awful natural disaster

The United States, who currently has no shortage of expenditures, initially pledged $15 million dollars, though that number has since been raised to $35 million for the Tsunami Relief Pledge. Interestingly, and to put things in perspective, here are some comparison figures which might interest you…

US Tsunami Relief Pledge - $35 Million

2004 Florida Hurricane Relief - $3.17 Billion

Cost of Bush's 2005 Inauguration - $40 Million+

US per capita Tsunami Relief Pledge - $35 million/295 million = $0.12

Australian per capita Relief Pledge - $27.6 million/19 million = $1.45 (in US dollars)

They are now saying that over 100,000 people have died because of this natural disaster, this is about the same # to people who have died in Iraq. Cost of the Iraqi war so far.... $147 billion dollars.
At least Mother Nature does it for free.