CAREFUL WHERE YOU DONATE

Americans are stepping forward as never before in the wake of the tsunami disaster in Asia.   More money will be donated by private American citizens to the relief effort than will be spent by our government.  More on that in a moment ... but let's look at the United Nations for a moment.

Kofi working hard to keep the UN at the center of things.  When President Bush announced the formation of a coalition to spearhead relief efforts for the tsunami victims Kofi was more than a little upset.  He accused Bush of trying to undermine the UN.  Kofi sees this tragedy as a way to bolster and enhance the world wide image of the UN, especially after it tucked-tail and ran from Iraq, and also from the Oil-for-Food scandal.  What better way to enhance that image then to have all the disaster aid for the tsunami-affected areas channeled through UN agencies.

I would urge Americans NOT to contribute to any UN affiliated organizations.  First of all ... remember the Oil-for-Food scandal.  Money intended to feed the women and children of Iraq was diverted to the pockets of various UN officials, including, it seems, Kofi Annan's son.  Annan has steadfastly refused to cooperate fully in the investigation of this scandal, and is now asking --- no, demanding more money.  Sorry ... no go Kofi!

Now .. what of the money that is donated through UN relief organizations?  That money, or whatever part of it manages to escape UN corruption, will be spent for disaster relief in the name of the United Nations, not in the name of the American people who actually sacrificed to make the donations.  The UN is now and has been from its very inception a basically anti-American institution.  They will beg for our assistance now, and as soon as this disaster is taken care of it will be right back to business as usual, undermining American sovereignty, seeking world court authority over individual American citizens and corporations, working for a new UN-levied tax on American citizens to fund (often anti-American) UN operations, and working to sabotage our efforts to bring a lasting peace with freedom to the Middle East.  

Now some may think that this is a heartless posture.  Not so.  I'm not saying don't give.  I'm just saying that the people who will benefit from American generosity need to know who to thank .. the people of America.  That's why I have opposed giving to UNICEF for the entire 35 years I've been doing talk radio.  When those people in Indonesia, Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Thailand or elsewhere receive medicines, food and water I want them to know that they're experiencing the generosity of the American people.

I spent a good bit of time last week investigating various charities engaged in tsunami relief.  I am going to bring several to your attention.  One that I'm particularly impressed with it Americares.  This organization has already mobilized emergency response teams to Sri Lanka and India and is on the way to Indonesia.  Americares needs donations to provide medicines to combat cholera and other diseases.  I am impressed by the fact that Americares spends 99% of its funds on actual relief activities, 0.4% on administrative expenses and only 0.6% on fundraising expenses.  No government can match that level of efficiency.  Americares got my first check and I would recommend that organization highly to you.

NOT MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONDEMN THE UNITED STATES

In the meantime, many people aren't wasting any time attacking the United States over relief aid for tsunami victims. You really can't pick up a newspaper or watch a newscast without experiencing the worldwide media obsession with who's contributing what in tsunami relief aid. The United States government's cash contribution is now up to $350 million. Japan topped that at $500 million. Imagine that...Japan is now spending more than the United States!

In reality, the U.S. figure doesn't include military aid. For instance, the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, anchored in Indonesia with 5,000 troops. How much does that cost? A bunch. U.N. humanitarian chief Jan Egeland of 'stingy' fame, said that the military helicopters provided by the United States were "worth their weight in gold." One government official said that "There is no shortage of supplies. Food, water, medicine and clothes are all there in abundance." The main thing is how to get it to the areas, which is where our mighty military comes in. All the money and food aid doesn't mean a thing if you can't deliver it.

So in the end, does it really matter who gives what? Nope. But this idea in the media that the United States is somehow giving less than it could is ridiculous. Consider this partial list of contributors:

• Japan - $500 million, including 3 Navy vessels sent to Thailand
• The United States - $350 million -- so far.  US aid will undoubtedly exceed one billion dollars.  This US aid includes an entire carrier battle group and an amphibious battle group sent to the region
• Canada - $67 million
• China $63 million
• Great Britain - $29 million
• Australia - $27 million
• Saudi Arabia - $10 million
• Iran - Nada
• Syria -  nunca
• South Korea - $2 million
• North Korea.  Zilch.
• Czech Republic - $446,000

Is Saudi Arabia being stingy because they're only spending $10 million bucks? Surely China could kick in more than $63 million. But that's not the point. The point is that every little bit helps, people give what they can and it's not up to anybody except the people writing the checks to decide how much to give. The media fixation with who is giving how much is a complete waste of time. Besides, how much you want to bet private donations from the United States eventually overtake government spending? 

BUT DO THESE FIGURES PRESENT THE TRUE LEVEL OF GIVING?

No .. not at all.

Some French-based (what else?) organization has drawn up some figures on the ration of charitable giving compared to a country's gross domestic product (GNP).  These figures show that America only gives 0.14% of its GNP for relief.  This supposedly makes us stingy.  This French organization didn't count any of the money donated by individual Americans.  You see, in the wonderful world of giving, only government giving counts.  The actions of individuals are meaningless and not to be considered as part of the big picture.  In 2003 individual Americans donated $241 billion to charitable causes.  Private giving to tsunami victims will exceed anything spent by the US federal government.  

There's a reason to only count government aid when tallying up a nation's charitable giving.  For many years now much of the world has been engaged in an effort to create some sort f a world-wide income tax to be collected by the United Nations.  This tax would be used to fund UN operations and for international relief efforts.  You can promote this idea by showing that the evil rich Americans only give 0.14% of their GNP to international relief causes.  If you include American's private giving that number goes way up.  You aren't going to get very far with the idea of wealth-confiscation and redistribution if you acknowledge the charitable instincts of individual Americans. 

