Fellow photographer...lay off George. Who can or is able to comprehend what has happened in S.E. Asia? Sure on day two I made a contribution with my wife (a day's salary) to Oxfam, but George is doling out millions and millions. As much as I don't like the guy, I undersand the fluidity of the situation and the money will increase dramatically in the coming days. Also, thank God that GW is not America. People from the states will kick in big time, as they always do, and will give to places that have traditionally been so very un-American. It's sad that it takes so much for divergent people to come together, but we are...slowly. Focus on the positive. GW will come through. Jamie

easy there kinki. as a yank who despises bush, your criticism is a bit too predictable and misguided. the usa govt and people will come through on this. as they should and for the right reasons. in the end, the majority of aid will be from the usa govt, usa corps and usa citizens. if there is ever a time when we need to spread some good will, it is now. bush has caused plenty of turmoil on his own and now would be a good time for him to prove that he's not always an idiot.

by the way, finally made my first trip to tokyo last week. great city. stayed a week in the hiroo area. now i understand why you liked it so much.

happy new year, kinki.

I wish you a healthy, happy and successful 2005!

Boy, aren't you red-faced now? U.S. federal contribution over $350M plus more from private contributions. Looks like the knee-jerk Bush-Bash was off-target once again. Too bad all your U.S. news comes from liberal press and selective liberal bloggers. You could get a more balanced view of the U.S. and the President.

i felt the same way when i saw the US was only giving $35M. it's easy to bash the US government after the year that we had. 2004 was awful for the american image abroad... but have no fear! aid is coming. i think that as the reports of devastation have been coming in, the US government realized that it was all worse than orginally thought. anyway, it's good to see everyone around the world chipping in. have a great time in hobart kinki! and a happy new year!

p.s. tell hubbie that the comments form on his site has vanished!

Leaving Bush and Co. aside for a moment, take a moment to ponder this:

Indonesia has barrels and barrels of oil as well as many other natural resources. Why is their government not spending more of this money to get their people to a stage where they are not living in poverty at the water-s edge, unable to escape such a disaster. Why don-t they have 200 rescue helicopters?

The Western World has the power and might to move 500,000 soldiers around the globe in weeks (Gulf War I), thousands of warships and tens-of-thousands of helicopters. They are all available when the war-horn is blown. Why are only a few dozen helicopters out there to help the victims now?

I wonder why? Good to know that there are still non-military, non-government, private people like you and me to donate bits of their hard-earned money to help out.

Red-faced? No. Misguided? Perhaps. I posted this before George upped the financial ante, so it's hardly fair to criticise my "sources" or reaction. Knee-jerk reaction? Maybe, but the cynic in me says so was Bush's sudden increase in donations in the wake of a barrage of criticism.

The generosity of individuals around the globe who have contributed to the appeals absolutely heartens me and at NO TIME would I have a go at the Americans who have put their own hard-earned cash into the appeals - they (you etc.) are the backbone of America, and it is still my contention that GW is doing all of you a disservice. That is my opinion.

Everyone here has made valid points and I appreciate all of them. Have I changed my mind about Bush as a leader? No. Hell no. Do I concede that he is doing his damnedest to recover and channel some of his country's taxes into a worthwhile cause? Absolutely.

Thanks Jamie, you are so right - focus on the positive. It's one of my resolutions for 2005.

(kinki, fyi, just thought this aricle would shed a few facts on the situation. from the ny times; certainly no friend of mr. bush. would have sent the link, but the paper requires registration to read. thought this may be easier. sorry)

New York Times
OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
A High Quality of Mercy
By CAROL ADELMAN

Published: January 4, 2005

ALTHOUGH the Bush administration has now pledged $350 million for the Asian tsunami catastrophe, claims that America is "stingy" are still in the air. The criticism stems from the much-touted fact that our government's foreign aid ranks last among developed countries as a percentage of gross national income.

This rankles, as Americans tend to think of themselves as a generous people. How can we, the richest nation in the world, not be more caring? The answer is simple: we actually are.

For one thing, our government gives the highest absolute amount in foreign aid - more than $16 billion in 2003. And this does not include the cost of our global military presence, which helps provide the stability needed for economic growth, or the billions spent on developing medicines that save millions of lives in poorer nations.

Most important, however, Americans generally help people abroad the same way they help people at home: through private charities, religious organizations, foundations, corporations, universities and money sent to relatives. In 2000, all this came to more than $35 billion, more than three times what the government gave. And this does did not include giving by local churches or by overseas affiliates of American corporations.

The fact is, foreign aid is being privatized. A study by the Foundation Center found that international giving by foundations grew by 79 percent 1998 from 2002, while overall giving grew by only 42 percent. Private giving is usually faster, nimbler and more directly accountable than government aid. Overhead costs are lower, and it can better avoid interference by corrupt officials. It's no surprise that some of the first groups on the scene in Asia were private; on the day of the earthquake, CARE bought food for more than 8,000 Sri Lankans along with purification supplies and sleeping mats for 500 families.

The Europeans assist the needy abroad as they do the needy at home, primarily through government programs. This makes them appear generous: Norway ranks first in allocating 0.92 percent of its gross national income to foreign aid. But Norway's $2 billion of yearly aid is less than what American companies alone give.

So rather than talking about our stinginess, the Europeans and the United Nations should look to increase the role of private donors. After all, the victims of a tsunami do not care whether the food, medicine and clean water come from a government or an independent charity.

Carol Adelman, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, is a former assistant administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.

I would have thought the reason Bush suddenly upped his government's aid for this disaster after this post was published would be obvious - he clearly is a regular 35 degrees reader and felt embarrassed. Well done Kinki!

Matt, you obviously mean President Bush's aides are avid readers of 35 degrees - is the man himself capable of reading?

C'mon folks. Do you foolishly believe any sane nation would, without better information, immediately write an open-ended check for this area? Nobody knew the extent of the death and destruction for the first week following the tsunami. Yes, only a few helicopters were sent immediately but that's because there was nowhere else to put in all the other logistical infrastruction necessary to carry all the humanitarian aid on the way. Airplanes could not land on the few usable airfields. That's why the U.S. Navy is bringing in aircraft carrier group. Once the extent of the damage was known and provisions were made to distribute the aid, the U.S. was there with more than any other nation (including those prosperous capitalist nations in the region).

Thanks Brian - although the article actually illustrates my point - I'm not having a go at the American people AT ALL. On the contrary. It goes without saying that private companies/individuals etc. are more than generous when other countries/individuals are clearly in need of aid.

And Leonard, your point has been soundly taken (are you sure you don't work for the military?) and digested for future reference.

As a self-confessed Leftie, though, I fundamentally don't agree with the approx 5billion USD of federal funds being channelled per month in Iraq for "Winning the War on Terror". 3% of the 2005 national budget will be spent in Iraq. My personal and political opinion is that this money could be better spent in a myriad of different ways, including improving (at home) education, social security, veteran affairs etc. etc. as well as shifting focus from sustaining conflict in so-called bastions of "Terror", to helping the world become a more peaceful and prosperous place, including increasing international disaster relief, which, granted, the Government is now stepping up to the table for.

I understand this argument is multi-layered and contentious, but this is my opinion. The private sector in America is doing amazing work. The generosity of her citizens I have not questioned. Only the logic of governmental spending from taxpayer's money.