A blog in idleness

Foreign Policy　posts a list of the names of the countries which pledged money for damage of Hurricane Katrina and the amount of their donation.
What attracted my attention are as follows.

Afghanistan $ 100,000
Australia $ 7.6 million
Bangladesh $ 1 million
Britain $ 0 note: it sent supply/personnel
Canada $ 5 million
China $ 5.1 million
France $ 1 million
Germany $ 0 note: it sent supply/personnel
India $ 5 million
Indonesia $ 25,000
Iran $ 0 note: Iran offered 20 million barrels of oil—if the United States lifts its sanctions
Iraq $ 1 million
Japan $ 200,000 and 1.5 million private donations
Kwait $ 100 million
Malaysia $ 1 million
Pakistan $ 1 million
Qatar $ 100 million
Russia $ 0 note: It sent supply/personnel
Saudi Arabia $ 5 million note: It offered to increase oil production
South Korea $ 30 million
Taiwan $ 2 million
United Arab Emirates $ 100 million
Ukraine $ 2 million
Venezuela $ 1 million


This list is very interesting when I consider today’s international politics. It would be more interesting when you compare this with the list of tsunami donations

Tear-provoking efforts by small countries impressed me. And pro- American Middle Eastern countries donated huge money. On the other hand, developed countries including Japan did not pay much money. Indonesia, a Tsunami affected country, did not seem to show its gratitude to the U.S. South Korea, which attitude to the U.S. has been ambiguous since inauguration of president Roh, donated much money. China, which was so stingy to Tsunami affected nations, gave the U.S. relatively much money and allegedly raised its donation from 5million to 5.1 million after India decided to donate 5 million.

Also, what made me surprised are responses from Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea, representative anti-American countries. (Though the name of North Korea is not listed here, it is reported that North Korean Red Cross sent a consoling letter to the U.S.)