Stingy, America was so stingy that she rebuilt all of Western Europe into vibrant economies and the Japanese economy as well. Not to mention providing massive aid to a variety of other aid programs across the globe. The UN official's comments struck a nerve with me too: Stingy Americans?: U.N. official's comment hits nerve Tuesday, December 28, 2004 Posted: 6:25 PM EST (2325 GMT) U.N. emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland says his comment wasn't aimed at a particular country. WASHINGTON (AP) -- A suggestion by a U.N. official that the world's richest nations were "stingy" irritated the Bush administration, especially when U.S. aid for Asia's earthquake is expected to eventually rise from the millions to more than $1 billion. The comment reopened the question of how to measure American generosity. The answer ultimately depends on the measuring stick. The U.S. government is always near the top in total humanitarian aid dollars -- even before private donations are counted -- but it finishes near the bottom of the list of rich countries when that money is compared to gross national product. The chief of U.S. Agency for International Development, which distributes foreign aid, was quick to point out Tuesday that foreign assistance for development and emergency relief rose from $10 billion in President Clinton's last year to $24 billion under President Bush in 2003. Secretary of State Colin Powell said assistance for this week's earthquake and tsunamis alone will eventually exceed $1 billion. "The notion that the United States is not generous is simply not true, factually," USAID chief Andrew Natsios told The Associated Press in an interview. "We've had one of the largest increases of any country in the world." But even Natsios acknowledged Tuesday that the initial $35 million aid package the administration has crafted for earthquake and tsunami victims has completely drained his agency's emergency relief fund, which already provides assistance from Darfur to Iraq. That means his agency will need to ask Congress or the White House for more money. "We just spent it," Natsios said. "We'll be talking to the (White House) budget office ... what to do at this point." Natsios said the Pentagon also is spending tens of millions to mobilize an additional relief operation, with C-130 transport planes winging their way from Dubai to Indonesia with pre-stocked supplies of tents, blankets, food and water bags. As of early Tuesday, dozens of countries and relief groups had pledged $81 million in help for South and East Asia, said the Geneva-based U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The United States uses the most common measure of the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of 30 rich nations that counts development aid. By that measure, the United States spent almost $15.8 billion for "official development assistance" to developing countries in 2003. Next closest was Japan, at $8.9 billion. That doesn't include billions more the United States spends in other areas such as AIDS and HIV programs and other U.N. assistance. Measured another way, as a percentage of gross national product, the OECD's figures on development aid show that as of April, none of the world's richest countries donated even 1 percent of its gross national product. Norway was highest, at 0.92 percent; the United States was last, at 0.14 percent. Such figures were what prompted Jan Egeland -- the United Nations' emergency relief coordinator and former head of the Norwegian Red Cross -- to challenge the giving of rich nations. "We were more generous when we were less rich, many of the rich countries," Egeland said. "And it is beyond me, why are we so stingy, really.... Even Christmas time should remind many Western countries at least how rich we have become." Egeland told reporters Tuesday his complaint wasn't directed at any nation in particular. But Powell clearly took umbrage while making the rounds of the morning television news shows. He said he wished Egeland hadn't made the comment and reaffirmed that the Bush administration will follow up with assistance that could stretch into the billions of dollars. The White House also defended the U.S. record of giving. "We outmatch the contributions of other nations combined; we'll continue to do so," Bush spokesman Trent Duffy told reporters in Crawford, Texas, where the president is spending a post-Christmas vacation at his ranch. Natsios said the Paris organization's figures overlook a key factor -- the billions more Americans give each year in private donations. Americans last year gave an estimated $241 billion to charitable causes -- domestic and foreign -- according to a study by Giving USA Foundation. That's up from $234 billion in 2002. The foundation did not break down how much was for domestic causes and how much for foreign. "That's a European standard, this percentage that's used," Natsios said. "The United States, for 40 years, has never accepted these standards that it should be based on the gross national product. We base it on the actual dollars that we spent." "The reason is that our gross national product is so enormous. And our growth rates are so much higher than the other wealthy nations." [url]http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/12/28/stingy.americans.ap/index.html[/url] Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.

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Are you angry that others disappoint you? remember you cannot depend upon yourself.
-Benjamin Franklin

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The UN official's comments struck a nerve with me too:

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I, on the contrary, was not surprized at all. I think it is just human nature. There is no such thing as enough money. No matter how much aid we (US) give it won't be enough. Sasha

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Sasha

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Too many people debate as if the point is to show who is smarter, rather than which conclusion is correct.

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, on the contrary, was not surprized at all. I think it is just human nature. There is no such thing as enough money. No matter how much aid we (US) give it won't be enough.

