Or United Nations thief Kofi Annan?

Charlie

Adroomi, I agree with your first post above as does Delta... but I cannot agree with your second post??

whether its Aid or Military Action... it's usually the USA at the tip of the spear!!! and our Military brothers and sisters carrying on that tradition...

Hog

Adroomi may be right

Saddam was first on the scene in Kuwait

Hitler was first on the scene in Poland France and Belgium

Japan was first on the scene at Pearl Harbor, Nanking and the Phillipines

France was first on the scene in Vietnam

China was first on the scene in Korea

Russia was first on the scene in Afganinstan

Cuba was first on the scene in Grenada

what happened was that reality set in and the truth came out that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.

then more reality set in and folks figured out that this kind of thing happens all the time in the world. we were just sheltered from it for so long.

USA meet reality that the rest of the world has lived with for decades.

Yep your right EI!!!!

good eye!!!

Hog

i counted the votes and the majority wins.

let's kill everyone in the whole world except americans who believe in killing everyone in the world.

let's kill all the namby pamby americans that want to try to get along with all the evil doers.

let's kill my neighbor, he has an american flag that is smaller then mine.

what i minute is that my neighbor coming through my door just because i forgot to take my flag down until a few minutes after dark.

Put away the bad frog Rick and step away from the computer!!!!

Hog

Yo Rick:

Your right we acted waaaaaaay to soon getting involved in WWII, we should have waited at least two more years. I guess we will never learn from our mistakes, huh.

JonR

Charlie,

We were not the first on the scene after the Tsunami hit. The Sri Lankan Army and Navy had gone to full alert and launched all available troops/boats/aircraft to not only Sri Lanka, but towards the Maldives as well. This was within 5 hours of the disaster, and four hours after the Mayor of Phuket Thailand personally called the embassies of every foreign nation in his country to report over 100 scuba foreign scuba divers missing, and up to "several thousand" tourists.

Second on the scene was the Indian Navy with a full launch towards Sri Lanka to assist that country.

Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia of course followed very quickly not only to their own countries but to their neighbors.

The first "non-southeast Asian" country to respond was Japan with the launch of 1/3 (think about that....1/3) of it's defense force and several hundred aid workers and disaster squads hopping on flights within 5 hours of getting a call at their embassy in Thailand.

Australia was on the road within 6 hours.

24 hours (a full day) after the call from Thailand to the US Embassy, we pledged 15 million, at the time the body count had reached over 20,000 reported, with over half suspected tourists. After Jan England of the UN Disaster Relief folks criticised not only the US, but many other wealthy countries for their disregard in concern for other countries, but also their own citizens, Bush comes on the air and says Mr. England is a "misinformed, misguided person" without all the details. Bush raises the amount to 35 million and sends 3 P3's from Kadena to Utapo Thailand to assist in surveying.

Eventually the US figured out that people were dead and/or dying and got with the program and did some amazing things to help out including some serious logistical support and money. For that the region is thankful. It's unfortunate that we waited until after being criticised to get with the program.

Don't you think it's funny that we did so much after taking so much heat......we tend to do that a lot. I'm glad we helped out so much, but why did we have to wait until the heat was on from the international community before we did so?

When an entire country is taking political heat for it's failure to respond from the international community, we should stop and question ourselves....why?

Oh sure, it's just Southeast Asia right?

Yo adroomi:

Your statement:

"We were not the first on the scene after the Tsunami hit. The Sri Lankan Army and Navy had gone to full alert and launched all available troops/boats/aircraft to not only Sri Lanka, but towards the Maldives as well. This was within 5 hours of the disaster, and four hours after the Mayor of Phuket Thailand personally called the embassies of every foreign nation in his country to report over 100 scuba foreign scuba divers missing, and up to "several thousand" tourists.

Second on the scene was the Indian Navy with a full launch towards Sri Lanka to assist that country.

Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia of course followed very quickly not only to their own countries but to their neighbors."

My retort:

The fact that America responded at all should be enough, and that we are still raising monies to help should be proof we care.

Let me see, why would the countries mentioned above be 1,2,and 3 in responding, hmmmm, because they are already there and it still took them five hours to respond.

I have a question for you. How long did it take those three countries to respond to our needs when the Towers were attacked and when we experience our own natural disasters, all that take lives.

If you think America is uncaring and not fast enough in responding to disasters, well maybe you should stay over there and dedicate your monies and life to help the poor and maybe help rebuild those resort areas that alot of Americans can't afford to visit.

JonR

Well, let me be corrected, but how many ships does the Sri Lanka Navy have//// one, four, six!? And India, and all the other countries affected by the Tsunami...sorry, but that doesn't mean much since they are already there! And most affected by the damn thing anyway, but nobody shows the generosity of the USA in these crisis, and as in your case, Adroomi, it doesn't get appreciated, so why should we even do it? For humanitaian purposes, that is why!

Charlie

Jon,

You are unfortunately missing my point.

The countries that "were already there" set out to help their neighbors, not only themselves.....please realize that the area in question is one larger than the size of the USA. I'm talking like an entire ocean apart from one another, okay? This disaster was absolutely huge in size, do you even realize that?

Five hours to launch the military to another country.....not too bad considering the 82nd Airborne has an 18 hour recall time.

