While the world has been slow to acknowledge, much less respond to the devastation wrought by Katrina on the Gulf coast, response is beginning to trickle in. Granted it is mostly in the form of condolences, but that is better than some of us expected.

As expected though, the Islamic terrorists of the world have responded in character, rejoicing “in America's misfortune, giving the storm a military rank and declaring in Internet chatter that "Private" Katrina had joined the global jihad, or holy war. With "God's help," they declared, oil prices would hit $100 a barrel this year.”

I understand that the United States is one of the wealthiest nations on the earth and is always called on to respond, and we do so willingly, to disasters in less fortunate areas of the world. What I don’t understand is the callous and vindictive nature of many of the citizens and governments around the world.

Germany's Minister of the Environment, Jürgen Trittin is typical of many elitist, both internationally and domestic. He takes space in a paper chummy with the Social Democrats to bash what he perceives as US President George W. Bush's environmental laxity. “Until now, the US has kept its eyes shut to this emergency (greenhouse gasses). (Americans) make up a mere 4 percent of the population, but are responsible for close to a quarter of emissions."

There’s other “reasons” given for the lack of compassion by the world, our infrastructure, our well-developed weather service, the immediacy of federal assistance, even the size of the U. S. Army.

Americans are not pleased with the callousness shown by Trittin and other critics of the United States, especially during this time of crisis. Writing to the German news website, Spiegel Online, Mike Patton pretty well sums up the feelings of Americans saying,

“The majority of German brains have been adversely affected by global warming - they're definitely fried.”

David Falloure adds,

“Europe does what it does best, looks on with no action or expression. Same as usual. Thanks for nothing.”

Of course Germany isn’t the only country to show it’s soulless behind. After French President Jacques Chirac expressed the sympathies of the French people, he reportedly said, “France stands ready to respond, if asked.”

"If asked?" That smacks of arrogantly waiting around for the U. S. to come on her knees begging for help. But that is the kind of action, err, inaction, we’ve come to expect from the French.

Had the U.S. waited around for France to "come begging" for help when the Nazis invaded their soil in 1940, they would still be arrogantly "sniffing" their disdain and Chirac would be making his sympathies known in German.


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