Japan Says To US: I'll See Your Offer and Raise You 150
But America Still Not Giving Enough


Not to be outdone by President Bush raising the United States's aid donation offer from $35 to $350 million for areas affected by last week's Christmas tsunami, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi raised Japan's offer from $30 million to $500 million.

The US and Bush have been criticized in the press and, albeit indirectly, by UN official Jan Egeland for being 'stingy' and failing to respond immediately to the disaster.

Bush's increased pledge of $350 million may seem like a lot of money and will likely help silence critics of the Bush Administration, but it shouldn't. Per capita, Bush has pledged much less than leaders of other developed nations.

And $350 million is a pittance when compared to what Bush is costing US taxpayers to prosecute his invasion and occupation of Iraq.


The amount of $350 million is less than 1/20th the amount of federal revenue that Bush has spent each month for the past 21 months on his war.

The death toll and physical damage in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and elsewhere is beyond comprehension. Bush's latest offer is better than his first, but woefully inadequate to help ward off the sickness and disease which is certainly on the horizon.