As for the towers being attacked........WHO REALLY GIVES A F*CK ABOUT THAT? We're are not even talking about that. Get over that nonsense already! Why is it that finally when the US gets a little taste of the horrors that have been happening around the world for the past umpteen years we expect the world to bow down and cry for our losses. I have a question.....where was the US when 400 Australian citizens got blown to bits in the Marriot Hotel? The arrogance is evident in statements such as yours above. Whenever death and destruction happen overseas we Americans couldn't give a rats a*rse more about it, but when it happens in the US, we act as if we're the only ones that have ever felt pain......welcome to the real world America! In the real world people get killed by sadistic murderers.......kind of sucks doesn't it?

I never said America is uncaring, please do not put words in my mouth. I simply corrected someone else who, like most Americans tried to claim that we were the first and foremost to offer help when help was needed. We are NOT always the first on the scene.....in fact sometimes we are WAY behind the power curve.....it's too bad that most Americans can't see past their Red, White, and Blue blinders to realize this though. Yes, we offer money and support, and I am thankful as a human that cares about other humans that we do, but you know what? The homeless and orphaned kids are still on the streets over here. Most Americans have already forgotten about the disease and such that are now still killing many as I type......we've moved on to more important things such as the Pearcy's and their effigy hanging on their house.

....by the way, the resort areas that you mention that "most Americans can't afford to visit" are being rebuilt as we speak. I'll give you a hint......$600 will buy you a roundtrip to Thailand. $10 a night for a 4 star hotel including breakfast, $20 per day for leisure. Total cost of a 10 day vacation in paradise would run you about $1000 USD......less than Vegas I guess.

Maybe you should come over some time......you might just fall in love with the people. They will certainly treat you as a human, with dignity and respect, regardless that you think that are poor.

All I know is... we're the only Country in the World that can Blow **** up and then go back and rebuild it better then it was before we blew it up.. at a cost 10 times more then what it was worth...

Hog

Charlie,

You effectively sh*t upon the Indians and surrounding countries.....would you care to take a stab at the Japanese and Australians? I see you forget to mention them. They were the first folks from out of the area to respond......by the way, it's just a wee bit shorter to the area from Japan than from the US by the way (10 hour flight versus 8 hours). How come that part of my message was disregarded?

Did I say I didn't appreciate the generosity of the USA? Please don't speak for me......I'm deeply grateful that we helped out. I just don't like the fact that we feel, and boldly say that we were the "first" or the "best" in our efforts. It's not always "about us" so why do we always want a big "thank you," or a pat on the back for this?

In case you didn't realize, the USA is not the only country on the face of the Earth. We are not the center of the universe. I'm grateful to be an American, but I'm more grateful that I realize just how lucky I am to be so.

Your statement that literally intends to belittle the countries of India and Sri Lanka ("but how many ships does the Sri Lanka Navy have//// one, four, six!?") is full of the typical arrogance and self-love that I write of. Who cares if they have a military of 1 soldier or 1 million......the fact is, they gave it all they had!

Humanitarian services........bullsh*t! Bush stepped on his pee pee again by sitting on his ranch while the world responded to a disaster, only when the world looked at him and said "hello....Mcfly?" did he sent his brother to the area in a black wool suit (looked pretty funny arriving at the airport that day.....98 degrees in the shade) to make up for it. He only offered more help when the world called him an idiot! Humanitarian services.....give me a break....it's called making up for a serious foul up in judgement!

Hog,

that's the best comment I've seen all night brother.....I agree.

We need to have a night out in Peoria soon.......

Adroomi

Sorry if I offended you , but really the Sri Lanka navy sounds rather imposing-not! The disaster was horrible and the idea that all these countries participated means one hell of a lot, but you talk down your nose about the efforts that the USA provides to the entire world, yes the entire world, and like it or not, we have to carry the burden every damn time something like this happens! Now stand there and blabber on about the United Nations and that farce of an assembly and tell us we are wrong as usual!

Charlie

Yo adroomi:

Your statement:

"As for the towers being attacked........WHO REALLY GIVES A F*CK ABOUT THAT?"

My retort:

I DO and so do alot of BOTL/SOTL ! You and rick are the only ones that don't seem to, as you say "GIVE A F*CK".

JonR

Charlie,

You didn't offend me...perhaps I offended you. I wonder if any of the other countries that gave it their best effort (with whatever limited resources they have) are offended though by our arrogance and claim to be the Angels of the free world and God's gift to the human race?

Jon,

...this wasn't about the towers, so that's why I don't care about them during this conversation. It's not about us and our tragedy. It's about others and their tragedy. But then again, saying to an American "it's not about us," is a lost cause. We have the money and the power and we use it to help whenever we are needed......then we bi*ch about it for endless days to make sure we get the proper credit. It's always about us isn't it?

adroomi,

Sorry that I jumped up and down like some Aristocrat, and God only knows that we (I) appreciate everything that every nation gives and donates in the way of goods, money, troops, and help in general. I am sorry that I acted snooty about the Sri Lanka Navy! Please accept my apology!

Charlie

JonR

yo my anti-semetic BOTL.

in any discussion, for example, cello on or off, you bring up the twin towers, and/or terrorists in general.