This One Goes Back a Ways

In 2004 an earthquake in the Indian Ocean set in motion a devastating tsunami causing over a quarter of a million deaths and incredible devastation in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.

America came to the rescue immediately.

Paul Wolfowitz - then deputy secretary of defense said the following.


There were nearly 16,000 military personnel in the region focused on the relief effort. In addition to the personnel, there were 26 ships, including a Coast Guard cutter, 58 various helicopters and 43 fixed-wing aircraft that were mostly used for transport.

In all, 10 million pounds of food and 400,000 gallons of water were delivered to those left in need by the tsunami.

Wolfowitz said a "thank you" is owed to the American taxpayer, "because the assets that made it possible to conduct this operation are way beyond the cost of the supplemental." The supplemental he referred to was an announcement at the briefing that President Bush will ask Congress for a total of $950 million to support areas recovering from the tsunami. That figure, according to Undersecretary of State Alan Larson, who made the announcement, includes the initial U.S. commitment of $350 million.

In addition individual American's donated $480 million to charities specifically for Tsunami relief.

Yet only a couple of days after the disaster we get this from the UN.....


U.N. Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland suggested that the United States and other Western nations were being "stingy" with relief funds, saying there would be more available if taxes were raised.

"It is beyond me why are we so stingy, really," the Norwegian-born U.N. official told reporters. "Christmastime should remind many Western countries at least, [of] how rich we have become." "There are several donors who are less generous than before in a growing world economy," he said, adding that politicians in the United States and Europe "believe that they are really burdening the taxpayers too much, and the taxpayers want to give less. It's not true. They want to give more."

I guess Jan agrees that...

Yes Michelle, America is a mean country.

No need for force when THE FORCE is with you

Jeff Romanoff from Long Island, a member of the 501st Legion (a Star Wars fan club that often dresses up in their storm trooper outfits for charity events) met Eric Seemann - a fellow a501st member from Philadelphia - at a Star Wars convention. Seemann learned Romanoff had lost a kidney to cancer and his remaining one was failing. Seemann, after just meeting Romanoff, offered to be tested and when he found they were a match he donated one of his kidneys to Romanoff.

Yes, Michelle, America is a mean country

I Dream of Janine with the Dark Brown Hair

Actually it's more of a nightmare. (Remember it's okay for me to say that because America is mena country).

actress/comedian Janeane Garofalo said on Keith Olbermann's MSNBC show,

"Let's be very honest about what this is about. It's not about bashing Democrats. It's not about taxes. They have no idea what the Boston Tea Party was about. They don't know their history at all. This is about hating a black man in the White House. This is racism straight up. That is nothing but a bunch of tea-bagging rednecks."

And make no mistake - the term "tea-bagging" was used purposely. It refers to a certain practice by gay men (go look it up if you want to know exactly what it is). So she was not only marginalizing and demeaning the demonstrators but she also was making fun of gays (though I am sure she would deny it).

Yes, Michelle, America is a mean country.

Ann Coulter's Mom

I was reading Ann's column on Townhall.com today. It was a tribute to her Mother who has just passed away due to cancer. The Anne haters were out in force and took the opportunity to tell her her Mother was a terrible person if for no other reason than she bore her and raised her.

Not that I read all the right wing blogs but I don't remember seeing such vitriol when people learned of Ted Kennedy's brain cancer. But I do remember reading multiple posts on the left wing blogs from people hoping various public figures (Limbaugh and Chenney to name just two) would get cancer and die horrible deaths.


Yes, Michelle, America is a mean country