hilarious and sad.

Although I agree that we should be pledging 1 billion immediatly and sending a very fast and cabable military to start emergency care (they are the only ones who have full mobil hospitals, water purifiers, and the logistics to do it in under 24 hours), I think you should change "the most", to "one of the most"

There have been many disasters much worse in the past centuries. Of cource this shouldn't be seen as taking away from how serious this is.

You may be right, Ryan. Though I'm not sure which disasters were worse. Any tips?

based on news reports today, it seems like this event has already been dubbed The Worst Natural Disaster in World History, based just on the incomprehensibly high numbers of the dead, and they're not even finished counting.

maybe the destruction of Pompeii would rival it, but i'm not sure. sadly, we will find out soon enough.

I just read on CNN's Breaking News (12:54 on Friday, Dec. 31st) that the U.S. changed the 35 million pledge to 350 million.

Looks like that "stingy" comment hit a nerve...and the New York Times defended the U.N. official in an editorial.

It's sad that the money aid doesn't come from the goodness of the hearts of the Bush administration, but I'm happy that the pressure of public opinion finally forced this administration to help with more.

I agree...1 billion should be pledged..not 35 or 350 million.

Presidential innaugeration costs are paid with private donations from private firms/individuals.

George Soros (and others) decided to spend 40 million of his personal fortune on elections. Where was the outrage? What did George Soros (and others) expect in return? We would be naive not to believe that he did not have some kind of payback included in his election buying plan.

Thousands of individual Republicans have decided they want to help pay for the Innaugeration. That is their right to spend their own money on what they desire, just as the Hollywood boys can decide to spend tens of millions on yachts, mansions, and jewelry.

The 35 million is US Taxpayer money. The real question to many in America is this: the oil rich exporting countries of the world could have had a billion dollar credit line established for relief in an hours notice after the Tsunami. They have done little to nothing to help the victims. We have ships, planes, transports, relief headed for the region already. What has anybody else done in the world yet? Oh yes, Koffi is having a meeting next week about it.

Next year will be better for Democrats as long as you jog a little to the RIGHT!

Happy New Year!

Remember, this is a "Christian" driven administration guided by values, ethics and morals. The same administration, whose "god" chosen leader took four days to respond to a disaster of a magnitude unprecedented in recent (geologic) history, while insulting former "elected" President Clinton for "feeling their pain," when Clinton addressed the crisis just moments after it occurred. It appears Bush was too preoccupied with his concerns about the fairness of Election 2004, or was perhaps rereading "My Pet Goat" at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, to extend our nation's greatest sympathies to those affected by the greatest natural disaster in our lifetime.

350 million may be a beginning, but this is from an administration requesting another 80 billion to continue an unjust war. It seems our volunteer service would be of greater value assisting the tsunami survivors with their enormous challenges ahead, and the proposed 80 billion would go a long way with respect to our charitable collective conscience.

Just keep the lights burning. We need all the light we can get. Great job dude!

Please keep in mind that in the United States you are free to send you own money to any cause you deem worthy.

Right or wrong, many Americans feel we already are spending more than our share helping, defending, feeding, and financing too much of the world. Every politician in office has to realize that whenever he allocates money, he is doing so out of the pockets of the American people. George Bush won re-election with a platform calling for spending billions promoting Democracy in the Middle East. He did NOT win re-election on a platform of billions in aid for every disaster in the world.

We are all free to send as much money as we want to help these people. I just sent $100 to Doctors without Borders for Asia relief. I certainly hope the George Soros's & Hollywooders of the world donate a (tax deductible!) FAIR PERCENTAGE of their net worth, but I know they won't. Those mansions, Ferraris, jewelry, and expensive parties are more important to them.

Brad,

Let's try this one:

US aid to kill more than 100,000 + Iraqi's:
$250 BILLION (Depleted uranium bombs, bullets, missiles, shells, equipment, military support, oil & gas)

US aid to help millions of tsunami natural disaster victims:
$35 MILLION (Worldwide embarrassment raises it to $350 million)

Millions of dollars to inaugurate a man who has killed more human beings than any other human in the past 15 years:
POINTLESS!

Am I using a terrible natural disaster to attack this pre-selected President! You bet I am! This will not bring back the victims of either a Tsunami or George Bush, or help those who must survive either one. George W. Bush is the natural disaster!

