Pine Barrens Mafia Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 http://www.fema.gov/kids/games/tsunami/ 212708[/snapback] At first I thought it was maybe a joke, so I double checked the URL. When I found out this was real, I was more than a bit stunned.
stuckincincy Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 FEMA - Florida's Easy Money Account...don't live in hurricane territory without it.
BillsNYC Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 That's BS.... They want you to put the bottle of booze in the garbage for crying otu loud....
stevestojan Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 By the time this is all said and done, the people of SE Asia will have aprroximately 5 times more money each than they had before all of this..... I don't remember getting any money from anyone from SE Asia when my garage got blown away, or my friends roof got blown off and she lost her house. Oh yeah, that's right - those people hate us. Except, I guess when we're sending them hoards of cash...
theesir Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 That's BS.... They want you to put the bottle of booze in the garbage for crying otu loud.... 212833[/snapback] EXACTLY!!!! I'd tried to put it on the beach and in the surf shack. I never thought to out it in the garbage.
stevestojan Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 "They didn't have any money...now they do...but when they didn't, they didn't send me any...so they shouldn't get any..." While I don't necessarily disagree with your sentiment...that logic is all kinds of BF'd up. 212915[/snapback] no, no.. I'm really not that stupid... I've had this argument with family and friends, and the obvious is that "they didn't send money when the hurricanes hit, or the WTC was attacked, etc, because they didn't have any".. That is obviously true. However, I think we can all agree that even if they did have money, they wouldn't be sending it by the truckload to their "friends" in the good old USA... That, and there has to be a point where we say "enough is enough"... Jesus, How many billions will be enough? I mean, as established, these people weren't living in the trump towers... Now don't get me wrong, I know, at least 200,000 people have died. And that's awful. I even sent money (a small amount). I just would like people to look at it from a different perspective. I wonder 10 years from now, when this is another blip on the radar of history, if they will still be loving the US as much as when we were shipping over buckets of hundred dollar bills. ...
Buftex Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 no, no.. I'm really not that stupid... I've had this argument with family and friends, and the obvious is that "they didn't send money when the hurricanes hit, or the WTC was attacked, etc, because they didn't have any".. That is obviously true. However, I think we can all agree that even if they did have money, they wouldn't be sending it by the truckload to their "friends" in the good old USA... That, and there has to be a point where we say "enough is enough"... Jesus, How many billions will be enough? I mean, as established, these people weren't living in the trump towers... Now don't get me wrong, I know, at least 200,000 people have died. And that's awful. I even sent money (a small amount). I just would like people to look at it from a different perspective. I wonder 10 years from now, when this is another blip on the radar of history, if they will still be loving the US as much as when we were shipping over buckets of hundred dollar bills. ... 212929[/snapback] This is the first post of yours that has ever made me wonder why I usually enjoy reading your posts....
Astrobot Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 I'm really not that stupid... I've had this argument with family and friends, and the obvious is that "they didn't send money when the hurricanes hit, or the WTC was attacked, etc, because they didn't have any".. That is obviously true. However, I think we can all agree that even if they did have money, they wouldn't be sending it by the truckload to their "friends" in the good old USA... Our elementary school students are making posters and collecting money not because we can raise more money than the NBA, but because it's the thought that counts. We're trying to instill in young people the sense of community, and [in our school's case] the responsibility that comes with privilege. We feel badly for those in need, and we're acting out of compassion, not guilt, and we don't skimp on our generosity because we don't know them, or think they wouldn't give to us. We aren't thinking of us and them or U.S. and not-U.S.; we are thinkng it's just us. It''s humanity pulling for each other. If this doesn't make sense or sounds too naive, your schools and significant adults failed you.
IDBillzFan Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 You know what drives me crazy? All of those freakin Indonesians calling my house and asking for money. It's like, one minute they're doing the doggy paddle and the next minute they're hitting me up for a donation. Yeah, I know...200,000 died...blah, blah, blah.... Man, if I had a nickel for every victim who bothered me for money...
erynthered Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 I'm really not that stupid Thanks Steve. Accountability is a good start.
stevestojan Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 maybe i should have labeled my post "I am a horrible human being"...
