In the early days of the Tsunami disaster every western country volunteered aid proportional to the number of known victims. As this number increased so did the amount of aid offered. Each and every country adjusted as incoming figures indicated the problem was far greater that originally thought.
In each and every country this was accepted as reasonable except in the case of the US. Because Bush and the US are so hated by left wing commentators it become a case of
‘Bush was embarrassed into giving more’.
Over at
Surfdom Tim is ranting – in full stride – castigating Bush. He even accused Bush of being so terrible that he ‘Ordered’ flags to be flown at half mast as if this was a sin in itself.
To quote Tim in all his snide ignorance
But wait, I’m being unfair. There’s more:
US President George Bush said the carnage defied comprehension and ordered that flags be flown at half-mast across America in honour of the tsunami dead.
Don’t you love the way they use the word “ordered” in that sentence? He ordered the flags be flown at half mast.
Makes you quiver. And sure enough, as we continued along Pennsylvania Avenue, there atop the National Archives building was a half-mast stars-and-stripes. He ordered that.
Such amazing ignorance from an educated man. Flags are always ‘Ordered’ to be flown at half mast for occasions such as this.
It’s an Executive order you idiot.
Otherwise how do you think the entire nation would co-ordinate the event.
The Indonesian President orders flags to be flown at half mast;
President Yudhoyono, who is on his way to Sumatra’s Aceh region to witness the extent of the damage and inspect relief efforts, has ordered flags to be flown at half-mast.
but gets no flack.
French President..British PM…Australian PM…German President… Finnish..Swedish..In short, everybody ?Orders? the nations flags to fly at half mast but only Bush warrants snide comments.
People leaving comments at Tim’s post likewise show an amazing amount of ignorance. One, going by the alias of Link leaves us with this wisdom
2,300 Marines aboard the Missouri, parked off the coast of Sumatra – doing what? Turning a disaster into a war opportunity. How could Indonesia allow it? Malaysia apparently rejected offers of Israeli aid because they wanted to bring troops with them. Did Indonesia have any say in this? Can we tell the Missouri to leave a big cheque, perhaps a big helicopter but for the most part to fuck right off?
What appalling ignorance. I can imagine that Link’s vision is impaired with a red mist occasioned by hatred for Bush and all things American and therefore could not see that in the TV reports the lines of supply – roads, rail, airports etc are all damaged. Having a carrier group off the coast compensates for all this. The helicopters have their own maintenance hangars, their own fuel supply and a large ship for storage and handling of emergency supplies.
Oh, and?Link, it’s the USS Abraham Lincoln, not the Missouri (which, coincidently is a Battle ship)
En route to South Asia: the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group, equipped with 12 helicopters, and a Marine expeditionary force with seven ships and 25 helicopters.
The carrier group most probably costs millions a day to operate but never mind – the left have worked out how to belittle the US contribution.
The USS Abe Lincoln off Aceh
It’s great and if Australia had a carrier our support would be the better for it.
There has been talk of a Marshall Plan for Asia. In a recent News. com article Tim Costello raises the
issue as does the LA Times. It makes sense and may be the way to go. It could impact on terrorist recruitment in Asia as well.
Indonesian terrorists have been reasonably successful in painting Australia as evil, particularly in the light of East Timor however the hue has changed. The people know who is helping and it isn’t the Moslem world.
For those unfamiliar with the term Marshall Plan, I have provided links for your information. Left wing types should be cautioned – it is very difficult to fault the US in this matter so you may find it unsettling. In fact, thinking about it, maybe you should stay away from facts and maintain you?re ignorance. Others should visit USAID’s Marshall Plan
home page and also check in at the
Marshall Foundation
Knowledge. The ammo in the war against the stupid Left