CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.

Given some carping comments by Jan Egeland, the Norwegian bureaucrat who heads up relief efforts for the United Nations, I thought this information from Jonah Goldberg is worth sharing;

The United States supplies more than one-fifth of the United Nations' total budget (and 57 percent, 33 percent and 27 percent of the budgets for the World Food Program, the Refugee Agency, and Department of Peacekeeping Operations, respectively). We've been the United Nations' biggest donor every year since 1945.

And then there's this;

American citizens, partly thanks to those stingy low taxes, send some $34 billion in private aid around the world every year. That's 10 times the United Nations total budget. America's Christian ministries, private foundations and agencies all do far more in direct charity and aid than the United Nations. But bureaucrats - some who've grown fat on oil-for-food money - measure stinginess in terms of support to the bureaucracy, not to the constituency the bureaucracy was intended to help.

What a great example to the world the generosity of the ordinary people of the United States represents.The UN is humbled by it.

Comments

[Samuel]

I know it is probably an awful thing to say, but I am sure there are people who are sick, sore and tired giving to "worthy causes" such as the plight of the victims of this awful (natural) disaster. But how many other times have we all given in the belief that our little donation will help in some way. We have seen time and time again, it appears to do no good at all because on an almost monthly basis we are bombarded by charies demanding our financial help for Africa, for example. It just seems that we are constantly throwing money at the world's problems but doing no good. Is it not about time the world's poorest countries started to get off their own knees and stop relying on help from richer countries? If there was less corruption, wars, less ignorance to AIDS and basic sexual education then these poorest nations may start to recover.

I heard the news today and there is an estimated 380,000 homless people in the UK alone, not to mention our other problems caused by chronic poverty - should we not be helping our own coutry first?

[Emily]

When it really comes down to the point of charity, I don't think it's wise, and in fact quite contrary to the very purpose, to turn the idea into a "who gives more" contest. If Americans give the most, it's because we should, given that we have the most. I was offended by Egeland's "stingy" remark and perhaps responded a bit snooty to it yesterday, but only because it is so opposite to what I believe as an American. While people like Goldberg cash in their bragging rights, I do hope they at least keep in mind that generosity and charity are not things one freely gives to expect a pat on the back.

[David Vance]

Emily,

Don't you like Jonah?

[Emily]

I think Jonah can be very astute and funny at times. Other times, I think he's full of poo. I'm not arguing against anyone pointing out the absurdity of Egeland's comments, as long as it doesn't turn into some meathead "WE'RE #1!" boasting contest. Certainly not given the circumstances of suffering and loss.

[David Vance]

Yeah - I agree with you Emily. My only other point is that here in Euroweenie land, I do hate it when countries that themselves give very little aid, like to damn the US. That's just unfair.

[Emily]

I'm used to "unfair" from a certain brand of Euroweenie (and not all Europeans are weenies, for sure. I was raised by Europeans, partly in Europe. I like the place and a lot of the people), usually the type with the idea that I spend my life with a gun in one hand and a Chicken McNugget in the other while they condescendingly explain to me why I'm the one who is ignorant. The best part is that they think *we* are without a sense of irony. I've gradually come to either ignore these people or have a laugh at their expense.

[John]

Is anyone here donating towards the tsunami relief effort?

[Howard]

I just donated £50 here:

https://www.donate.bt.com/bt_form_dec.htm

[Young Irelander]

Fair play to you Howard.

I see there are plans in Dublin to place collection buckets in pubs and hotels over New Year's Eve and the weekend.I imagine similar steps will be taken elsewhere.

[Monica-Philadelphia]

I was pretty disgusted by all of this comparing amounts of money myself. Listen - when it comes down to it most people are caring and will give a couple of bucks if they are able. I like the idea of the buckets in the pubs - I'll bet that a decent amount of money will be collected that way. That clown that started all of this by calling the U.S. stingy has apparently backed off from that statement and for all we know he may never have said it in the first place. Just like the erroneous reporting of Sri Lanka not accepting Israeli help because they didn't want to offend their Muslim minority - the media may have just reported a load of crap on this one, too.