Dan Gross Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 Our elementary school students are making posters and collecting money not because we can raise more money than the NBA, but because it's the thought that counts. We're trying to instill in young people the sense of community, and [in our school's case] the responsibility that comes with privilege. We feel badly for those in need, and we're acting out of compassion, not guilt, and we don't skimp on our generosity because we don't know them, or think they wouldn't give to us. We aren't thinking of us and them or U.S. and not-U.S.; we are thinkng it's just us. It''s humanity pulling for each other. If this doesn't make sense or sounds too naive, your schools and significant adults failed you. 212943[/snapback] Good post. Steve, you mentioned before that you gave to the United Way. What guarantees do you have that whomever was helped with your money would have done the same had the situations been reversed? What guarantees do you have that the person you have helped is grateful? What guarantees do you have the the money you donated actually made a difference in that person's life for the better? You have none, but still you give, right? Yes, it is a lot of money, and yes, there are a lot of other worthy charities out there being "ignored" in the light of this, but consider that much of the money going to Tsunami relief effort is not money that is being taken away from other charities. Most people would have spent the money they gave to Tsunami relief on themselves had they not given it to Tsunami relief. But that's what happens when things touch us. How many millions have been raised by Hunter's Hope for Krabbe's Disease research? Would they have been raised if not for the tireless efforts of Jim Kelly? Would he have made such efforts if he didn't have a son afflicted with the disease? Was some of it given by people who gave to Hunter's Hope instead of "Charity B?" Yes. Was some of it given on top of "Charity B contributions" because it touched them personally? You betcha. Let me make it clear that I am not belittling the suffering, difficulties and heartbreak that the Kellys are going through, I'm just saying that Kelly's idolized status meant that something that affected him affected most everyone in Western New York and Bills (and football/sports) fans everywhere. It happens with charitable causes everywhere, all the time. Maybe if there was one world-wide charitable organization that was responsible for receiving all donations and doling it out according to subjective "real" need and relative worth then the world would be a better place but the real world is a subjective place where people give to the charitable causes that are "in their face" and "in their heart." And I still don't get how you can compare what happened to you in Florida to what happened as a result of the Tsunami. I'm not saying losing a garage or even a house is anything less than devastating to a person, but answer these questions: do you still have any possessions? Do you still have cash and/or a means of buying stuff? Do you have, or at least were you able to buy insurance to replace items that were missing? If not, do you have a Gov't agency that is funded to help you recover? Do you still have a job? If not, do you have means to get a job elsewhere? Millions of people in the affected regions have none of that. Everything they had is gone except whatever clothes they were wearing. Many of these people made their living fishing. Now, not only do they not have means to do the fishing (or the money to buy the boat and equipment necessary), but even if they do have those things they lack buyers because the people who'd buy are broke too and a lot of the people are moving away from eating fish for superstitious/religious concerns that the fish had fed itself off their brethren that had been washed away. Take a step up from the people and you move up to the infrastructure. Roads, sewers, power, water, rail, all completely wiped out. Did you see the before and after images? And to go back to the "they hate us," why do they? Because we are seen as an "Evil Empire" bent on "destroying Islam." That is what the radicals are telling the people to harden them against us. And they listen to the radicals because the radicals protect and support them. What do you think the effect is of people receiving food stamped with "courtesy of the US Gov't," or at the very least being given by Western aid workers and military versus the effect of us saying "your problem, deal with it?" This kind of aid at this time of need does help fight the War on Terror. I'm sorry Steve, but your point of view just seems self-centered and, yes, ignorant, to me.
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 And to go back to the "they hate us," why do they? Because we are seen as an "Evil Empire" bent on "destroying Islam." That is what the radicals are telling the people to harden them against us. And they listen to the radicals because the radicals protect and support them. What do you think the effect is of people receiving food stamped with "courtesy of the US Gov't," or at the very least being given by Western aid workers and military versus the effect of us saying "your problem, deal with it?" This kind of aid at this time of need does help fight the War on Terror. 213189[/snapback] We'll see about that. See, where you and I differ is I think that some portion of this money being sent to help those people is ending up in the hands of some really bad people who will use it for murderous purposes. Simple answer: I don't TRUST the people that live there enought ot send them aid. I know what happened when we sent aid to Ethiopia: the bad guys got their hands on it and the average shmuck saw nothing of it.
UConn James Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 We'll see about that. See, where you and I differ is I think that some portion of this money being sent to help those people is ending up in the hands of some really bad people who will use it for murderous purposes. Simple answer: I don't TRUST the people that live there enought ot send them aid. I know what happened when we sent aid to Ethiopia: the bad guys got their hands on it and the average shmuck saw nothing of it. 213293[/snapback] The phrase "biting the hand that feeds them" doesn't wholely apply to canines. 'Desertion' mentality is a powerful motivator toward desperate acts. With Americans' 15-minute attention span to critical problems, it's unwise for us to get involved in other countries' affairs. That's what got us where we are today.
Hawk Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 no, no.. I'm really not that stupid... I've had this argument with family and friends, and the obvious is that "they didn't send money when the hurricanes hit, or the WTC was attacked, etc, because they didn't have any".. That is obviously true. However, I think we can all agree that even if they did have money, they wouldn't be sending it by the truckload to their "friends" in the good old USA... That, and there has to be a point where we say "enough is enough"... Jesus, How many billions will be enough? I mean, as established, these people weren't living in the trump towers... Now don't get me wrong, I know, at least 200,000 people have died. And that's awful. I even sent money (a small amount). I just would like people to look at it from a different perspective. I wonder 10 years from now, when this is another blip on the radar of history, if they will still be loving the US as much as when we were shipping over buckets of hundred dollar bills. ... 212929[/snapback] Now there's a SteveStoJan quote they should put in the Buff News... Archie Bunker would be proud...
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