed. You can sponsor a child by clicking here.
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment