120,000 dead? Who cares!

[quik]

People weren't meant to live to 80, 90+ years old.

I'm sorry, but I'm not trying to pick at stuff, but that comment is absolutely rediculous. People werent meant to live to 80 or over 90? Cmon Thor, that is getting a little stupid. You have absolutely no proof of this whatsoever, so please dont make a comment like that. The human body has no 'limit.' As long as your healthy and the body is running, your alive. If a person can remain healthy and disease free(hard, but if you eat right and live a healthy life), you can live well over 100 easily.

Natural disasters have killed people since the beginning of the human era. Yet we try to save everyone.

So if I had the will to save you, and I wanted to. You would say no thank you and die?

Granted, your answer would probably be..."Well, I don't live in Asia and I do live in America so why bother?" Sadly, if that is your first thought, it just goes to show how closed minded you really are.

Agreed.

[HoppysMag]

is that what they teach you? Oh boy

enlighten me. why would we pour all this money into countrys like greece and turkey? france, the UK and our side of germany, ya, healthy those countrys is good for everyone. but turkey really didnt effect us one way or the other. why would we put all the money in?

[Thordic]

quik -

Will the rare person live to the age of 80 - 90? Sure.

But today, with modern medicine, we keep a large number of people alive who by all means SHOULD have died already. While I don't have a problem with saving lives, I DO have an issue with prolonging them. How many people do you know over the age of 70-80 who aren't on at least 1 or 2 medicines?

[gibby]

I live in a prosperous nation, hence I reap the benefits. This isn't anything new. In ancient times the more powerful tribes had better living conditions than poorer tribes. Thats how it works.

You can hurl your "closed-minded" comments at me all you want, but I really don't care. If the disaster had struck the east coast of the US and affected me personally, would I expect any aid from other countries? Would I feel that I am entitled to their aid? No.

And in all honesty, we probably wouldn't get much help. The US would be stuck to take care of its own. We'd get a few token donations that were just for show.

True...but don't you ever think that maybe the more powerful tribe took more from the less fortunate tribes? Does that make it right? Would you expect the weaker tribe to give more than what they've already given up either voluntarily or involuntarily? Wouldn't you consider that an elitist attitude? Is that something to really be proud of?

So if you were in need of financial help, and someone was willing to give you a little bit of money because they understood your hardships, would you turn them down? Wouldn't you think that they are giving out of the kindness of their heart? If that "kindness" wasn't the help you were expecting, would it make the gesture less meaningful? Would you turn it down because "it wasn't enough?"

[oldsoldier]

Donations made by a country to another ofr aid are ALWAYS politically motivated. Donate, or not, thats your choice. Personally, I agree with Thordic...not a dime of mine goes overseas. Thats my choice, I have my reasons. I dont believe in most charities, especiallyu with the history of some of the organizations (look into UNICEF's past, especially during the 80's).
I think nature is thinning the herd, and thats Ok with me.

[Kai]

Wow.

Just...

Wow.

[SCpoloRicker]

I remember when I learned about "the real world."

While I think Thor is a bit harsh, I agree with the jist of what he's saying. oldsoldier is dead on.

[luke]

Americans are expected to give until it hurts, and most do without even thinking about it.
Federal Taxes
State taxes
Income taxes
Local taxes
Fuel Tax
Road Tax
Sales taxes on food and necessary items.
MULTIPLE taxes on every UTILITY bill there is. You ever look at a telephone bill closely!
Taxes on your car.
Property Taxes
Then there is the "share box" where utility company ask you to help pay for your neighbor that can't pay his bill.
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
Then your expected to give voluntarily
Boy Scouts
Girl Scouts
Summer football
Summer baseball
Boys and Girls clubs
Christmas for the less fortunate
Veterans (I always donate without question)
Homeless
Local Food bank (Which is largly taken advantage of)
Wino on the street
School programs that are suppose to get kids to raise money for programs, the parents end up taking it to work and the kids do squat!
Book programs
Donation cans at the convince stores
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.

[kramer]

Americans are expected to give until it hurts, and most do without even thinking about it.
Federal Taxes
State taxes
Income taxes
Local taxes
Sales taxes on food and necessary items.
MULTIPLE taxes on every UTILITY bill there is. You ever look at a telephone bill closely!
Taxes on your car.
Property Taxes
Then there is the "share box" where utility company ask you to help pay for your neighbor that can't pay his bill.
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
Then your expected to give voluntarily
Boy Scouts
Girl Scouts
Summer football
Summer baseball
Boys and Girls clubs
Christmas for the less fortunate
Veterans (I always donate without question)
Homeless
Wino on the street
School programs that are suppose to get kids to raise money for programs, the parents end up taking it to work and the kids do squat!
Book programs
Donation cans at the convince stores
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.

AMEN


and with that moron in office again for another 4 years, we can expect to pay even more now for his BS (or is the Vietnam situation in Iraq for OIL not enough to prove this?)

WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN CRAP BEFORE WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OTHERS (one idea would be to impeach Mr BU**SH**..................)

I am waaaaaaaaaaaay liberal - but why feed others when WE HAVE OUR OWN PEOPLE HUNGRY AND IN THE STREET HERE?

[quik]

Because no matter what, almost all americans dont care even about their own countrymen/women as it is. Like I said, if it doesnt help them(americans), they dont care.


Jesus, now that I look at that list, do you people even know what taxes are for?

[luke]

Theres taxes on your phone bill that can't even be explained by the phone company..

[BobTheCow]

....blah blah blah...and with that moron in office again for another 4 years, we can expect to pay even more now for his BS (or is the Vietnam situation in Iraq for OIL not enough to prove this?....blah..... blah blah.

<b><font color="red">Translation: BAN ME NOW, PLEASE, FOR TWO POSTS IN UNRELATED THREADS ABOUT UNRELATED TOPICS WHERE I RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE FOR NO APPARENT REASON.

AND USE WAY TOO MANY CAPITAL LETTERS.</font></B>

[SpecialBlend2786]

The right thing by who?

I have a hierarchy of caring. It starts at me, and my family. Then my friends and neighbors, etc, extended outward.

You know where 150,000 people in Asia are on this scale?

Pretty damn low. Do you think 150,000 people dying over there is going to effect my life one bit? Not bloody likely. Im sorry if honesty shocks you, but its true. You can call me callous and selfish, but looking out for yourself and your own is the original way. Do you read the obituaries and care? Do you send flowers and cards to everyone who dies family? I don't. I didn't know them in life, so why should I care when they are dead?

hmmm, interesting point. I guess i care alot since most of my family is back in Sri Lanka, so it would obviously affect me much more than you.

[Thordic]

If I had family and friends in Sri Lanka, Im sure I would care more too.

Another example is 9/11. I live in New Jersey, and was vastly more effected than someone in Sri Lanka. Do I expect Sri Lankans to care about about 9/11? Not really.

[Maksimus54]

I have no problem sending aid, but just blindly giving it to the U.N. or the governments of these countries is just plain negligent. I would wholeheartedly support sending of actual food and water, just not cash. The U.N. has already shown us how it misused funds to illegally use the oil for food program in Iraq, why trust them with another cent. As was said in the blog and by others, the government and peoples of Sri Lanka just assume thy will be taken care of by us. Where the where they after 911. I seem to remember certain countries refuse to give up known terrorists. I don't remember recieving aid from Sri Lanka. I am just sick of the U.N. and all this political B.S. that is going on in these ravaged countries.