Aid to US, Is it warranted ?
According to this, Asian countries have pledged aid anywhere from $ 25 000 dollars to $30 Million dollars. Even poor countries such as Sri Lanka have pledged money. The most suprising one would be afghanistan, among the poorest country in this part of the world to pledge a princely sum of $ 100, 000 dollars.
Let us sit back and ponder for a moment. Does America need monetary aid. I’d commend Japan for its willingness to provide emergency services if they need. I’d also commend Singapore for allowing its helicopters in US to be used to evacuate survivors and deliver food ( Singapore’s Chinook helicopters are being used. If I’m not wrong, some Singaporean arsenals are stored in US ).
America is now being put on the centre-stage for this violent devastation. President Bush is now facing a barrage of questions about his inadequacy or shall I put it as inefficiency in dealing with this disaster. At times like this, the simple people, yes the public, should be commended for reaching out to their suffering compatriots. Those who have volunteered at Houston and to those who have sheltered the unfortunate victims, I salute you. Your action has saved lifes. May all of you be blessed by the god almighty.
The question is, why does America needs to be aided monetarily by the ‘developing’ world. Though the gesture of giving money is thoughtful, I believe America can afford to finance its own rescue operations. It’s a different story altogether if these Asian countries pledge man-power to find remaining survivors or donating pertinent emergency materials.
Again, let us spend a moment to pray for the departed souls of this tragedy.
