From The Ramparts

World Support for US Disaster Victims

World Support for US Disaster Victims

“The United States historically has aided victims of disasters, but it is not universally recognised as providing the level of aid expected of a rich nation. In July, President Bush resisted British Prime Minister Tony Blair's ambitious goals for assisting Africa, though Bush took steps to double US aid to more than $US8.6 billion ($A11.3 billion) by 2010. The United States, which has the world's largest economy, lags behind other rich nations in the percentage of its giving to nations in Africa, the world's poorest continent. By Friday, offers had been received from Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Honduras, Germany, Venezuela, Jamaica, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Guatemala, Paraguay, Belgium, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Italy, Guyana, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Austria, Lithuania, Spain, Dominica, Norway, Cuba, Bahamas, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Iceland, India, Jordan, Luxembourg, the Philippines, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey.” 50 countries offer US aid after Katrina Associated Press 09-03-05

It would shock and embarrass a leader with normal moral sensibilities whose policies had turned world opinion against AmeriKKKa that despite his and his NeoConmen cohorts’ hubris and warmongering over fifty countries rich and poor, developed and neocolonial are offering aid to US victims of hurricane Katrina. Pictures of the devastation were beamed globally via satellite and print media around the world, touching the hearts of world leaders and their citizens. If he were a man of real compassion, Bu$h should blush with shame because he was so stingy with federal aid following last year’s massive tsunami that he had to be prodded into offering more US aid to the victims of that horrific storm. As an AP report dated 09-03-05 stated, AmeriKKKa has the world’s richest economy yet it lags woefully behind other rich nations in its giving to nations in Africa, which the AP piece disingenuously calls “the world’s poorest continent.” Of course the AP being a tool of the corporate elite fails to mention much of AmeriKKKa’s economy is based upon rapine and exploitation of the people and resources of Africa and the rest of the non-white world or that resource wise African is one of the riches continents on the globe.! But that is another issue altogether. The fact of the matter is, leaders and citizens of fifty nations have shown more willingness to help, more urgency, empathy and compassion towards AmeriKKKan victims of Hurricane Katrina than the president of the United States!
For a week we have seen pictures of the devastation and suffering and wondered why the poor black folks trapped in New Orleans were not viewed by the federal government as worthy of assistance and support? Bu$h remained on his ranch for days before even addressing the situation. His media lap dogs attempted to deflect criticism by focusing on the “looters” yet pictures of white looters were captioned as desperate folks who “found” food and water amidst the floods and debris yet blacks in the same situation were characterized as criminals. The initial focus was not on rescues but on moral condemnation of the victims and law enforcement! This was unquestionably because those still stranded in New Orleans were poor blacks and the sick and rich white folks especially those who inhabit the Bu$h administration have shown they have no compassion for folks like them. Thanks be to the CREATOR that the rest of humanity regardless of political ideology and persuasion have compassion and are willing to lend a helping hand to their follow humans even though they may (or may not) have less than the AmeriKKKans. This is a powerful lesson for African-Americans. Let us make the effort to help our people in the Gulf Coast and not internalize the wishy washy callousness and ineptitude of the Bu$h administration.

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posted by Junious Ricardo Stanton @ 8:52 AM