When you factor in nation building excursions, I think we definitely cross into number one. /threadjack
Every country believes they are the best at any given subject. The USA may give more as a lump. but the percentage to what we actually earn, is smaller. As for hosting the UN, I'm not so sure that's all that much of a good thing.
haha, I really don't care about how much a country gives, in times of need. As long as the people are giving for the sake of helping one in need, not because they want their reputation to build. Selfless acts make anyone feel more appreciated. If something awful were to happen to you where you needed some kind of help from others that didn't know you, would you rather them do it because they genuinely want to help see you recover? Or would you appreciate it more if they did it because that would put them in the top 5 contributors...?
Starbucks is taking donations for the Red Cross in all of their stores, and contributing a million bucks too. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qOfuWxFpeE
Nothing better than "paying it forward", no matter how much a country contributes. Fiddy pointed it out, that any aid given will pay off even if it's only the image the rest of the world has of USA. My problem with that is: why must there be a reward of any kind for doing that which is right in the first place. People require a reward for doing what the should do in the first place. You want a real personal challenge? do something very good for a person not as fortunate as you may be........and do not tell a single soul what you did......not ever.
I used to feed the homeless at a shelter when I was in high school, I'd talk about it with my friends to influence them. Not necessarily to get them to feed the homeless but, I don't know how a lot of younger people are around your neighborhoods, but the kids around here are pretty into themselves and frown upon the less fortunate. It's sad that friends would actually laugh at me sometimes when I'd talk about how good it was to see the looks on these peoples faces, they were so thankful, well most of them were. I'm a very nurturing person and I think a lot more people should start being a little more helpful.
Me personally I just hope they get their tourism up and running again. My girlfriend was just down there on a cruise the week before the quake. Their harbor facilities couldn't handle the cruise ship with any decent amount of wave action though, so they never docked. If Haiti were to get up and running, and the Cuba embargo lifted, prices to the Caribbean would drop like a stone.
