Tsunami Aid: The Problem

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

A senior citizen from Queens, Dorothy Wachsstock, gets frustrated and somewhat angry lately when she watches the news, and she lets off steam with pithy letters to newspaper editors. While the Bayside woman certainly has a right to her opinion, it’s not one that’s likely to be printed in the politically correct mainstream press. As the tsunami aid story continues to make the front pages and our efforts to help the victims escalate to an unprecedented level, however, Ms. Wachsstock’s comments are exactly what many of us are thinking.


What had her ire up, she told me, was watching one of our soldiers hand out aid packages to the tsunami survivors, and she wondered why these care packages did not have the words “from the USA” on them. “I want to know why U.S.A. isn’t on the packages anymore,” she demanded.


In one of her letters, she wrote: “American taxpayers are all for helping right now with aid, water, food etc but we’re not for rebuilding the European or so-called ‘neutral’ countries’ vacation resorts.”


Who can forget the comments made by U.N. humanitarian chief Jan Egeland, from neutral Norway, about how Western countries were “stingy” when it came to humanitarian aid. His remarks were interpreted as a direct criticism of America, and he subsequently apologized. Nevertheless, America ended up pledging more than $350 million in aid, seeming to give validity to Mr. Egeland’s remarks. That cave-in to criticism is infuriating, not worthy of a superpower as generous as this nation.


Judging from many of the letters to the editors of various papers, New Yorkers are becoming increasingly impatient with the United Nations. Opinion pieces are cropping up suggesting what was once unthinkable: Is it time for the United Nations to relocate to another country, such as France or Germany?


Ms. Wachsstock also wrote: “Let those countries rebuild their play land and we taxpayers pay for the mortgages of the dead soldiers. That would allow their widows and children to keep their homes. Let us also include the mortgages of those that have lost legs and arms in this War that everyone has forgotten. Let former Pres. Bush and Pres. Clinton get donations to help now with the aid, but our American taxes should help our own.”


When I first read Mr. Egeland’s comment, I, too, was under the impression he was attacking America. Even though he claimed to be misunderstood, I can’t help but think that when he said, “It is beyond me why are we so stingy, really. … Christmastime should remind many Western countries, at least, [of] how rich we have become,” he wasn’t talking about Norway, France, and Germany. We have a history of being the most generous of nations, but we are also at war. We are spending billions to liberate two countries. Our concerns should be for the families of our military who are serving so magnificently in the Middle East.


Clearly, the senior citizen from Bayside has her priorities where they should be. She wrote, “Go to the Walter Reed hospital and see the people there and then print an article about how much we should do for the Asian countries. Doesn’t any of the Muslim countries have helicopters? Or an army to help?”


Saudi Arabia announced it was tripling its pledge of aid, to $30 million. That is, however, a pittance compared with the Saudi donations to two funds for families of Palestinian suicide bombers, the Saudi Committee for the Al-Quds Intifada, and the Al-Aqsa Fund.


Ms. Wachsstock said: “They spit on us and hate us, but what would the world do without us?” She also reminded me that Sri Lanka turned away the Israeli rescue workers who flew in to assist them. What kind of message is that? Send us money but don’t touch us?


Secretary of State Powell made an incredible statement while in Indonesia. “It turns out that the majority of those nations affected were Muslim nations,” he said. Speaking of the American aid to the victims, he said: “We’d be doing it regardless of religion, but I think it does give the Muslim world and the rest of the world … an opportunity to see American generosity, American values in action.”


Dorothy Wachsstock sees it quite differently: “You really can’t buy love – not with the level of hatred they have for us.”


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use