so approx 600 million pledged? how much more is needed? Tv reports say that damage tops 1billion, but I discount that as that includes rebuilding everying, including commersial, personal, business, etc. the world cant be expected to rebuild everything. Saving lives is what matters, is it not? anyway... is 600mil enough?
This is obviously WAAAAAY short of the actual number. Millions of peoples houses, thousands of businesses, thousands of miles of tourist beaches etc... The damage cost alone is sure to be at LEAST 10 Billion.
Lots of firworks and festivities tonight are canceld and new year's day has been declared a day of national mourning here in sweden. We are told to expect the deaths to be counted in hundreds, if not thousands. Almost everyone i know got a friend or relative down there :/
News sites (cnn, Fox, etc) are saying that thousands of Americans are missing too. I guess they are expecting the American death toll to exceed 3000 people. Let's not forget that this figure is just preliminary numbers from government aid. That most likely doesn't include private donations and charity groups which have always historically exceeded government relief money. The Red Cross, Christian International and CARE are all expecting to top $500 million in private & corporate donations in the US alone. In fact, the Red Cross is saying that they have received $18 million in 3-days in private donations.
The British public have donated more than £45 million so far. Even the UK Government has raised its initial aid package from £15 to £50 million.
The US at last has decided to give something the $15m they initially donated was an insult tbh. Now they have upped that to $350m. HOWEVER there are strings attached that that money only be used to help rebuild in the long run. i.e. it be spent on us companies rebuilding. For once will the US get its head out of its backside and give without ulterior motives! THe British people have offered millions no strings atacked for the single reason that we want to help. Yet the richest nation in the world cannot find it in them to donate money without their being something in it for them.
Oh, my, god. Yea, that's right, the only time the US does anything is if we benifit. That's why Bush is pushing for debts to be eliminated for many of the countries over there. That's why the us is sending 2 full battle groups - not 2 ships, 2 full BATTLE GROUPS which is 24 ships plus an aircraft carrier, 9 loaded C-130 cargo planes are en route plus battalions of soldiers are being mobilized to assist. In addition, I just watched Secretary Powell and Secretaty General Annan's press conference and there was NOTHING in there to indicate that the money was to be used in the long term only. Not one thing. Where did you read/hear that? Whoever said it was very misinformed because the news conference I just watched was LIVE. I am so damned tired of uninformed people blindly bashing the US - is it a new sport in the UK or something? Makes me so warm and comfy that I want to go over and visit europe.
Jelousy Unfortunatly, it seems the British thing todo - hate the EU, hate the Yanks. You cant shout at people for being dumb (anymore).
Although I thoroughly disagree with the US Government on the whole Iraq and "War against Terror" issue in many, many ways (as well people know by now), I have no issue at all with how it is responding to the Tsunami disaster. So far it has been generous and helpful. My impression was that the US did want to allocate some of that money to long term rebuilding, but that just makes sense to me --it's nice for people to rush in with supplies and assistance right now, but in three months initial interest and sympathy will have waned and then there is still an infrastructure and economy to rebuild, agriculture to revive, etc. So keeping a long-term view makes good sense to me. And in no way does this suggest that this long-term help will involve only US companies.
CONFIRMED DEATH TOLLS 1. Indonesia: 80,246 2. Sri Lanka: 28,627 3. India: 8,955 4. Thailand: 4,812 5. Somalia: 142 6. Burma: 53 7. Maldives: 73 8. Malaysia: 66 9. Tanzania: 10 10. Seychelles: 1 11. Bangladesh: 2 12. Kenya: 1 Total: 122,988
The tally of foreigners confirmed dead from the earthquake and tsunamis throughout southern Asia, according to their countries' foreign ministries. — Sweden: 59 — Germany: 34 — Britain: 29 — France: 22 — Norway: 21 — Japan: 17 — Italy: 14 — United States: 14 — Switzerland: 12 — Australia: 10 — Denmark: 7 — Singapore: 7 — Belgium: 6 — Netherlands: 5 — Austria: 5 — Finland: 4 — South Korea: 4 — South Africa: 4 — Canada: 3 — Brazil: 2 — Taiwan: 2 — Philippines: 3 — Poland: 1 — Russia: 1 — Colombia: 1 — New Zealand: 1 — Czech Republic: 1 — Turkey: 1
Just like in Transport Tycoon.. hmm maybe I should lobby for that game to be renamed since a tycoon is such a terrible event.
2 things 1. i sthat lynx from the cs oft, if so god help us all 2. money does not matter, food and supplies, which the us is giving, are more important than money in the short term. yes, they can use money to make rafts and survive /sarcasm
Seriously now, that money that england is donating could be used to better THIS country! NOT everyone else's. The earthquake was a natural disaster not a bloody atomic war! yes its bad that it happened but um, so what? Why wasnt everyone donating to the poor people BEFORE the earthquake happened? Does donating now make you feel good? like you've done your part? Well you havn't. England especially needs to stop bothereing with everyother countrys crap problems/wars and deal with its own! I bet half of americans didnt even know where india was, i also bet they heard the news and thought "what indiana had a earthquake?" Most yankies think that York is a copy of New York and that Birmingham is in alabama!!!!!! (although it is, technically its just a copy of birmingham, England) And showing that other countries have money etc is just giving everyone else an excuse to claim asylum stating "i have no home it was washed away"
While agree with most of what you said Carbon I certainly don't agree with you about the asylum thing. It's clear you have never been to any of the countries you speak of, or seen the way people live over there in day to day life. Since I originally came from one of those "asylum" countries I have a very different view. I don't expect people to suddenly come flooding over here asking for handouts. I agree most people never gave 2cents before it was all over the news, and most people will forget once it stops being on the news.
ok, apoligies for the asylum thing. I definatly agree that everyone will forget it once its over. And your correct, i have NEVER been to those countrys and i never want to to be honest, All the aid that has been offered would NOT be offered in return if say for example England had SOMEHOW (and im not saying this is really possible) had the same tsunami happen here, basically everyone in England would be wiped off the map. Yes i did mean to type that, i know that typing that many characters cannot be accounted for as a random accurance. And its also true, The american public is stupid enough to vote G.Bush back into office so its highly doubtful that they know were india is. This is not saying that *YOU* in particular doesnt know where india is but for future reference i shal send an email to as many americans as is possible without my isp thinking that im sending spam containing a questionaire on world geography before i post a comment like that again.
