I have a couple of questions or observations about the tsunami and its victims:

[1] Aid workers are scrambling to send food and water to the villages and pilots are risking their lives dodging cows on the airport runways, yet I see gangs of able-bodied young men standing around waiting for people to give them rations. Shouldn't they be organized into work groups by their local leaders and sent out to work on the roads and clear debris from the streets so the aid workers can do their jobs better?

[2] The talking heads say over and over again that "these people have lost everything" and yet they appear remarkably clean, well-dressed and even clean-shaven on television. After a few days living outside, people who've lost everything usually look like they've been living outside, especially in the tropics.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I have abundant sympathy for the people - especially the children. However, something about this doesn't seem right to me. I have no doubt that that the tsunami did hit and that it did kill a hundred thousand people. What doesn't seem to add up for me is that the survivors don't look as if they've just survived a 30 or 50 foot high wall of water washing over their villages. What doesn't seem to add up for me is that the people could be doing something - anything - to make the aid workers' jobs easier.

I'm sure my observations will generate the usual amount of "hard hearted, mean spirited, you must be a Republican" kind of posts and I can live with it. I'm just asking if anybody else has noticed the same things and whether there is a valid explanation for the disconnect between the pictures and the words.

On FoxNews last night, a congressman was addressing one issue, they are going to basically employ many of the people who lost their homes to start cleaning up debris and use donated money to pay them with, that will help them get back on their feet.

On the issue of the appearance of the survivors, you have to keep in mind what really happened. There were lots of villages right on the shorlines, most of them were wiped away completely along with all of the inhabitants. In those places there were NO survivors. The people you are seeing are probably people who were far enough away from the primary damage that they didn't get killed, but lost there homes and belongings. Aid workers have set up aid stations where they can shower and get new clothes, and that is probably what you are seeing.

Can Adroomi swim?

00camper,

I'm sure these people will work, and I am sure many of them are hard workers.. the thing is to get them organized into what needs to be done... many probably do not even know where to start?? many of country's like this have people who know one trade and when something of this nature strikes them... they do not know what to do to follow-up on clean-up or anything else... It is sad but it is also nature and the way they've percieved it.. or a better word is culture...

Hog

Because I enjoy playing the devils advocate, this might also help to answer your question....It has been on the news today that despite the fact that there are massive amounts of death and destruction, people within these countries are capitalizing. There are many accounts of orphaned children being kidnapped and sold on the black market. If these people are cold and cruel enough to do this, then perhaps there are thousands who have traveled many miles to recieve the free gifts and aid coming their way, whether or not they were affected.

On another note of cynicism, Michael Savage has pictures on his site that show people recieving aid from U.S. workers and one of the people recieving aid is wearing a pro- Osama Bin Laden shirt.

Lastly, I think it is horrible for the international community to judge us, when many of the wealthy "Muslim" countries are pledging minimal amounts at best. Iran is something like $700,000, and the Saudi's are only giving $10,000,000. Compare it to us who are donating 325 million as a country and over 250 million so far in private donations and I think the rest of the world should back off. Many of the countries recieving this aid are filled with people who consider "us" the enemy. I love the fact that we live in such a generous nation and in the end it is the Christ-like thing to do, but it still rubs me the wrong way.

Tornado,
Let me get this straight. The people of [fill in third world country name here] are waiting for someone from [fill in western industrial country name here] to pay them to clean up their own houses? Where can I sign up for that? After disasters here in America the people are out cleaning up before the dust settles. During the blitz Londoners were out cleaning up the minute an air raid was over. Even the concentration camp survivors would come out and start working to help each other after Allied liberation. The people of [counrty here] are no worse off than that and yet they stand around like little children waiting for [western democracy here] to come rescue them.

My point is that these people should not be sitting around waiting for handouts the way they seem to be from the TV pictures on every network. You can't tell me that every rake, pick, shovel and hoe in all of [third world country here] was washed out to sea.
Shouldn't they be salvaging the debris and burning the trash to make way for new homes?

Lukin,
I think you see my point better than anyone else so far.

Lukin, made a good point. Many of the Islamic countries contributed paltry amounts- their citizens spend more INDIVIDUALLY when they go on shopping binges in Europe.

Maybe not all Americans have the best "manners" (per another thread) but they are the most compassionate and generous. Besides, I've been in developing countries where the poor are spat upon & left on the roads to die. People push and jockey for position in line without regards (or respect) to the elderly or infirm. Forget about extending courtesies to the fairer sex...

I also notice how despotic regimes like Burma lie about their casualties ("95" so far) and like Sri Lanka, refuse aid from certain people such as the Israelis. They would rather see their own people die. Such is the hate that props up so many "third world" regimes.

America is to be applauded for her willingnes to give and seek nothing in return. Many Muslims see this as a weakness. Their agenda supercedes any reciprocity or gratitute for the infidel's generosity.

Nice thread, Marty.

blood