from Reuters and no doubt elsewhere...
Dec 27, 2004 -- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States expects to initially pledge $4 million in aid for victims of the devastating tsunami in Asia and has already released $100,000 to each of India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, an official said on Monday.
"We are talking to the Red Cross about covering $4 million of a more than $6 million appeal they have made for emergency aid," said the State Department official, who asked not to be named.
-- http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=362910
[too disgusted to make the blockquote thang]
Let's see, 160 gazillion dollars to "liberate" (cough) Iraq and all of $4 million for the tsunami victims. <sarcasm>I'm real proud to be an American. </sarcasm>
Where's all that "giving" and "Christian spirit" I hear so much about from Bush & Co?
Honestly, the most interesting thing I read lately was about the "Christians" who love Christmas (little baby Jeepers and the 3 Wide Men, pace Wm Gaddis) and Easter (paging Mel Gibson!) but ignore Jesus's real revolutionary preaching, which is what got him crucified to begin with.
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1224-08.htm
"Nicene Christianity is the religion of Christmas and Easter, the celebration of a Jesus who is either too young or too much in agony to shock us with his revolutionary rhetoric. The adult Christ who calls his followers to renounce wealth, power and violence is passed over in favor of the gurgling baby and the screaming victim. As such, Nicene Christianity is easily conscripted into a religion of convenience, with believers worshipping a gagged and glorified savior who has nothing to say about how we use our money or whether or not we go to war."
[thanks to Left I on the News, http://lefti.blogspot.com/ ]
No doubt if someone tried that now he'd be thrown in Gitmo and tortured along with the rest of the "terrorists."
Well bah humbug... never too early to get ready for next Xmas...
Yeah, and while I'm at it, where's this "merciful God" in Sumatra then? </rant>