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i believe america doesn't make the top 20 of aid donators as a percentage of GDP.

but it does give a lot, i agree. particularly to egypt and israel.

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how about in total dollar amount. let's not qualify what we give based on GDP.

looking simply at how much we give where on the list do we stand?

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i prefer the 'compared to what we can afford' measure. in per capita terms, america gives not much at all relative to what it can afford.

it makes no sense to use your measure unless you want to go for the false headlines. norway gives 10 times as much and even france gives double. america barely gives more than italy.

privately america gives about the same as ireland and the netherlands.

i'm not calling america a nation of goldsteins. just saying the figures tell a different story.

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great let's have a competition so that the winner can pat itself on their backs!

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i believe america doesn't make the top 20 of aid donators as a percentage of GDP.

but it does give a lot, i agree. particularly to egypt and israel.

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how about in total dollar amount. let's not qualify what we give based on GDP.

looking simply at how much we give where on the list do we stand?

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but thats like saying lets look at how much Europe gives as a whole and we can compare that to the USA

GDP is a much more accurate example

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ok.... I'll give that to you, even though I think the total dollar amount should count for more.

is this percentage of GDP from just our government or from both our gov and our private citizens?

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i believe america doesn't make the top 20 of aid donators as a percentage of GDP.

but it does give a lot, i agree. particularly to egypt and israel.

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how about in total dollar amount. let's not qualify what we give based on GDP.

looking simply at how much we give where on the list do we stand?

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but thats like saying lets look at how much Europe gives as a whole and we can compare that to the USA

GDP is a much more accurate example

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ok.... I'll give that to you, even though I think the total dollar amount should count for more.

is this percentage of GDP from just our government or from both our gov and our private citizens?

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Its not really what the thread was meant to be about

idc who gives the most, as long as people are just aware of the situation and the way things are over there right now

The Burma story has been getting national and local news play in the US. When the story first broke a day or two ago, the death toll was not very large. As it has grown exponentially, the story coverage has increased to keep pace to it's relative importance. An asian country getting hit with a storm where 100 people are killed, is nowhere near as big of a story as one where tens of thousands are killed.

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ok.... I'll give that to you, even though I think the total dollar amount should count for more.

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These Nations have pledged support:[47]

* Australia: AUD 3 million;[48]
* Canada has agreed to provide up to USD 2 million in emergency relief.
* China: USD 1 million in aid and relief materials (including 60 tonnes of aid);
* Czech Republic: USD 154,000
* Denmark: USD 103,600
* Finland: EUR 300,000;[49]
* France: USD 775,000;
* Germany: USD 770,000;
* India: 8 tonnes of relief materials; tents, food supplies;
* Indonesia: USD 1 million in cash and another aid in foods and medicines;
* Ireland: USD 1.5 million;
* Israel: USD 100,000, food and medical supplies by private organizations
* Netherlands: USD 1,000,000
* Norway: Up to USD 1.96 million;
* Singapore: USD 200,000;
* Spain: USD 775,000 donation to World Food Programme;
* Sweden: Logistical support and water cleaning systems;
* Switzerland: USD 475,000 (initial);
* Thailand: USD 100,000, food and medical supplies (initial);[50]
* United Kingdom: GBP 5 million (USD 9.9 million);[51]
* United States: USD 3.25 million
* EU: USD 3.0 million;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Nargis

If you want total amount to be the main factor then ok..... at this point.....

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Al Gore says that the cyclone in Myanmar is a result of global warming

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http://www.citizensugar.com/1609388

remind me again what educational background qualifies Al Gore as an expert on Climate. Let's see..he got his one and only degree in government studies from Harvard in 1969. Did that have anything to do with science or climate? He then went into the army. Did that educate him on the science of climate change? Then he went to work for his daddy's newspaper for a few years. After that he tried divinity school and then law school. Neither resulted in a degree.

After that he thought he should go into the family business...which was politics..because his vast education and experience sure made him qualified. He was elected because of his family name...good job Al.

So again, what are Al Gore's qualifications as any sort of "expert" on the world's climate?

Edited by - markgb on 5/7/2008 4:41:43 PM

How strange that we send civilian aid to Myanmar, while simultaniously bombing the shit out of civilians in Iraq.

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Five days after the storm, the junta continued to stall on visas for U.N. teams and other foreign aid workers anxious to deliver food, water and medicine to survivors amid fears the death toll could hit 100,000.

Among those stranded in Thailand were 10 members of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team. Air Force transport planes and helicopters packed with supplies also sat waiting for a greenlight.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080508/ap_on_re_as/myanmar_cyclone

YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's junta seized U.N. aid shipments Friday meant for a multitude of hungry and homeless survivors of last week's devastating cyclone, forcing the world body to suspend further help.

The aid included 38 tons of high-energy biscuits and arrived in Myanmar on Friday on two flights from Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates.

"All of the food aid and equipment that we managed to get in has been confiscated"

(CNN) -- Hiding under a blanket in the back of a car at a police checkpoint. Hopping on boats instead of staying on a road. Constantly looking over your shoulder, knowing that at any moment you -- and those with you -- face the possibility of imprisonment, torture, even death.

It sounds like a spy movie. But CNN's Dan Rivers, who sneaked into storm-ravaged Myanmar without the knowledge of the nation's secretive ruling junta, says the reality is even more frightening than it appears on the silver screen.

There are many more killed, and those that are "missing" are plausibly now in forced labour camps or being used as slave porters. You see, Burma is having a referendum today (Saturday), and although the referendum is a sham, the ruling Junta would rather it appear that people vote in a positive manner. The cyclone gave a PERFECT opportunity for the Junta to take out opponents that they felt would cause any issues at all (they have already taken out the majority of opponents).

Now, when it comes to aid, the people will get VERY little, if any. The Junta has created a full military class that they need to keep semi happy, so the aid will go to them. They also distrust all things western. They even moved their capital city from Yangoon into the jungle (some random hell hole) because they are worried of any type of a U.S. invasion.

Food, fuel and disease were already big issues, but now... Well... I'm impressed the suicide rate isn't higher.