Stingy Americans

The Bush administration yesterday pledged $15 million to Asian nations hit by a tsunami that has killed more than 22,500 people, although the United Nations' humanitarian-aid chief called the donation "stingy." "The United States, at the president's direction, will be a leading partner in one of the most significant relief, rescue and recovery challenges that the world has ever known," said White House deputy press secretary trend Duffy. But U.N. Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland suggested that the United States and other Western nations were being "stingy" with relief funds, saying there would be more available if taxes were raised. Isn't this rich? The United States is hated and envied the world over because of our wealth, our moral fortitude and our willingness to lead a world (kicking and screaming) out of the darkness and into the light. But where's the first place the world turns when they need help? And what do they want us to do? Raise taxes -- the very socialist attitude that is slowly turning their economies into that of third world nations. There is a reason that the European middle class lives at the same level as the people at the American poverty line. The United States provided $2.4 billion in food, cash and humanitarian relief to cover the disasters for last year. That's 40 percent of all the relief aid given in the world last year. And that doesn't even count the aid given through churches, charities, corporations, non-governmental organizations and individual donors. Why do people think all aid needs to come from the government? We don't need the government to distribute our offerings of love and concern. And where was the outpouring of foreign aid after the earthquakes in California? How many nations opened their coffers after the hurricanes this year in Florida? Did anyone even send a sympathy card? Take your criticisms elsewhere. We will gladly fill your begging bowls to overflowing, despite your contemptible lack of gratitude. And then we'll once again tolerate your abuse, until the next time you need us. It's what Americans do.