Don't get me wrong, I'm all for some assistance by our government, namely all the wonderful things that our military and its equipment can do for the victims in terms of transport, clearing debris, and the beginnings of a rebuilding effort. Perhaps we can assist with the development of a tsunami early warning system for that part of the world. I have never believed that just throwing money at a problem will solve it. It won't work in this case either. Furthermore, the United States Treasury is not an insurance policy for people who choose to live and work in the coastal areas of foreign lands.
The administration could have waited, determined what we can efficiently do for these people, then acted with the appropriate resources. In the meantime, they could have also reminded the world that private charities and several NGOs are already acting with tremendous resources at their disposal. What would be wrong with waiting to see what can be accomplished by the private sector first? Want to call me stingy? Fine. You can bet that I won't over-react just to disprove you. By the way, Strengthen the Good has links for tsunami aid, if you're interested.
4 comments:
You are SO right! All in all our current administration is doing as good as any could do (IMO) but they do tend to be reactionary at times -- too easily goaded into action.
Whymrhymer
(http://whymrhymer101.blogspot.com)
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Yeah I totally, but well it's human nature, and the US are notorious for being 'egotistical', thus falling easily to goading...that's if it's even possible for a country to have an ego..but you know what I mean.
Thanks for the blogmark btw, nice blog :)
http://www.shaolintiger.com
If the government was played, the people were played long before the government was. The outpouring of charity to relief has been phenomenal, and it continues around the world.
Also, frankly, from a realpolitik aspect, it sure don't hurt for the government to give this aid, especially in a predominantly Musim area such as Indonesia. From a foreign-relations and long-term-bridge-building point of view, almost anything done to improve our standing in the Muslim world is a good thing.
Bruce- Thanks for the comment. As I mentioned in the post, the military assistance we are providing is probably crucial for any semblance of a relief effort...
As far as bridge-building, we may win some hearts and minds in some of the effected areas, but I remain convinced that in the predominately Muslim areas, nothing changes with regard to attitudes towards the U.S.
Something given free is rarely valued, and even less so when the recipient already hates you. Cynical? Maybe. I hope you're right about what results we might obtain.
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