NEWS: France and Germany to Help New Orleans

POLITICS: France and Germany to Help New Orleans

Some people noticed that the foreign aid that immediately poured into South Asia after the tsunami wasn’t materializing for us in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. I took this as a compliment to the United States. We’re rich. We’re powerful. We’re capable. It looks like we don’t need any help.

But we do need help. The disaster is total, if local. No country in the world can take a hit like this without reeling. (Just imagine how bad it would be if it were to happen to a small country like Singapore or Kuwait where the whole country would be annihilated.)

First Germany offered to help.

Then France offered to help, too.

We haven’t been getting along very well with France and Germany lately. So I, for one, particularly appreciate this and won’t forget it.

Same here. Thanks for posting this. It's nice to hear of something good pertaining to this whole disaster.

Merci and Danke schon.

So can i finally call my freedom fries French Fries again????

I'm just glad the first to foreign Aides have come from,well, i'm sure you're all wise enough to see the irony. Personally, i just want to be let back in to pick up whatever of mine may have survived the storm and restart my life somewhere else.

Thank you, France and Germany, for not still hating freedom.

Canada was also ready to step in. Everyone had been standing by to help, but there was, apparently, a delay in action from the president when his country needed him again. Hopefully things have changed and people are in and getting help to people.

without meaing to sound stupid, is this meant to be sarcastic?

I'm glad you're going to get help sorting out this horrible mess!

But, you know, I don't think that countries give aid to disaster areas based on whether they like their governments.
The American people gave aid to Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos while the area was being torn apart by vile regimes. Not that NO has that trouble - aside from the looters - but there are people's lives upset here, and that has nothing to do with politics.

Wait a second... wasn't the US part of the whole reason that Cambodia was having problems? I think as far as natural disasters people should help whenever possible. If countries are having troubles within themselves it's no one's business but their own.

double post!

[Edited on Sep 01, 2005 by Dicey]

De rien, avec plaisir

The FEMA director was just asked directly on C-Span if they needed help from abroad. He glibly shrugged his shoulders and said "No, we're doing fine" and did that little thing where he broke eye contact and looked down and pursed his lips.

hehehe...I would have laughed if france refused help...

Pareil

I don't mean to sound crass, but how long do you thin it's going to be before we see a New Orleans hurricane relief plastic bracelet for sale?

Should've Googled it first...

thats mighty nice of them, considering what an asshole we can be.

Ok, Fischer offered help. But his fellow party member (Green Party) Trittin, secretary of the environment, just published an essay in a newspaper saying

Here is a commentary about this in Germany's leading magazine (in english)

I think this is a total stupidity, especially at the moment. It believe its a part of his election campaign, because anti-americanism is a good way to catch some votes.


Some letters to the editor by american readers
The reply of some german readers to this reactions

No.

Katrina Prompts Global Support . . . and Criticism

Worldwide Support and Criticism

You would think that with all the warnings and doomsday scenarios scientists and engineers offered the government, that New Orleans would've been better prepared for this disaster. I saw documentaries about a year ago. I'm afraid the US Government and the state of Louisiana made a poor mistake and underestimated mother nature and the weaknesses of the levees.

here is a list of other countries pledging aid.

all this global support is definitely reassuring.

Cuba! Cuba! That's sort of hilarious.

The Australian government pleged $10m. Because clearly the US is short on funds. Oof!

Well that's certainly a mighty informative and educational reply.