I haven't really been reading up on it much, but I heared there was a massive tsunami in south east asia that killed over 100,000 odd people and affected so many more.

Also, I've noticed that so many organizations are giving money to the victims, which is ofcourse, a great thing, but why do we have so much money to give to other people [ who of course, need it ] when schools and other organizations [ at least in my area] are suffering from so many budget cuts?
bleh.
What are your takes on it?

I think it shows how generous the world can be when it is really needed.

Let's delve into this. A tsunami follows a massive earthquake, and in a few hours, thousands are dead, and over 150,000 people are now confirmed missing or deceased. Hundreds of thousands are homeless, thousands are orphaned, the damage and clean-up is in the billions and they need the world's help.

I think in this case, budget cuts aren't even in the equation. This is an act of pure generosity. Speaking of which, Australia has donated over 1.1 billion dollars in total. TONS more than america and great britain, yet we have 20 million people. With the miniscule amounts that america's government has donated, i don't think anyone's in a position to complain about budget cuts in their areas, especially because all of the donations are acts of good faith towards people in need.

Basically people who even begin complaining should put themselves in the victim's shoes and think how it would be. No food, polluted water and further spread of disease from ocean waters. Then maybe they'll see how small a problem they have in comparison.

mtp

I was actually pissed off when I found out that us, America, only gave 350 mil, thats a lot, but we should had been like 5 bil I think in my opinion, thats getting into the Iraq war though, but it is amazing how nice countries are to help southeast asia in a time like this and its kind of even like, bringing them together, but after reconstruction, it'll all be the same I'm sure.

Thats amazing thinking how many dead in 11 countries, It shocks, and scares me even what nature can do.

I was shocked at one part... And, feeling horribly sorry.

But, then, I found out that they were being helped, and felt a bit better.

But, yeah, there's been a lot of help going down their, but, sometimes, I guess, you cannot outsmart the weather, and what happens deep below the ocean... Many are dead, but, there are still people alive... It's kind of a sad/happy thing.

.::Broken::.

I agree that the schools do deserve to have better resources but helping unfortunate tsunami victims is a bigger priority right now. A lack of school funds isn't as much of an urgent problem as helping others who have lost many loved ones and their homes. America probably could have given more than they did but I suppose we do still have some of our own problems to deal with. It was nice of the government to give some even if they could have given more (wich I'm not saying that they could, its just as likely as not that they couldn't) and America does try to help when help is needed as in this case.

We've overpopulated. Nature is balancing us again by wiping out a large amount of people. That's my take on it.

It's kinda FFX Sin-like, no? o.o;;;

'tis the biggest disaster in a long time. 'course people are gonna donate a ton of money. Those people have gone through hell and back, and if they don't receive it, they'll be another death toll on the statistics...and that's sad ;_;

If thats the case, then why not rip through China or India then? Why take out a few islands that really dont make up all that much in the grand scheme of things?

Personally on the whole donations thingy...I think the muslim countries arent doing enough...forget the US and Aus for a second...Saudi Arabia, with all its oil sales and crap, contirbuted a few hundred grand...while countries who are buying the oil off them are paying several million...then there is that guy in brunei who hasnt paid a cent, yet he's one of the richest men in the world...quite frankly they should be the ones spending the brunt of the money...they hate us western cultures, yet they expect us to provide relief in their countries for free do they?

On a lighter note though...you yanks prolly didnt watch it, but there was a cricket match played yesturday that raised over $14 Million for the victims...it was a great match...all the best players in the world at the moment played...and it was being broadcast in the US, so you people should have watched it! :aj:

Yeah that was a pretty cool cricket match. I watched most of it. Toyota donated 50,000 for each 6, there was 1,000 for each run donated by 3 mobile and over 10million donated from everyone else. Plus it was a good match. Rest of the World were 9/344 afterwards so they played really well. Asia got just passed 230 i think so meh, but that's a lot of runs for the donation. That's what australia does though :P

As I said before America probably could have given more. On the same note alot of countries could have given more. Really it depends on the heart of the givers people have a right to their own money even though others need it more than they do, they don't have to give. This is basically just a sign of greed though.

Yeah...Ricky Ponting got 115 which was cool...and it was classic when McGrath got promoted up to number 6 in the batting order and got a 1st ball duck! XD...but yeah, I think they hit 7 6's all up which is cool...It was classic when Warney thought it was the last ball of the innings when it wasnt and he almost walked off the field and got a yellow card...XD

*Laughs at all the yanks who dont know what Im talking about...XD*

IMO, this tsunami was detectable but the countries didn't have the technology to detect it. The tsunami was a real disaster, but I don't pay attention to it too much. After day 2, I tire of hearing of the same thing all day. Anyways, did you know that SE Africa was also hit by the tsunamis, but they dont get sh*t. Recently, the UN gave them only housing materials. like WTF? What about food and water? Or better yet, money? IMO, this is takng discrimination to another level, where you don't help others experiencing the same tragedy as another country. :angry:

(What's that got to do with the tsunami?)

