Article

2005-01-07 Southeast Asia

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2005-01-07 00:00:00|| || Front Page|| [11134 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Yep, that's about it. When we give a little, it isn't enough; when we give a lot, it's for the wrong reasons. Either way, we're f&#^$d.

Posted by Asedwich 2005-01-07 12:22:16 AM|| 2005-01-07 12:22:16 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Why the #*!% do we even bother?

Posted by AzCat 2005-01-07 12:44:04 AM|| 2005-01-07 12:44:04 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 #$%! what they say, we know what's right and we'll keep doing it! America's karma is good, no matter what they say.

Posted by Gleresing Glereling2147 2005-01-07 1:29:54 AM|| 2005-01-07 1:29:54 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 And give nothing and be accused of turning a blind eye by muslim nations in the future.. good to see your lot in there and getting the job done.

There was an interesting interview on BBC Radio 4 with The Saudi ambassador to Britain Prince Turki Al Faisal. He was asked why Saudis had so far contributed comparably little to the plight of fellow muslims when their county is suspected of providing vast sums to support pro-islamic terrorism around the world via 'islamic charities'.

He doesn't think generous aid will help to stem ill feeling towards the west because of Palestine, Iraq, Chechnya etc.. I think Aunty Beeb has inadvertantly shown the Saudis to be the scum they are - contributing little themselves whilst criticising the efforts of others..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today2_saudi8_20050106.ram

Others, including some clerics, have said that tsunami was Godâs revenge on Westerners who engaged in vice and prostitution while vacationing in southeast Asia. I knew it - blame it on the infidels.. I presume they don't teach plate tectonics in high school in muslim countries..

Posted by Howard UK 2005-01-07 5:43:29 AM|| 2005-01-07 5:43:29 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Also:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4151241.stm

Posted by Howard UK 2005-01-07 5:48:10 AM|| 2005-01-07 5:48:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Nope they just teach them koran Howard.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2005-01-07 6:45:26 AM|| [http://www.slhess.com] 2005-01-07 6:45:26 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 just keep yer head held high America , you do right . The self centred Middle East have never done right ..

Posted by MacNails 2005-01-07 6:59:42 AM|| 2005-01-07 6:59:42 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 You were expecting gratitude? From Moslems?

Posted by gromgorru 2005-01-07 8:06:55 AM|| 2005-01-07 8:06:55 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 Ya know, this Allan must have bad aim or something if he was looking to punish "infidels", cuz why wouldn't he just hit the US and Israel with the tidal waves instead?

Hmmm?

I ought to post that on one of those "Ask the ~~Asshole~~ Imam" sites.

Posted by Laurence of the Rats 2005-01-07 9:12:48 AM|| [http://www.punictreachery.com/] 2005-01-07 9:12:48 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 f#$% 'em!

Posted by legolas 2005-01-07 9:23:03 AM|| 2005-01-07 9:23:03 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 Header: Muslims, Arabs Wary of U.S. Tsunami Aid

So am I. Remember what I wrote about feeding rattlesnakes?

Article: The United States is repeatedly accused of bias in favor of Israel in the Arab-Israeli conflict

The Muslim states are repeatedly accused of bias in favor of the Palestinian terrorists in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2005-01-07 9:32:06 AM|| [http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2005-01-07 9:32:06 AM|| Front Page Top

#12 A similar post came up the other day. This bears repeating: Do good for others because it is right.

The apostle Paul reiterated Jesus's command to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," and added King Solomon's statement(Proverbs 25:22) "In doing so, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you." The "burning coals" can be interpreted several ways: you will shame him into repentance, or win him over. God's opinion is the only one that matters ultimately. Do good. Period.

Another item that bears repeating: not every Muslim is a rattlesnake. The rattlesnakes make more noise but aren't the only critters there. A friend in Sumatra reported hearing a song by a Muslim, saying that the Tsunami was a judgement on Muslims for supporting terrorists.

Most people recieving aid will see the behavior of the aid workers and make their judgement accordingly.

Posted by mom 2005-01-07 9:55:33 AM|| 2005-01-07 9:55:33 AM|| Front Page Top

#13 Even if it does engender goodwill, that goodwill would be short-lived. Remember how we went in to save the Bosnian Muslims from "ethnic cleansing?" Americans died for them simply because it was the right thing to do. It was then, and it is now.

But . . . (and there's a lesson here)

Muslims have a way of conveniently forgetting what doesn't neatly fit their blame-game world view.

Posted by PlanetDan 2005-01-07 10:00:41 AM|| 2005-01-07 10:00:41 AM|| Front Page Top

#14 Why would they be grateful to you? You are only doing your duty. They are the supreme and wonderful mooslims, and it's your job to feed them and pay them and kill their enemies, you dirty kaffir, you.

Posted by BH 2005-01-07 10:29:15 AM|| 2005-01-07 10:29:15 AM|| Front Page Top

#15 I am going to take the moral high ground here. I gave $100 to two charities helping with the tsunami disaster. I could care less if the people on the other end are grateful or not. I sent the money to help people not convert them. I would be pleased to hear that some of those helped would give us infidels credit, but I am not expecting it. FYI neither organization was connected with the un.

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2005-01-07 10:43:18 AM|| 2005-01-07 10:43:18 AM|| Front Page Top

#16 we bother because 95% of those suffering are just going about living their lives and are not actively promoting the American and Jew hatred spred by the ambitious and funded by Saudis.

