 Re: Tsunami Crisis in Southeast Asia Quote: |
Originally Posted by sexyconservative In response to international criticism of the Bush Administration's initial steps for aide in the tsunami crisis in Southeast Asia:
After the tsunami hit Southeast Asia on Dec. 26, 2004 there was an international uproar of criticism toward the Bush Administration for not acting quickly enough to aide the disaster-struck countries. A big piece of this criticism comes from the White House’s statement that states that President Bush will not personally be flying out to disaster-struck countries and providing first hand aide that was seen during Florida’s hurricane crisis a few months ago.
***To this I respond and say: Florida is part of the United States of America. President Bush is the President of the United States of America. His first hand aide for his own country should not be compared to that which he gives to a foreign land. Of course he is going to take Air Force One to Florida! He cares for his country and that is his job. It seems that he American can never please everybody. People complain when we go forth on our nation building tactics and try to help the betterment of this world, but the second they need help they criticize us for our lack of immediate jump and enthusiasm to help in international relief from crisis. I am deeply sympathetic to those families who lost loved ones in the tragic natural disaster in Southeast Asia, and I send extended sympathy to those Americans who were hurt through the events. I am supportive of private donations made by Americans to help in the rebuilding of the disaster-struck part of the world; however, I see the necessity for the American government to be cautious in its aide endeavors-keeping in mind that we are at war and countries affected by the tsunami are known to house terrorists, who show hatred toward America and mankind.***
| A few thoughts--
I believe that as a superpower of the world, it's the United States' duty to help out victims of such a disaster. If it wasn't, what's all this "Iraqi liberation" stuff about? Look, the fact is, it would probably have boosted the world's opinions of America had Bush decided the amount of devasation on an area was more important than what country it belongs to. I'm pretty sure that significantly less than 400,000 people died in the hurricane that hit Florida.
Also keep this in mind- many terrorists' hatred towards America is quite rational. Just because they aren't American-educated doesn't mean they are simple; why they hate America is beyond some people but take into account that our cultures are vastly different and America has plenty of negative aspects to it that some people in some parts of the world won't easily forget. Those that we have helped think highly of us, those that we've just patted on the head and ignored (in desperate times of need) probably don't think highly of us.
Bush once said that anti-American sympathizers (or simply 'the enemy' in most peoples' eyes) "hate our freedoms". Wrong, Junior... They don't hate our freedoms, they hate some of the things we do with our freedoms. Face it, Americans aren't saints and a lot of us are fogetting that with all the money and power America has, we can't just pat needy countries on the head and say their problems are insignificant or unworthy of our aid.
PS- by "aid" I don't mean military occupation or political/economic domination. |