Let's not lose sight of the comparisons and why this smirking war criminal belongs in a prison cell for the way he treats and disrespects both our HUMAN and NATURAL world! A man who for all his GOD talk doesn't give a rat's a(butt) about humanity or our environment except for what is good for his BUSINESS partners in crime! The sight of him trying to fein care and compassion with his cheap hand outs, while they prepare his regal reannonitment, is one of many reasons to keep challenging his electronic selection as President.

Sorry! This is my end of year tirade against the man and the plan! May the spirits of the universe care for all who have been taken from us and yet who are still part of us. May the world be saved from George W. Bush! Amen! Happy New Year!

You are right attorney Jim. And most of those rich oil exporting companies are friends of your buddy, George DUMBYA!

But those oil rich exporting countries paid for most of the Herr Clinton Library (except for the Lewinsky room).!

Why?

ATTORNEY JIM! AHHHHHHHHHHH!

George DUMBYA won on a platform for spreading democracy in the Middle East? What utter BS! Sending billions of dollars to murder tens of thousands of human beings is no comparison to sending billions in human relief aid!!!!!!!!!!!

PS: George DUMBYA & Karl ROVER stole two consecutive elections. There was no mandate and no legitimacy to such a corrupt election! Therefore, all you tight-fisted Republicans who want to waste our tax dollars funding America's criminal war machine can get on your platform and jump off!

As a % of net worth, it would be interesting to see just how much Hollywoodies contribute to worthy causes.

We hear so much talk, but so little action, and such a PITIFUL percentage of their their net worth goes to help anybody other than jewelry, ferrari, bwm salesmen, not that there is anything wrong with being a salesman!

Apologist Jim, as usual, (chose to) miss the point.

He said:
"George Soros (and others) decided to spend 40 million of his personal fortune on elections. Where was the outrage?"

Uh...the "outrage" is not that Republicans are spending 40 million on an inauguration. But rather than Bush can only squeeze out $15, then $35 million for the world's greatest natural disaster.

Hardly "compassionate", hardly "values based".

"What did George Soros (and others) expect in return?"

What the hell do you care? And why are you unable to answer for your heroic President's dismal failures? Of course, we know the answer, which is made obvious in your silly attempts to try and turn the question around in trying to defend the indefensible. It must not be fun being you.

"We would be naive not to believe that he did not have some kind of payback included in his election buying plan."

Of course...which leads us to wonder where *your* "outrage" is concerning the same (and more) money that has been used to purchase your man in the White House?

The fact that Hollywood assholes spend more on a single house than the United States can eke out for the greatest natural disaster in the history of mankind would seem to underscore a compassion/values defecit in your "President" rather than indict the Capitalists you undoubtedly defend for being able to do what they want with their money.

And your final absurd comment was...

"George Bush won re-election with a platform calling for spending billions promoting Democracy in the Middle East. He did NOT win re-election on a platform of billions in aid for every disaster in the world."

Actually, (anyone suprised?) you're wrong yet again.

Bush pledged billions for things like AIDS in Sub-Saharan African prior to the election. Though somehow or another has failed to actually send it.

He also ran by toting out his fake "compassionate conservative" yarn to hoax folks like you into having something to pretend he actually had a concscience about.

He also ran by spouting the need for America to "shine the beacon of liberty and freedom" throughout the globe.

Kinda tough to see liberty and freedom's shining beacon from under a tsunami of rubble.

You pathetic apologies for immorality are appalling.

Free: I will say it again because it is true:

George Bush won re-election with a platform calling for spending billions promoting Democracy in the Middle East.

He won with this platform. Mainstream America agrees with it.

Ok atty jimmo
how much did the Clinton wars cost us?

Continuing his pathetic streak, Apologist Jim then added:

"As a % of net worth, it would be interesting to see just how much Hollywoodies contribute to worthy causes."

While you're adding up %'s of net worth, please be sure to compare the net worth of those "oil rich nations" you keep attempting to use in your transparent sleight of hand efforts, to the net worth of the country you live in.

Let us know how the %'s of net worth add up when it comes to foreign aid. While you're at it, be sure to compare against a couple of the European countries that you no-doubt opportunistically claim to hate as well (like France and Germany for example).

