Keep the Republic

A blog dedicated to expressing faith in God, hope in America, and a conviction to preserve the principles on which the nation was founded. Benjamin Franklin, after the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, was asked by a concerned citizen of Philadelphia what type of government had been created after four months of closed-door meetings by the delegates; he responded, "A republic, if you can keep it."

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Location: London, Kentucky, United States

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

An honest question

President Bush is being criticized for his failure to make a public statement immediately after the devasatating events in in Asia brought about by the tsunamis. The article compares the enormity of these events with the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, and notes that "[t]here was an international outpouring of support after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and even some administration officials familiar with relief efforts said they were surprised that Bush had not appeared personally to comment on the tsunami tragedy." And this paragraph:

"Some foreign policy specialists said Bush's actions and words both communicated a lack of urgency about an event that will loom as large in the collective memories of several countries as the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks do in the United States. 'When that many human beings die -- at the hands of terrorists or nature -- you've got to show that this matters to you, that you care,' said Leslie H. Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations."

Without plunging into the debate about whether the president's public appearance and a public statement of condolence would have any real effect on the aid efforts -- publicly supporting the aid workers and expressing collective grief may have a tangential effect on fundraising efforts, but it is style over substance and showing "that you care" does nothing to actually assist in the rescue work currently underway on the ground -- I have a question born out of genuine curiosity. How much financial aid did the countries around the world give to the United States following the 9/11 attacks? I know that newspapers bore headlines that "We are all Americans now," and that leaders issued statements of support, but how much money came to help with rescue, recovery, cleanup, and eventual rebuilding efforts from these nations? I don't know the answer, and would appreciate any feedback on this question.

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