The tsunami affected alot of people. To be honest I barely even thought about it till this thread popped up. I don't watch the news to much. It's sad.

They aren't calling us greedy, are they?

The people in Sri Lanka, India, etc...they aren't being fussy over how much money they get.

It's not our fault they don't have the technology to detect a tsunami and evacuate. It's not anyone's fault that a tsunami occured, therefore nobody but the effected ones should have to deal with it. When you live in an area near a fault line, you're taking the risks of suffering a disaster like a Tsunami and high magnitude earth quake.

Hell, I'm not too far from the San Andreas fault line, and I also drive over it frequently. Someday we might get a huge earthquake. Who knows?

We could have easily just totally ignore that an earthquake even happened. We could let them deal with their own problems and be on our merry way with our money. But we didn't.

We not only sent money, but clothing, food, water, and other necessities.


Sure, we could've sent more money over there, but we didn't. I haven't sent any money. My family won't send any money. We're not greedy. We just can't afford it. I wish I could...but in the end, I can't. Just as our country can't give much more. We need to support ourselves too.

You can't say it's greedy unless you've donated more than somebody else. I highly doubt that any of us on this message board could donate over a million dollars like many of the people who have donated have done.

What the hell is up with you and calling Americans yanks?

And as I've always been told, it's only the Eastern coast that are yanks :P They have the first colonies over there. So nyeh >:P I'm not a yank.

..even said, yank is an ancient term, and pretty mean too. :angry:

Well I sure hope they weren't implying we were greedy. I was talking about the richy people who don't give a hoot.

Nice point Kt.

Hm, it's nice and helpful in a way, yet cold and pointless in another. Sure, the money will help in the re-building of there houses and various other constructions, and of couse pay for machinery to currently clean up this mess. Yet, every countrie's donating money, yet I haven't heard anything other then one large medical boat leaving some time ago to accutally help them. It took other countries nearly a week to pool this donation going, time that they could have been shipping men and resources to the site to help seal the incident and dispose of the corpses which threathen epidemic.

Countries can brag about there financial donations, but you haven't done anything any averge person on the street looking at a bum would do. Drop a quarter and go on. If you really want to brag about something, try helping them out.

First of all...the cricket game was a charity match to raise money for the tsunami victims...thats why I was talking about it...

Second...KT...unless all you yanks start flying over here telling me that calling you "yanks" is a bad thing and threatening me with large wooden boards with nails in them, then I'll stop calling you that...until that happens though, you'll just have to live with it...just like everything derogatory that I call people, unless you deserve it, Im merely joking around...

Anyway, Triton...first of all...do you even realise how difficult it is to send recourses over to these countries? Especially in countries where their population is totally situated INLAND!!! Come on man...Australia has sent tons of relief and medical staff over there combined with the number thats already over there...And those people were over there within days...

(Yeah I know but you weren't even talking about charity for the tsunami you were talking about cricket but whatever)

Oh yes and *packs wooden boards and nails then buys plane ticket to Australia* See ya soon.

(oh and Kt I hope you didn't think that I was saying you were greedy....thats not what I meant at all)

Didn't.

That's it. I'm buying a plane ticket, a wooden board, and some nails. :P

Keep on topic people, this is not the thread to discuss what everyone in the world can call americans :P Trust me there are much worse words than yanks.

Agreed Vion, it is interesting how the world can help like this but not other times. For example, there's like, 10,000 people dying a day in africa from disease and famine and i know world vision attempts to help but if we did the same for the africans as we just did with the tsunami, this would start to become a better world for everyone. Alas, tradegies attract greater public attention than ongoing, increasingly worse famine problems.

I agree.

The world is way over populated, and with the hurricanes and the tsunami it does seem like population control on behalf of mothernature.

i do feel sorry for the loss and at the same time im pissed. im from florida my town got royaly fucked cus of the 4 hurricanes... we got some relief but still the tsunami victims got more. :angry: America cant even take care of its own country, how can we help others? it like this pointless war we`re fighting. I do understand that the tsunami victims need the money and there was far more devistation over there. The way i see it, we need to get florida back up and running like it used to, with the areas how they r and still plenty of damage still laying on the roadsides, we are only hurting OUR enconomy. I`m not saying we shouldnt have helped... im just saying we are being to generous, and i`m sure the war was a good reason we are being generous right now, no one likes america and if u think everyone does love america leave the country and see how people really feel about america; so i believe we gave that much money as a way to be nice and show other nations we are trying to be a "good country" It just sucks that america needs to suffer more cus of incompitence in our government, and i can say that cus i worked for our government...... regretfully.

Again i do feel sorry for the victims but america needs to take care of its own b4 we can think of helping others.

just my 2 cents