Your Rush/Hannity/Drudge bullshit is so boring and predictable. Please work on coming up with an original idea. We've all heard your FOX regurgitations ad nauseum.

Hi Brad! I could write quite an epistle correcting you, but maybe later.

You alluded to the African Aids proposal, so I would like to point out that the 15 billion Bush Aids proposal was made 1/28/03.

It called for 3 billion for each of the next BUDGETARY 5 years. I believe we are now near the first installment due total of 3 billion, to date 2.7 billion of it has been paid.

Attorney Jim-

Sorry about this Jim, but next year will be really bad one for the "Republicans". A "Major scandal" will arrive on the doorstep of the White House.

The true spirit and intentions of those now controlling Congress and Washington DC is tarnished with each passing day.

The $35 million pledge was a joke and typical of the Bush Adminstration.

I agree with other posters .... $ 1 billion is a good starting point along with military support. Time to move equipment and troops from Iraq to Asian Countries ASAP. We must act immediately as wasted time = needless deaths from disease and starvation..

Also, Jim don't ask Democrats to join a high price cruise on the new Republican "Titanic". However, you better stay in the life boats ..... your ship is starting to sink.

I quote M. King Jr.-

"There Comes a Time When Silence is Betrayal"

G

Who won? Could we see a show of hands?

Dale: looks to me like I waxed em.

The winner: jimmo!

G

Didn't Marty King also say right after that: "but screaming fire in a theater when there isn't one is worse". I could swear he added that as a second thought.

atty jim sez:

George Bush won re-election with a platform calling for spending billions promoting Democracy in the Middle East.

He won with this platform. Mainstream America agrees with it.
>>

His approval rating belies your assertions. They are so very low because most americans know that Iraq is very, very, very bad medicine.

No war-time president has ever been voted out. It is as far from mandate as it can get.

If we really want to promote democracy instead of demockery all we have to do is stop killing, maiming, and offending the middle east.

They look to our deeds rather than to our words. Actions speak louder than words.

Dredd says: we must stop offending the middle east.

Say what? Just what regions people have been attacking since 1993? At what point do we say enough is enough, now we go on the offensive. Every good military officer will tell you that one of the best defenses is an offense, and failure to mount one makes you an even more likely target.
I, and mainstream America, decided months ago that we agreed with these military officers.

Don't let non-approval numbers in polls fool you:

I would like to point out that when you voice a nonapproval in a poll question that only permits a yes or no; a no often means that the President is not being as strong, tax cutting, or aggresive as the polled person would like. So don't let a 50% approval rating cloud your thought process. If someone asked me if I approved of G W Bush Iraq policy, I would say no also, but only because I want a STRONGER policy in the region! Of course, the left wing media seldom if ever point this incongruency out for you.

atty jim sez:

Every good military officer will tell you that one of the best defenses is an offense, and failure to mount one makes you an even more likely target.
>>

You ignore the discussion about the Pentagon report that says we are loosing that war ... the war for the respect of the moderate Muslim world. Remember the fact that opinions about us have degenerated and we are less safe now.

The real "offense" is to get our good name back. One that took a long time to construct.

In the eyes of the world, the polls and investigations the Pentagon generated show, our reputation, like our dollar, is falling, falling ....

Lets not offend by offensiveness, but rather be on the offensive by being wonderful citizens in the world. Not the bully down the block everyone hates because we preach peace but overpower all with violence.

Mainstream America? Hmmm? Is that sort of like Mainstream Media? Basically, asleep at the wheel or a benefactor of the Corrupt State!

And what's all this spreading Democracy as though that is something to celebrate? The question is what kind of Democracy? If we're spreading the phony Democracy America has, where Presidents, Congressman, and Senators are the bought and paid for whores of one wealthy powerbroker or another, or the servants of one religion over another, or the representatives of multinational corporations, energy conglomerates, or a military industrial complex, then forget it.

We can spread as many sham democracies as we want, whether it is to the Ukraine, Iraq, Haiti, or anywhere else. But if those democracies are simply corrupt facades for those of wealth and power, then we are but the distributor of our own folly! I'm sure their brand new Republican electronic voting machines will follow, and then the White House can rule the world with a software patch and a cell phone!

Let's do a little math, shall we?

The USA is spending about a billion dollars a week on the war in Iraq. That's roughly 140 million dollars a day.

