Dear Egypt:

[frankly_fedup2]

You sure have opened our eyes a little more today. You appear to be our fair-weathered friends . . . just like the Saudis.

When 1300 souls went into the Dead Sea with that tanker, our U.S. military offered to help you search for survivors. Just think how many people might have been found by now if you would have allowed our troops to help you with search and rescue.

Is there something you are hiding with this tanker or the Dead Sea? Why the paranoia for help? Would allowing our military help to save lives, hurt your propaganda BS you use against American troops and/or the U.S., be hurt? You have refused our help all day. We are fools to have thought you were our friends. Did you refuse our help so that you would save FACE with the other Arabs in the middle east, of which, we help one way or another with food, money, trade, etc.

Now it's getting dark and you have only saved 200 lives . . . 1100 are still out there. NOW, you want our troops to help. NOW it's more dangerous for rescue missions for all involved. Yet, I'm sure our troops were there before the blink of an eye.

If there are no more lives saved, you can thank your own arrogance, lack of compassion, and paranoia.


Regards,

U. S. Citizen

[rockymountaindem]

1. Yeah, people turn down our help and then complain

that the US never does anything constructive. While I think our country could and should do more to help the world through aid, development programs etc, it doesn't make me feel too good when we offer to do one little thing and get turned down. Bummer.

[Feenicks]

2. Well put. n/t

[seriousstan]

3. They also don't want any of those "dirty jews" helping.

I say, let's ask the people in the water.

[frankly_fedup2]

10. I agree 100%. But it's always politics involved. The people don't

matter here or there. Just the ones with the power.

Cuba has turned down our help several times after hurricanes (last 2004). Venezuela has turned down our help as well, OR, didn't we help Chavez with the people's coup against a corrupt government? (Doesn't make it right, it's always politically motivated). The people are always screwed. The one thing about Venezuela is the people got rid of a corrupt government. Of course, the military backed the people of Venezuela. When President Chavez offered cheaper oil to the people in New England, he only did that to embarrass Bush (if that is possible). I think they are our second or third largest supplier of oil. We have huge trade with them if I remember correctly. We'll take their oil but they hate us (meaning hate Bush . . . who doesn't???)

However, I do have to give Cuba and Venezuela a little more credit then Egypt or Saudi Arabia. At least they come out and say they hate us and why. They don't smile to our faces and praise our country then turn around and pay for terrorists to come into our country and try to kill as many Americans as possible. Their leaders state their feelings for the U.S. very publicly. Unlike any of the Arab Countries who smile with our leaders, hold their hands tightly, kiss, kiss, kissing asses.

[Popol Vuh]

4. Not that I disagree with you....but

You mean just like our government when they turn down offers of assistance from Cuba, Venezuela, Canada, UK, etc, etc? What excuses does our government have for such petty conduct? Arrogance, lack of compassion and paranoia perhaps?

I am just saying...

[calimary]

5. That crossed my mind also.

I'm not surprised that an Arab country would decline our help. We've left the Arab world with such a bad taste in its mouth that it's really not that surprising ("thanks, but no thanks"). Besides, it also wouldn't surprise me if they immediately suspected some ulterior motive in our offer. They know how we operate, what our track record is, and what our intentions are for their part of the world.

It's a shame if they think that way, but it's also a shame when you consider what undoubtedly has provoked them to think that way. None of that happens in a vacuum.

[frankly_fedup2]

11. My compassion for those people that went down with this tanker

over-ruled my stopping and thinking about all the political reasons anyone would say "no."

Everyone is right . . . I cannot disagree with any of you.

[Spinzonner]

6. Red Sea

big difference

[driver8]

7. That's what I was thinking...

I was reading the original post and it said "Dead Sea." I have been to both -- on an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea (twice) and on a tour group to the Dead Sea. Isn't the Dead Sea really a lake?

[karynnj]

8. The Dead Sea is a lake and it's between Israel and Jordan

The accident was in the Red Sea I think

[frankly_fedup2]

16. Sorry! Geography was not my best subject. Also, I didn't pay

attention to Dead Sea or Red Sea. I have seen some fish from the Dead Sea (which I thought they called it dead because nothing could live in it); in some of these tropical fish stores and they are the strangest looking things I have ever seen. Some looked like birds floating through the water. Others, looked like cartoon caricatures. They were all really weird appearing to me. But that is just my opinion and you know how far those go around here.

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. I didn't really think the Americans

would be able to twist this one into some situation in which they've been victimized, but thanks, frankly, for proving me wrong. Americans can always find a way to make themselves the victims of some slight. It's practically the new American way. :eyes:

I can scarcely imagine a more bizarre occasion for faux-wounded Yankee sniffery. But there it is.

[frankly_fedup2]

15. You know, I was really thinking of the people. I was angry to the

fact that anyone would say no to help on saving 1300 people, whether it was us, the UK, Europe, ANYBODY?????

Since the politics have come up regarding this situation (just to name one), you do know before the U.S. was the "World's Terrorist" thanks to Bush, The rest of the World depended on us whenever they needed help. We always came, right or wrong, but we always came to help the have nots. Of course, we forget the have nots in our own country, but by gosh we took care of those in third world countries. Well, the lighter the skin those other countries had the better chance they had of our help, UNLESS, they had OIL.

To be honest, if you notice the people of the World suffering the most are the ones with the darkest skin color. Even in their own country where everyone is of color, those that are the blackest of the country are looked down on and/or used as slaves, treated like they were nothing; even by other tribes. I wonder why that is because I cannot figure that one out myself.

I really cannot remember a time when the U.S. considered itself a victim of anything. These words have only came to light during the Bush regime. Eight years of this type of Government has ruined the entire history of this Country? Surely not.

I guess having grown up in a Country that everyone still wants to come to and become a citizen (WHY?), I have that inbreeding of compassion for those who have less and need help. Of course, I'm a Democrat and I foolishly still have hope for the country that is my home.

We have stumbled and fallen pretty bad; however, whether it be our politics or not, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in this World. We also allow up to one million immigrants a year to come into this much-hated country. We even have them sneaking in if they can. Wonder why they continue to do this?

You are right; however, the government of this country is very narcissistic . . . not the people.

[MaineDem]

12. It wasn't in the Dead Sea and it wasn't a tanker

But don't let facts get in your way.

:eyes:

[Douglas Carpenter]

13. self-delete

[Bridget Burke]

14. Egypt is now accepting outside help.

Rescue efforts appeared confused. Egyptian officials initially turned down a British offer to divert a warship to the scene to help out and a U.S. offer to send a P3-Orion maritime naval patrol aircraft to the area. The British craft, HMS Bulwark, headed toward from the southern Red Sea where it was operating, then turned around when the offer was rejected.

But then Egypt reversed itself and asked for both the Orion and the Bulwark to be sent, said Commodore Jeff Breslau, a spokesman for the U.S. 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain. The Bulwark is part of a Dutch-controlled multinational task force, which includes assets from the 5th Fleet and British navy.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2006/02/03/1424903-cp.html

As others have pointed out--the ship was a ferry, not a tanker. And it sank in the Red Sea, not the Dead Sea--which is a landlocked lake!

Do you blame the people of our Gulf Coast for the idiocy of Bush's handling of Hurricane Katrina? People are not their government.