UN Official Backs Down: Rich Nations Not 'Stingy'

[wicket]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7193859


The international response to a catastrophic tsunami in Asia has been quick and generous, a senior U.N. official said on Tuesday, playing down his earlier comments that wealthy nations were stingy.

U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland rowed back from statements he made on Monday after an annoyed Secretary of State Colin Powell said Washington was "the greatest contributor to international relief efforts in the world."

Egeland told reporters on Tuesday: "I've been misinterpreted when I yesterday said that I believed that rich countries in general can be more generous."

"It has nothing to do with any particular country or the response to this emergency. We are in early days and the response has so far been overwhelmingly positive," he said.

[xultar]

1. OK, you can let his wife and kids go...and they better not be harmed.

:evilgrin:

[htuttle]

2. Do they have a guy in the White House...

...who just calls people up on the phone and shouts, "Take it back! Take it back or you'll be sorry!"

I guess that's Karl.

[hopein08]

3. If someone wasn't taking the "stingy" thing seriously...

why the sudden increase in the amount of US aid?

More than suspicious for me.

[jobycom]

4. Maybe someone in the White House faxed him a list of the Anthrax

targets in America.

My shame over this nation grows. Rather than realizing that this was a desparate and scared plea for help after the greatest natural tragedy in almost thirty years, Bush and Powell and the whole criminal cabal of whiners got defensive and pouty and screamed "You take that back!"

Reflective of their upbringing, I guess. I hope their parents are ashamed, but I know otherwise.

Now this UN official has to deny what he believes and publicly humiliate himself to beg for a few more dollars which should have been given him without question. The proper response from Bush would have been "We are sorry we underestimated the great need of this tragedy, and will send more money and assistance right away."

[Forkboy]

5. His comments yesterday served their purpose

getting what's wanted while letting others think they won is great diplomacy.

[MaineDem]

10. Right, the US is now committing $25 million

So his words did work!

[firebee]

6. I'm sorry... 15 million ain't $#!t!!!

We're spending almost ten times that a day in Iraq. The real bottom line... Corporations like Bechtel, Halliburton, ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco and KBR see no profit in the reconstruction of Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Thailand. Notice... we don't have much being imported by these countries anymore and the IT industry is a lost cause. Tansportation, Power and communications needed to operate the IT industry over there will be near impossible to restore.

Essentially... Our immoral and corrupt government has determined recovering the losses suffered in this disaster isn't going to turn over a profit suitable for the investment. Currently, this administration is probably counting on the recovery of IT jobs and manufacturing jobs in the United States due to the loss of those industries in the Bay of Bengal. It's sadistic, but it's one way of bringing back the economy.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[quaoar]

13. Fuck 'em

The Freepers are probably hailing the tsunami as God's will against countries that haven't supported Bush.

[damntexdem]

8. That's right -- at least the U.S. isn't stingy.

Can't the UN tell the difference between stinginess and rapaciousness. At least if the U.S. were stingy it might leave the rest of the world alone.

[genieroze]

9. They should think twice about sending anything being they new

this thing was going to hit and they shut up because "It may hurt the tourist industry" It's really hurt now isn't it with almost 60 thousand people dead, freaking morons.

[flordehinojos]

11. yeah the guy backed down after they probably told him you better praise

our bread crumbs or you won't get any at all!

[Placebo]

12. America is stingy.

I saw somewhere that we (the US) gives an overall like $15 Billion in international aid per year, and that makes us #1...but #2 is France, which gives something like $8 Billion per year, and their GDP is less than California's alone!

I mean...:wtf:

[quaoar]

14. $25 million is a disgrace

Un-fucking-believable.

I saw some State Department asshole on CNN today rattling out numbers that added up to a few measly million and looking incredulous that anyone would think that wasn't extraordinarily generous.

[TahitiNut]

15. Some Americans are very 'generous' ... when it's about inaugurations.

:eyes: (More money donated for Fuckface's inauguration than for a catastrophe affecting millions.)

:puke:

[Tinoire]

16. Interesting. Europe was up to EURO 90.96 million

"Colin Powell said Washington was "the greatest contributor to international relief efforts in the world."


Hmmm, I tallied it up this morning and the EU alone was up to EURO 90.96 million (including pledges). And that's in EUROS Colin! You know, the strong currency.