The $35 million Bush promised for aid is the amount spent every 6 hours on this war.

The revised figure of $350 million of aid would pay for two and a half days of war.

Utterly appalling.

What is all the mainstream crap! who got the vote out and who counted it! I know the ones I talk to and then I see the vote. Where did the voice of America go!

Wow...Now that Bush has upped his "generosity" to $350 million, Attny Jim must be pissed at him for taking all of those tax dollars and giving them to that unmandated foreign aid!

How 'bout it Jimmo? Ready to slam Bush for wasting your tax dollars? You were thanking him for not doing so just a few hours ago in this same thread. So now that he's increased your bill by 1000%, I think you'd be pretty ticked off at him!

Have any intellectual honesty left? Please impress us with it, unless Rush has sucked it all outta you.

Jim, where in the world is your head?
Please tell me you don't really believe that... That this man is promoting democracy.
You are just being provocative, aren't you?
You're among friends. You can tell us the truth.

I just read where Bush could be sentenced to death for his war crimes... one of the big ones being the destruction of the hospitals in Fallujah. The reason given for the bombings, was that the insurgents were releasing casualty figures.

One good thing about Bush's reaction to this tsunami tragedy, is that more people have been awakened to the truth about his character.
I believe he has caved into pressure, and is sending JEB BUSH to help. That's what I heard, anyway. There's compassion, for you.

Jim, you should check up on the real tactics of successful warfare. "the best defense is an offense"is a worn-out cliche. You can never, never win unless you have studied your enemy, something which anyone can see, we didn't do. And now the enemy can't even be recognized. No amount of offense can remedy that.
In fact, the most successful warrior is so clever he never has to resort to combat.
We are groping dangerously in the dark with this bunch, and I for one, want competent leadership, no matter what the party affiliation.

The various balls are paid for by donation, but the cost of martial law and the security checks of all bystanders at the inauguration are funded by the taxpayers.
And more of my tax money is going to fund the installing of another dictatorship in Iraq. Kind of a waste, in my opinion.
Better to put your energy into helping the victims of tragedy, Jim, than to try and discuss politics.

This is my final thought for the Old Year folks!

Let's spend $1 Billion to help the Tsunami victims!

Let's spend $1 Billion to investigate who did 9/11!

Let's spend $1 Billion to bring our troops home!

Let's spend $1 Billion to prosecute Bush/Cheney for War Crimes, send them to prison for life, where they'll be forced to listen to extremely loud rock n' roll music 24 hours a day!

Finally, let's spend $250 Billion of the next war on alternative energy transition and tell all the oil and gas producing countries and companies of the world, "Sorry...i'd rather switch than fight!"

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! IT'S GOIN' TO BE EXCITING!

Freebird...and this bird you cannot chain...

This is my final thought for the Old Year folks!

Let's spend $1 Billion to help the Tsunami victims!

Let's spend $1 Billion to investigate who did 9/11!

Let's spend $1 Billion to bring our troops home!

Let's spend $1 Billion to prosecute Bush/Cheney for War Crimes, send them to prison for life, where they'll be forced to listen to extremely loud rock n' roll music 24 hours a day!

Finally, let's spend $250 Billion of the next war on alternative energy transition and tell all the oil and gas producing countries and companies of the world, "Sorry...i'd rather switch than fight!"

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! IT'S GOIN' TO BE EXCITING!

Freebird...and this bird you cannot chain...

OOPS! LOL

Here, here, Freebird. Let me just add: let B/C eat Halliburton troop food whilst rotting in prison. The extra saved can be added to the alternative energy bill.

HNY to you, too!

I'm a little late in adding this but if you want to know about greater natural disasters then use Google and go look for information on floods of the Yellow River in China.

As for natural disasters that might occur in our lifetimes, the worst would be a collision with some big orbiting rock, but at least we'd know ahead of time to kiss our butts goodbye. The Yellowstone caldera is capable of you-don't-want-to-know. I'd keep my eye on Mt. Rainier. A pyroclastic flow into the Seattle metro area could do a heck of a lot of killing.

Freebird wrote: "Let's spend $1 Billion to prosecute Bush/Cheney for War Crimes, send them to prison for life, where they'll be forced to listen to extremely loud rock n' roll music 24 hours a day!"

