If a earthquake/hurricane devastated Nazi Germany, would you send aid?

[Broken Glass Can]

I'm not trying to put words in your mouth.

You say withholding aid is punishment, and you also suggest aid to Israel might be withheld for cause.

Why bring up the second point if you think it has no connection to the first?

[RogerZBT]

They were two distinct points addressing two distinct issues. The fact that they're next to each other is irrelevant.

Also, I never suggested we could/should withhold aid to Israel for cause. I asked how the author, a writer for two Israeli publications, would feel if the situation were reversed.

[Broken Glass Can]

Fair enough. I don't really care who the author is. The issue to me is should we consider the character of the people we are dealing with and potential future consequences.

I think we do consider this, in Iraq, in relation to Israel, and in many other places. We should not neglect to do this in Southeast Asia.

I didn't assume you were against aid to Israel, I also often post ideas and arguments not always my own to entice others to discuss the issues. Notice in this thread I have never said "do not send aid", only "let's think about the consequences".

[Cyrus]

I will assume that the question is asked on humanitarian and not purely strategic terms. In the latter case, and provided that you are hostile to Nazi Germany, you certainly don't help.

But in the former case (as is the case right now with South East Asia and the tsunami), you most certainly help your fellow man.

Your article is badmouthing the actions of governments mostly. But even when the people themselves are backward, racist or bigoted, we should be helping. (Should we be helping out of the Twin Towers only those persons trapped inside who have a clean police record? If among them was a known and convicted paedophile rapist trying to get out, were we supposed to let him burn? We? Whose decision is it to let him die or help him live, in any case? Not ours, not morally, if morality has any meaning.)

The article reports the bigotry and the backwardness exhibited by some tsunami victims, when they refused Israeli aid or when they insisted that foreign women wear traditional Muslim clothes when coming to the area to help out. I say that this is indeed bigoted and very backward behaviour and is often quite insulting, practically hostile.

But if our decision to help was based on moral grounds, then the attitude exhibited by the victims, an attitude that amounts to ingratitude, should not stop us from helping out : We already established that we are helping out selflessly and not because we want recognition or to impose our own codes of civilisation on them or to gain some material advantage.

We just the doctor.

[chabibi]

as wrong as it may be, the united states gives financial aid to almost every developing country in the world. many of these countries have dismal human rights track records, however the US continues to send aid. Before 9/11 a large part of afghanistans GDP was foreign aid from the united states. americas policy is clearly to help the evil if it means helping the innocent as well. i dont imagine that the rules would suddenly change because of a tsunami

[TakeMeToTheRiver]

This is a poorly-written myopic hate-filled article.

She makes completely unsupported generalizations and draws illogical conclusions.

But thanks for posting.

[Mark H]

withholding aid has nothing to do with punishment.

Maek H

[TakeMeToTheRiver]

The article says:

[ QUOTE ]
Regarding Israel's offer of aid, apparently Muslims would rather be dead than touched by a Jew. In a repeat of Iran's pig-headed stance after a devastating earthquake there, Sri Lanka turned down Israel's offer of help, unless no Jews came. They'd take Jewish money, Jewish goods, Jewish medical supplies, but no Jews (or very few). Israel, which has one of the best search and rescue teams was ready to dash over there, find survivors and set up hospitals. Sri Lanka said 'no thanks, we'd rather let our people die than have Israelis here.'


[/ QUOTE ]

As it turns out, this statement has little factual basis and manipulates the truth.

(An interesting note: Sri Lanka and Israel have close relations and Sri Lanka is believed to be one of the largest purchasers of Israeli-made weapons.)

[Gamblor]

You actually said something worthwhile.

I didn't feel the need to respond to anything here, as most of the arguments here are kinda dull, and there isn't much to argue (leave it to Cyrus to find something!), but you still have Most Favoured Nit status.

[CORed]

So basicly what you are saying is that we should just let the people on the coasts Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand die of starvation and disease because some people in those countries or their governments are doing things we consider evil. You gotta love Christian charity.