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For me, I am happy and grateful for what I have. Money can't buy you happiness. It is just nice to have opportunity and to be able to enjoy life. The more you give, the more they want. Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.

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Are you angry that others disappoint you? remember you cannot depend upon yourself.
-Benjamin Franklin

The way I see it, every time someone accuses the US of being stingy, its another opportunity to make our case. And when we do have a chance to show that we outmatch all other nations combined, it just gives it more publicity and make the hypocritical assholes who make these accusation look stupid.

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"The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money" -Margaret Thatcher

We should kick UN out of US and start distributing help ourselfs not thru UN.

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- Независимость - это когда в 20-й раз наступаешь на одни и те же грабли, а русские уже ни при чем....

well.. comment was a right one... usa and industrial nations promised to contribute 0.7% (i think that's the right number) of their gdp.. and only scandinavians delivered... we promised.. and did not do it... and compare to other nations, usa is giving very little (%-wise)... lyosha ****************** What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

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lyosha
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What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

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Originally posted by snake: well.. comment was a right one... usa and industrial nations promised to contribute 0.7% (i think that's the right number) of their gdp.. and only scandinavians delivered... we promised.. and did not do it... and compare to other nations, usa is giving very little (%-wise)... lyosha ****************** What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

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snake, why don't you compare... Tell us what nation gives more than us?

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as a % of gdp - almost all industrial countries

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Originally posted by TAP3AH:

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Originally posted by snake: well.. comment was a right one... usa and industrial nations promised to contribute 0.7% (i think that's the right number) of their gdp.. and only scandinavians delivered... we promised.. and did not do it... and compare to other nations, usa is giving very little (%-wise)... lyosha ****************** What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

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snake, why don't you compare... Tell us what nation gives more than us?

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lyosha ****************** What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

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lyosha
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What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

Snake, I am not against giving more. I wish we gave more. But this criticism cannot come from countries who give less. Percentages don't matter. They give LESS. And by the way do not forget what american people/corporations give privately. Bill gates gave I think $2 million or something, and there is a list of similar corporate donations (I can post a link). No other country does this to such an extent. "The United States" should be the definition of the word "charity" in the dictionary.

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"The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money" -Margaret Thatcher

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Originally posted by snake: as a % of gdp - almost all industrial countries

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You are comparing apples and oranges... We give money not only to UN (or should I say Kofi's family) but also directly to different governments and organizations as well as non-monetary help. Add it up and you will see where we stand.

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the point is that usa promised to give more and lied... :) if you don't want to give - don't promise...

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Originally posted by Egor: Snake, I am not against giving more. I wish we gave more. But this criticism cannot come from countries who give less. Percentages don't matter. They give LESS. And by the way do not forget what american people/corporations give privately. Bill gates gave I think $2 million or something, and there is a list of similar corporate donations (I can post a link). No other country does this to such an extent. "The United States" should be the definition of the word "charity" in the dictionary.

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lyosha ****************** What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

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lyosha
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What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

per capita, Einsteins! Per capita..... 300 million americans donated $30 million (10 cents each), while 15 million Australians donated a whoping $27 million (almost 2 bucks each). come on, even i would give 10 cents...

do you even have that kinna money?

"К сожалению, Россия управляется не из Хьюстона. Россия управляется, - пауза, - из... другого места."

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Sic semper tyrannis
~War is Peace~Freedom is Slavery~Ignorance is Strength~ George Orwell "1984"

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Originally posted by pomidorchik: per capita, Einsteins! Per capita..... 300 million americans donated $30 million (10 cents each), while 15 million Australians donated a whoping $27 million (almost 2 bucks each). come on, even i would give 10 cents...

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Pom, add to that 30 million dollars all personal donations (Bill Gates alone donated 3 million).

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Guys, here are some facts from our officials: U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Andrew Natsios -- "We gave $2.4 billion last year; 40 percent of total contributions by all countries..." American Philanthropy Association Daniel Borochoff (president) -- "Americans give $240 billion overall each year to charity. Only 2 percent of that money is for international causes, so we're talking about $5 billion..." People that used to live in socialism (most of the Western Europe) often rely more on government aid and less on private charities. Here, this is from FOX: “In dollar terms, the United States leads the world in foreign aid from government sources. But individual and corporate charity from the United States also exceeds that of any other developed nation, and those donations exceed official government expenditures. …… Another measure of U.S. generosity can't be found in the foreign aid budget. That's the cost of transport planes that are used to ferry supplies and navy vessels that purify tens of thousands of gallons of water. Added to that is the work of all the airmen, Marines and sailors who make it all possible.”

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