Are the Corporations going to steal the Tsunami aid?

[MNBiker]

Call me a babe in the woods for this question. We are rushing to be top dog of countries giving relief money. Are international corporations going to steal most of it? There is no over-site in the third world.

[Walt Starr]

1. Yep, crporations are seeing dollar signs in this tragedy

Count on it.

[MSgt213]

2. Wonder if those donating to international aid org are going to be invest

investigated for donating to terror org.

[Gman]

3. Yup

all the while having their corporate volunteers wearing corporate teeshirts and standing in front of every TV camera they can find.

[izzie]

4. Some of these countries getting aid are so so

They are not known for being any more true with the money than the corp. Let the UN do it. They are all set up for this and we have only heard of this one thing bad on this, The oil/food thing in Iraq. It is true, from what I have read, that the US gives lots of food but money we are sort of small on, when you put us up to others, and where is Bush? Cutting brush? That place must be cleaned off by now.

[orpupilofnature57]

5. Their boy makes the rules now, free hand. Who pays? eom

[bryant69]

6. I don't know

If you need to pay somebody to accomplish the aid, it seems likely that somebody will be a corporation. The mere existance of corporate involvement doesn't necessarily mean anything sinister. On the other hand I am more comfortable with the UN overseeing things.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[salin]

7. not big enough $ involved to make it worth their while...

15 million - another 20 million as a line of credit... I would bet that halliburton sees more than that in a couple of days work in Iraq...

[Florida_Geek]

8. I got fucked by the Red Cross on 9-11

I gave them 100,000+ FF miles and found out later they were using the ff miles to fly their executives first class to Vega and other spots.

[HeeBGBz]

9. Arrggghhh! That is pathetic

I would be incensed.

[KharmaTrain]

10. Steal? Why Bother When Exploitation Works Far Better

The American media coverage of this disaster has, again, demonstrated how myopic and lazy "journalism" has become. This tragedy is now being milked by CNNservative, Faux & MSGOP to draw ratings. It's "Waves Gone Wild", "When Tsunamis Go Bad" and "Sri Lanka's Wackiest Home Videos" on these channels as each rushes to put out the most harrowing video and putting a nice white, American face on things.

Amazing that these goons are questioning why these countries weren't alerted when the wave was on the way, when these networks have the "global reach" (or so they say) to warn at least our own nationals in these countries (many who get CNN in the Club Med resorts). The initial reports were like this was a curiosity story...some neat video and a tragedy half a world away that would fade behind the next Michael Jackson revelation or "let's put the Christ in Christmas" crap. These networks have still to really show the devestation that's hit outside the cushy villas loaded with handicams, and to show us much more than a bunch of wailing brown faces who make nice victims since they don't "look like us".

Look for our mighty corporates to send aid, but always with strings attached. They'll get more world bank money that will be added to the large debts most of these countries have that keep them indentured to our large multinationals and enable them to use countries like Indonesia & Sri Lanka as virtual sweat shops...void of any union or environmental regulations. Then, they'll donate a few pennies for the many dollars they extract from these countries and crow on our media as to how "giving and benevolent" they are.

I've already donated to Doctors Without Borders and am looking at others NGOs that I'm sure will get the needed relief (right now potable water and food) to the devestated areas.

[BeFree]

12. It was "News" wasn't it?

There's your alert system, right there. If CNN, and the other M$M had any foresight, they'd have been broadcasting the "News" of the tsunami around the world and into the hotels around the Indian Ocean.

There's no telling how many lives would have been saved.. probably tens of thousands....

M$M has, sadly, failed in that regard. Had they been a little more interested in tracking real news it is quite conceivable that they would have been a tremendous benefit. As it turned out; practically useless.

[InvisibleBallots]

11. what a depressing thought

you are probably right though

[TWiley]

13. Absolutely

Especially avoid contributions to Christian Charities.

Next, we will probably be hearing about how Haliburton is the only outfit capable of delivering these services.