Late-Night Pissed-Offedness
Okay, it's way too late and I should be in bed, but I just can't get over these figures: The U.S. is sending $35 million in aid to the African and Southeast Asian countries devastated by the tsunami, which has so far racked up a death toll of 80,000, which will go up as the water-bourne diseases take hold.
Elsewhere, our troops -- the ones the President and the Secretary of Defense and so on claim to "support" are scrounging in trash heaps for scrap metal to add some makeshift armor to their humvees.
And we're also spending $45 million to celebrate President Lowest-Common-Denominator's coronat--sorry, inauguration.
I understand that the President doesn't really give a shit what happens to brown people in other countries unless he can send some of us to kill them personally. I've grown to know that about the guy -- it's one of his most endearing qualities, in that it gives me the cold satisfaction that he will spend eternity getting his rectum chewed out by weasels in hell. (I don't know what bad stuff the weasels did to be sent to hell, but it was probably pretty awful too.)
But my god, could he at least pay more than lip service about our own people? Some of us voted for him, right? Shouldn't he care about 52% of us? Not me, certainly. But good god, make sure the national guard folks you've shanghaied from, y'know, guarding the nation can live to see another day. Can we at least protect ourselves a little better while we're immersed in this quagmire?
But seriously, Georgie -- $35 million? $10 million less than your fucking coming-out party? Be a good little debutant and donate some of it to charity, okay? People are dying faster than you can spell your goddamn middle initial, so maybe the bigwig donors can do without the chocolate elephants and cowboy boots on their fucking pillows at night.
I know -- without the parties, the donors won't be around to write more checks to fuel more fundraisers and more campaigns to keep your friends' parasitic asses in office. And I know how important that is to you. But surely a fratboy like you knows how to throw a cheaper party. $45 million can buy a lot of kegs and blow, but I'm guessing you could get by with $20.
We can do better in Iraq and in Asia. In Washington, too, come to think of it.
Rob
Thursday, December 30, 2004
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5 comments:
For that matter, since the beedy-eyed little pig fucker is staying in office, why have an inaugural anything? Seriously, why not just say "I'm good for another four, let's get back to all that hard work I'm always talking about" and instead use the money to buy a few more armored humvees for our troops in harm's way and maybe send some antibiotics to Shri Lanka?
Okay, I need a clarification: Is the President beady-eyed, or are the little pigs he pokes?
Mark, I understand your point about the reality check. I agree that the inagural money is probably already spent and it's going to take time to get the money out of our behemoth beurracracy.
However, consider that the President of the United States is still on vacation in the aftermath of the LARGEST geological disaster of our time. Meanwhile, the Chancellor of Germany cut short his vacation to get back to work - even during the holidays. I know that the Chancellor isn't going to hop in a helicopter and fill sandbags, but dammit all, it's the right thing for him to do. Why can't our President at least do the same?
Oh wait, that's the old Europe, never mind.
-Christian
Reality check? How about the fact that our aid package was initially only $20M and was only raised after the guy from the UN called the richest nations stingy?
Here are some more real numbers: Let's compare our per-capita aid for the tsunami victims to the UK: The British government is giving $1.58/person to the tsunami victims. Here, it's half of a quarter--$0.125. Shameful. I only hope the American people are generous enough to help make up for it in private donations.
Nations all over the world are reining in their New Years' celebrations, holding moments of silence, flying flags at half-staff, and asking their citizens to donate the money they would have spent on parties.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041231/ts_nm/quake_newyear_dc&cid=564&ncid=2337
And here? Bush is still on vacation. The day it happened, the president couldn't even be bothered to interrupt his brush clearing and bicycling to make a statement of condolences. He's sending Colin Powell along with the two President-Designates, Jeb Bush and Bill Frist, to survey the damage, and making statements through his spokesperson at the ranch.
No, Rob, in a just universe, Bush would be one of your hellbound weasels himself.
You've got as point, Mark: I was up late and cranky. I'd been stewing on it for a couple of days and made my point in extremist language. Still, I think my point is a valid one... with one addition, which I'll fix in an upcoming post.
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