I'll throw in another few billion if you'll prosecute all the other Bad Guys in this administration, not just for War Crimes against Afghanistan and Iraq, but also for Treason against the USA. I'd suggest starting with Rove and Ashcroft and Rumsfeld, but please don't forget Perle and Wolfowitz and Powell and Rice, and of course there are many others...

Meanwhile .... for the amount of money Bush has spent on war, we could have erased hunger from the face of the earth. Give us another year or two of the military budget and we could eliminate illiteracy and most third-world diseases too.

And if we had done that, instead of using all that money to kill and maim people, how do you think the rest of the world would have reacted? Here's a hint: terrorism would no longer be a problem, but we might have trouble figuring out what to do with all the thank-you cards!

"You may say I'm a dreamer / but I'm not the only one / I hope some day you'll join us / and the world will live as one" --- JWL [rip]

Good post, bird. Was worth getting it twice!

The story goes that in response to 9/11 we start two wars, so far, and spend BILLIONS upon billions, cut civil rights, start torturing captives, kill 100,000 or so, and give the Iraqi oil handling to american corps.

This was in response to the deaths of about 3,000 americans.

Evidently there could be more US casualties in the tsunami than died on 9/11.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/050103/1/3pmin.html

So, at first we offer $15M ... it is criticised ... then $35M it is criticised ... then $350M. But nothing like the response when oil is involved.

I guess "Jesus loves oil".

Considering that the War On Terror has been such a rousing success, maybe we should start a War On Tsunamis.

Or is that too small-minded? Maybe we need to expand our scope a bit. How about a War On Maritime Disasters?

Errrr ... that might get us in trouble with our land-locked friends. What would be in it for them? We probably need to declare War On All Disasters!

winter patriot:

we should start a War On Tsunamis
>>

It seems like a joke but it is not. You just hit big time paydirt in my opinion winter patriot.

There are many enemies of america which are also enemies of all the world.

We focus little on these enemies: hunger, disease, poverty, damage to our homeland the earth, and the like.

If we only had in place a simple cell phone warning system for natural disasters many, many lives would have been saved in the recent tsunami. A simple overridding beeping could be sent to all cell phone owners, and they would relay the message to those around them.

They would not have to draft me for those wars, I would volunteer. I developed software for Motorola in the early 90's for cell phone research and know it can be done.

If I read this BLOG correctly, most would too ... actually we are already involved I guess.

Dredd,

Could you please create a software for me that would delete George DUMBYA Bush's face and voice everytime it appears on my computer, TV and radio?

Dredd wrote: "It seems like a joke but it is not. You just hit big time paydirt in my opinion winter patriot."

Well ... yes ... and no ... I agree with you about the enemies of the world, and your sentiments are quite clear and entirely reasonable. But the fact is that we cannot fight these things with a warlike mentality.

A "War on Hunger" makes no more sense than a "War on Drugs". We might as well declare a "War on Using the Wrong Tool for the Job", or a "War on Thinking Strange Thoughts" ...

If America wanted to put its energy into a program to rid the world of all these unnecessary evils: hunger, disease, illiteracy, natural disasters and so on, I would be right there with you, Dredd. In fact I cannot think of a better cause.

But [and this is the basis for my petite joke] we cannot approach these things in the same way as we would approach a war, because if we did that, we would guilty of using the wrong tool for the job.

Ok, that's enough for now. I've got to get back to thinking strange thoughts.

The problem is, the human race collectively is at war with the earth. Until we get that relationship sorted out, we are in deep trouble. The sucking force of gravity unnerves us, and we try to defy it. We try every destructive thing we can come up with to try and prove our omnipotence, and we end up looking ridiculous in the face of real, raw, natural power. We are pushed from the bottom and slammed from the top, then try to push one another around to assert some piddling dominance, that is short lived at best. We are horrified at our insignificance.
War! Hu ha! It's like pushing food around on a plate. In one moment the earth splits,shifts on its axis, and alters time. Top that one, you impotent bullies!
A War On Tsunamis. Yes. maybe they even need a War on Rainbows.

We eventually will come to some sort of love and respect for the earth, if we intend to survive. Look at the wonderful turtle. One of the oldest and most successful creatures known. Unchanged since I don't know when. Plodding along with goodwill, a friend to most. Protected by the earth.

War! Ha!