RIGHTWINGSPARKLE

The Tsunami disaster is so enormous I just cannot wrap my mind around the number of people dead. It seems the first wave hit India within 90 minutes of the earthquake. With the total dead starting to reach 100,000 people it is just unbelievable. The Amazon relief page (through the Red Cross) is here if you would like to help. h/t to wonderduck for site. As of right now the total giving there is $2,683,389.97. Which just goes to show you that the United Nations official's suggestion that the West has been "stingy" is just one example of the total ignorance of what the U.S. does for the world. The official has backed down on his statement though. Read about that here.

Mona Charen gives some reasons why some people believe that we are greedy. She relates a NY Times story about world food aid. "U.S. cutting food aid that is aimed at self-sufficiency" read the headline. No where in the piece, Charen goes on to say, does the story report that the United States is the world's largest food aid donor by far. According to Charen:

"In 2004, the United States provided $826,469,172 — almost a billion dollars — to the United Nations World Food Program. The next largest donor, the European Union, contributed $187,102,068. This, even though the European Union has a total population of 453 million, compared with the United States' 281 million, and a larger gross domestic product than the U.S."

In this Tsunami disaster relief other big donors besides the United States and Australia include Japan ($30 million), Canada ($4 million), Kuwait ($2 million), Germany ($3 million), Netherlands ($2 million) and the European Union, which could release as much as $45 million.

Try and take a moment today to pray for those hurting from this disaster. Give if you can. Catholic Relief Services is also a good place to donate.