[lit-ideas] Re: Priorities
- From: Judy Evans <judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 22:42:01 +0000
Wednesday, December 29, 2004, 9:55:21 PM, Veronica Caley wrote:
VC> Thanks for verifying my view of the site offered by LH. I sometimes don't
VC> trust my own judgment. I religiously read and learned from a lot of
VC> material Larry contributed to this site and under it's previous name.
VC> However, there is so much reading material it's easy to overlook some of
VC> these biases.
The site varies -- it is after all a news site of some kind... -- but
it is not of the calibre of most of the ones I'd go to (I don't just
mean ones like the BBC or The Guardian!, I do check various US ones
regularly).
VC> Re Geo. Bush and his contributions to programs domestic and international,
VC> there is a wonderful article about this in the NYTimes sometime in the last
VC> three days or so. He lists ten things that make for more misery and
VC> trouble.
Oh dear -- I really don't doubt his propensity to make things worse
for many people in the US, and dramatically so for some (I have
friends in various parts of the US, not all "liberals", who are
suffering, or will suffer; and not all are on Medicare). In fact I,
unlike many non-US opponents of Bush, oppose him largely for reasons
like that. I say "oh dear" because I suppose I'd better look it up
-- more gloom for some people I know in the US...
VC> Re individual contributions, absolutely we need to help.
I am glad you agree.
VC> I like Medicins
VC> sans Frontieres also and CARE. Another one is OXFAM. I understand they
VC> are already there, whereas other agencies are a bit lagging. There is also
VC> an OXFAM USA.
Yes. I will probably donate something to dec and something to MSF
direct -- I give to Oxfam anyway by using their shops!
VC> Reminder to Americans, if you donate before 12/31/'04 it's deductable for
VC> this year's income tax obligation.
:) our tax works somewhat differently, unfortunately...
VC> Veronica PS, after WWII in Europe, my family was a beneficiary of some of
VC> these agencies, so I know their value first hand.
Ah -- I didn't know that -- yes
Judy
>> [Original Message]
>> From: Judy Evans <judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Date: 12/29/2004 2:18:16 PM
>> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Priorities
>>
>> Wednesday, December 29, 2004, 6:29:36 PM, Veronica Caley wrote:
>>
>> VC> I read several of these articles including the one you cite. This
VC> news
>> VC> source does not seem to be anything like an objective news outlet, but
>> VC> rather another arm of right wing propaganda machine, therefore I give
VC> i=
>> t no
>> VC> credence.
>>
>> Thank you, Veronica; I have now looked at the site more closely -- yes
>> -- at first very sleepy glance I thought I was looking at a standard
>> news site...
>>
>> VC> Re the UN comment, out of order and undiplomatic.
>>
>> I think it's worth looking at what Jan Egeland actually said:
>>
>> >The second stage is for medium and long term help. The UN is holding
>> > a conference next month to discuss the next steps following
>> > this disaster. Already the UN's emergency co-coordinator
>> > Jan Egeland has said this might be the worst natural disaster ever.
>> > That implies the need for unusually large contributions.
>>
>> >He is also complaining that rich countries are not giving enough to the
>> > poor anyway. "It is beyond me why we are so stingy. Really. Christmas
>> > time should remind many Western countries at least, how rich we have
VC> beco=
>> me," he said.
>>
>> >"There are several donors who are less generous than before in a growing
VC> w=
>> orld economy."
>>
>> >He suggested that governments "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."
>>
>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4130127.stm
>>
>> VC> Concerning how much US
>> VC> government will contribute to Asian relief? Who knows? Mr. Bush's
VC> tac=
>> tic
>> VC> for several years is to mandate programs, offer money to pay for it
VC> and
>> VC> then greatly reduce it. =20
>>
>>
>> I think perhaps I'd best be no comment... -- I do have a plea. Both
>> the US and the UK rely on citizens giving money (of course Bush has
>> actually admitted this) but that shouldn;t stop peopke who feel they
>> can give something, doing so. Our Disasters' Emergency Committee,
>> having raised more than =A340 million for the Sudan, has now launched a
>> Tsunami Appeal. They already have $5 million - since yesterday and the
>> appeal hasn't really started -- but, well, the more the better.
>> Their web page is a bit shaky at the moment (they've had to change it
VC> fast)
>> and I think a lot of people are trying to access it -- still, here it is:
>>
>>
>> http://www.dec.org.uk/
>>
>> or people might prefer to give to Medecins Sans Frontieres --
>> particularly people outside the UK -- they are
>> already there and will be sending more teams
>>
>> www.msf.org/
>>
>> and
>>
>> www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
>>
>> NB their web pages are also shaky, too many people are trying to
>> access them
>>
>>
--
mailto:judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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