Canadian Politics Today

Beyond Canada => The World => Topic started by: JBG on November 13, 2017, 03:44:15 pm

Title: Earthquake on Iran-Iraq border kills over 350 - Relief Appeals?
Post by: JBG on November 13, 2017, 03:44:15 pm
Powerful earthquake on Iran-Iraq border kills over 350 (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/powerful-earthquake-iran-iraq-border-kills-more-140-050740898.html)

That's the headline. We should expect to see posters of pitiful children out in the cold and snow, with their simple brick living structures in ruins. Before we donate for the relief and more importantly before the governments of the Western/First Worlds jump in with both feet and their taxpayers' money we sh ould pause and reflect.

Iran recently received $16 billion of previously frozen money from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran should be flush with funds for the relief efforts. Iraq and Iran and both major oil producers and have lots of fresh funds flowing into their treasuries.

Yes, they need technical assistance and engineers since those countries' schools probably don't produce those. But we should not allow them to be too picky about who they'll allow  to work there. I.E. no religious restrictions. And they should be paid by the respective Iranian and Iraqi governments.

And one more thing; as far as money, we are using disaster money for Harvey, Irma and Maria. We could use that money ourselves, whether charitable or government, thank you.
Title: Re: Earthquake on Iran-Iraq border kills over 350 - Relief Appeals?
Post by: JMT on November 13, 2017, 06:42:16 pm
$16B isn't all that much money in a national context.  We should be just as willing to help people in that region of the world as we would be in any other part of the world.
Title: Re: Earthquake on Iran-Iraq border kills over 350 - Relief Appeals?
Post by: JBG on November 15, 2017, 09:58:26 pm
Well, Israel offered relief; it was rejected.

https://www.facebook.com/StandWithUs/videos/10155211226242689/
Title: Re: Earthquake on Iran-Iraq border kills over 350 - Relief Appeals?
Post by: Omni on November 15, 2017, 10:52:42 pm
Yeah right. He probably wanted to send over a few F-16's.
Title: Re: Earthquake on Iran-Iraq border kills over 350 - Relief Appeals?
Post by: Squidward von Squidderson on November 15, 2017, 11:50:15 pm
Quote
And one more thing; as far as money, we are using disaster money for Harvey, Irma and Maria. We could use that money ourselves, whether charitable or government, thank you.

Good point...   desperate people in poor countries don’t deserve our help when there are wealthy people in the USA whose government bailouts are late in getting to them.
Title: Re: Earthquake on Iran-Iraq border kills over 350 - Relief Appeals?
Post by: Omni on November 16, 2017, 12:31:31 am
Good point...   desperate people in poor countries don’t deserve our help when there are wealthy people in the USA whose government bailouts are late in getting to them.

And then of course there's that gnarly little fact that a lot of those wealthy Americans  got to be so by stripping natural resources out of the ME, Africa, Asia, etc.