Quote Originally Posted by Louis IV the Fat
Look, I don't want to sound insensitive, but some countries can take care of themselves, others can't.
Germany doesn't need foreign aid when they have a flood, Paris doesn't need aid when an overcrowded building burns down, America doesn't need aid after Katrina.

Apart from very specific technical assistance (like Swiss Alpine dogs to search for survivors after 9-11) what do our societies really need?

In the unlikely event that there's anything America needs that it can not provide for itself, I'm sure you only need to ask.

I will stress my sympathy and condolances.
Sorry to be so impolite as to quote my own post.


On wednesday, when I posted this in the 'America and the world'-thread just before I went to bed, the news still spoke of a few dozen deaths. I thought it was just an oversized hurricane - one of many to batter the South East US every year. Nothing that local, maybe federal, authorities couldn't handle. Let alone something that would demand major international assistance.

Then, the next day, the news suddenly spoke of 1000+ deaths and enormous ravage. The images were shocking, haunting. What a mess.


So, this did call for international effort after all. I hope that some of the money I donate to charity (Médecins Sans Frontières) will find it's way to Louisiana.

I mean the following with the best intentions: when people say that America is not devoid of foreign sympathy and that it does have friends, they mean it. A statement that 'in the unlikely event that there's anything America needs that it can not provide for itself, I'm sure you only need to ask' is the truth. When France calls herself a befriended country, she will put her money where her mouth is.

Countless other countries have mobilized relief efforts for America too in the past few days.

Maybe a more relaxed relationship between the US and the world will be something good coming out of this? Kind of like a reversed 9-11?