Posted by 2b 2005-01-07 11:31:32 AM|| 2005-01-07 11:31:32 AM|| Front Page Top

#17 Powell, speaking in Banda Aceh on Wednesday, said the outpouring of American aid and humanitarian help â citizens are adding tens of millions in donations to their governmentâs contribution â could help Muslims see the United States in a better light.

I burst out laughing when I first heard him say that. I couldn't believe that Powell, of all people, would actually believe that claptrap.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-01-07 12:28:33 PM|| 2005-01-07 12:28:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 Actually, a Fox News report by Greg K---, showed that only 17% of Muslims in the affected countries favored the US prior to the tsunami, but man-on-the-street (and interviewed women) reported today indicate just the opposite is happening. Even the Iman at a Muslim Mosque was quoted as saying, "If America does us a good favor, then we should repay them with a thousand."

The ones who hate us will continue to hate us, the ones who support us will continue to support us. The battleline is draw for those who are in between the extremes. And, we appear to be gaining ground while being consistent with our values.

This is indeed Colin Powell's finest hours.

Posted by Captain America 2005-01-07 3:18:56 PM|| 2005-01-07 3:18:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 For those that hate us, or later "forget", ala Bosnia...

Posted by .com 2005-01-07 3:27:39 PM|| 2005-01-07 3:27:39 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 Pulp Magazine Covers and Larson, life is good.

Posted by Shipman 2005-01-07 3:54:01 PM|| 2005-01-07 3:54:01 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 I'm usually inclined toward cynicism-- esp because, as .com points out, no good favor we've done the muslims in the balkans has gone unrewarded by muslim slaughters of Americans (the 9/11 plot was hatched a few months after we saved tens of thousands of lives with the Kosovo air campaign in Spring 1999).

But I think Asian muslims are different. My view is that Asia offers us a chance to get it right, ie build multilateral institutions that actually can protect our interests and benefit the inhabitants of the region. Mainly because the Asian powers are realists and unwilling to put up with all the noise from euro-chihuahuas and the terror and chaos of the islamists.

Francis Fukuyama has a good piece on this in Foreign Affairs--excerpted in the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/cfr/international/20050101faessay_v84n1_fukuyama.html?pagewanted=all&position=

Posted by lex 2005-01-07 3:59:19 PM|| 2005-01-07 3:59:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#22 Screw the wahabbis, focus on Asia. Build a multilateral security institution in East Asia and increase cooperation with India and Australia. For chrissakes, start shifting this country's attention away from European non-allies that can't help or harm us and focus our bandwidth, assets, and intellectual resources on the truly crucial region in this century, ASIA.

Posted by lex 2005-01-07 4:01:55 PM|| 2005-01-07 4:01:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#23 I'm usually inclined toward cynicism-- esp because, as .com points out, no good favor we've done the muslims in the balkans has gone unrewarded by muslim slaughters of Americans

I was up until 2AM last night talking international issues at an academic conference with a Turk, a German and a Dane. All are PhDs in technical areas.

The Turk describes himself as a not-very-actively-observant Muslim -- but irrevocably a Muslim nonetheless. He made a point of noting that Europe did nothing in the Balkans but the US intervened on behalf of Muslims there.

He also made some angry claims about the US and Israel and some angry comments about Iraq, most of which I countered firmly. The result was a long conversation in which he and I agreed on far more than we disagreed about. Significantly, on these topics the German and the Dane said very little and I suscept the Turk and I are more in agreement than either of the Europeans is with us.

There are Muslims like my Turkish colleague in East Asia -- and (often quiet, in order to survive) in the Middle East. Those who dismiss all Muslims as worthless or anti-American are not doing the US any favors. They won't fall all overthemselves thanking the Bwana Yanks when we do things -- but there are Muslim leaders who will respond to serious dialogue if we engage in it.

Posted by rkb 2005-01-07 5:00:44 PM|| 2005-01-07 5:00:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#24 We're fools if we're expecting gratitude. Our experience with France should have taught us no good deed goes unpunished. We should aid the tsunami victims because it's the morally right thing to do.

Posted by AJackson 2005-01-07 11:45:56 PM|| 2005-01-07 11:45:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#25 Good thoughts and info.

I believe we do what we do for our own edification. I gave to Amer Red Cross because it felt right. I don't expect diddley-squat in return. If I did, then the act would have been foolish - bribery is a loser's game - I believe Egypt is a classic example.

No, I wish the victims the best because they've suffered terribly without having done anything to deserve it. This isn't cause=>effect, it's simply sometimes really bad shit just happens and it's the luck of the draw who gets it. So help 'em - it could've been anyone.

Posted by .com 2005-01-07 11:55:45 PM|| 2005-01-07 11:55:45 PM|| Front Page Top

04:12 diaspora every 79 years
00:15 Mike Sylwester
00:03 .com
23:57 .com
23:55 .com
23:48 nada
23:47 SR71
23:45 AJackson
23:41 .com
23:39 AJackson
23:39 trailing wife
23:37 Shipman
23:35 trailing wife
23:34 gromky
23:16 Pappy
23:15 Atomic Conspiracy
23:13 Dave D.
23:13 Silentbrick
23:02 .com
22:59 Dave D.
22:57 .com
22:52 SwissTex
22:50 2b
22:45 Barbara Skolaut