Private charity...what a concept.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET ABU GHRAIB GOING AGAIN

We learn from the Drudge Report this morning that Senate Democrats are considering resurrecting the Abu Ghraib prison mess during the confirmation hearings for Bush's Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzalez.  Well why not?  They know that the world's media really glommed on to the Abu Gharib story when it first surfaced, and that the attention hurt the Bush Administration and our efforts in Iraq.  Some of these democrats are rooting for the insurgents.  They don't want elections to succeed.  They don't want a freely elected government in Iraq.  Bush cannot be allowed to take credit for such a monumental accomplishment.   Sabotage is the order of the day in the Democratic cloakroom .. and what better way then to play the Abu Ghraib card again ... and again ... and again.  

THE POODLE EULOGIZES CAMPAIGN

John Kerry gave an interview with Newsweek magazine in which he attempts to explain why he lost. The Poodle pointed out that incumbent presidents are never defeated during wartime. Really? Interesting excuse. I wonder if he ever used this line on people he asked for huge campaign donations?  "Hey, you know I can't win because I'm fighting an incumbent president and we're at war ... but how about some cash?"  

Perhaps the real facts about why Kerry lost haven't entered his mind: he's too liberal, he's a flip-flopper, he's a liar, he had no record to run on (except his questionable service in Vietnam) and in general, he was just a boring candidate. None of that is going to change in 2008. Besides, he'll run right up against the Hildabeast and be blown out in the primaries.

Perhaps one of his advisers said it best: "He thinks he's the front runner for '08 without recognizing that he needs to do some soul-searching. If he wants to come back, he'll have to come back as a different candidate, not the stiff who plays it safe and takes four sides of every issue."

Don't you just love someone who has the guts to speaketh the truth?

WISH I HAD COME UP WITH THIS INSENSITIVE THOUGHT

Columnist Mona Charen wonders how long it will be before Arab newspapers start reporting that thousands of Jewish tourists mysteriously failed to show up for their reserved hotel rooms in Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Thailand, Indonesia and other tsunami affected countries in the days before December 25th?  

Well --- at least I can take some comfort in knowing that I predicted that environmental extremists would blame the tsunamis on that phony global warming nonsense before they actually stepped forward with their idiotic claims.

AND WHAT ABOUT KOFI'S VACATION?

George Bush certainly took some heat last week because he didn't come rushing back to Washington from his Crawford, Texas ranch.  The Bush-haters would have you believe that so long as Bush is in Crawford he is completely and totally out of touch and doing no work whatsoever.  

But what about Kofi Annan?  Yeah --- that Kofi.  The Kofi that wants all humanitarian aid channeled through his United Nations.  Here is an excerpt from Kofi's press conference late last week.  

Q: Mr. Secretary, picking up on Richard's question, I think a lot of people are asking exactly why you waited three days on vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, before you decided to fly back to New York in the face of this extraordinary crisis. Could you give us a full explanation of your thinking on that? Secondly, what kind of signal does that 72-hour delay send to the nations to which you are now appealing for greater help?

SG: First of all, there was action. It wasn't inaction. We live in a world where you can operate from wherever you are. You know the world we live in now. You don't have to be physically here to be dealing with the leaders and the Governments I have been dealing with. You don't have to be physically here to be discussing with some of the agencies that we have done. I came back here because we have reached a level that I wanted to have meetings with all the people that I have met with today. So, we have taken action. And I don't have to be sitting in my office to take action. I think the same goes for you in your profession.

Funny ... I don't remember reading anything in the media about Kofi continuing with his ski vacation for three days after the waves hit.  Kofi-bashing just isn't in vogue right now, though it certainly should be.  This "We live in a world where you can operate from wherever you are" bit works for Kofi.  The press gives him the pass.  Not so for Bush.

BACK TO WORK READING ASSIGNMENTS.

Do you have a young adult heading to Wesleyan?  Better read this from John Leo.

Here's an excellent editorial from Gerard Baker in The Australian about how people are blaming the United States for the tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Not to be missed.

The left and the media continues to try to hijack the tsunami tragedy and use it to bash the president. John Podhoretz says it's not about the Bush-bashing....and reminds people of the situation at hand.

North Korea is warning the United States in its New Year's message that the prospect of nuclear war is increasing because of our policies. How about we just give them what they want? Just think...we could rid the world of another psycho-dictator and provide plenty of free parking for South Korea.

Christine Todd Whitman has a book out whining about how moderates don't matter enough in the Republican party, and how Bush's win means the country is divided? Uh...he won. Looks like another Bush-bashing screed from a RINO (Republican In Name Only.)

The media is already trying to destroy Clarence Thomas again, in anticipation that he might be picked as the next Chief Justice. At issue: gifts he has been given while on the court. The only problem? There aren't that many gifts.

Speaking of Clarence Thomas, the Congressional Black Caucus wrote incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid a letter sticking up for Judge Thomas. There still might be hope.

Professor Mike Adams looks into the future and offers a column about his last lecture he will hold in the year 2023. As usual, worth checking out.

Colin Powell is about to step down as secretary of state. What will his legacy be? Robert Novak sums up the last 4 years. He says Powell is happy with his tenure.

And now, courtesy of Brent Bozell of The Media Research Center: the winners and losers of 2004. Hint: The Poodle was not a winner.

Here's a fascinating figure from the 2004 election that didn't get reported: 14 percent of Democrats were once Republicans and 28 percent of Republicans were once Democrats. Very interesting, as Suzanne Fields points out.

See the t-shirt the man is wearing as he watches a strecher being carried by? This is probably a tsunami victim who will be screaming for more aid from America as the tragedy unfolds.

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