Current Events: Aid $ Keeps Rising

The death toll from the earthquake/tsunamis keeps growing at about 30 to 40 thousand per day. But the money pledged by other countries in aid keep growing, too. And some of it's just really cool!

You have Britian collecting $39 million in a day from their top 12 charities. You have Finns lining up to give money --- raising about $4 million, and they only have a population of 5 million. You hvae Microsoft and employees donating $5 million. You have Amazon.com shoppers donating $5 million. You have the American Red Cross collecting $18 million. You have Italians donating $17 million. You have at least four European countries donating over $50 million each. The World Bank, whatever that is, is offering $250 million. When you add it all up from all the various sources, it's over $500 million.

Isn't that just so cool how everyone's coming together to give money to aid the unfortunate survivors of the tsunamis?

And then you have the United States government, which has only pledged $35 million. Now I know there's only so much in certain funds, and you have to go through Congress and all that, but come on! We shelled out $80 billion for the war in Iraq! And we're only giving 35 million! Finland's individual giving amounts to about eighty cents a person. The US government's pledge is more like an average of fourteen cents a person. I agree with those who say our initial pledge was "stingy." Come on, government, join the rest of the world!

But aside from our poor government, I still think it's really awesome how people all over the world are giving money to help their fellow man. To slightly misquote a famous line, "There's (still) some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth giving for."

'Tis better to give than receive. Kudos to the world.

Edmond the Hun