A Helping Hand

whenever you need me I'll be there...

"The oil-rich nation of Qatar has offered the United States $100 million to assist in the humanitarian crisis triggered by Hurricane Katrina." I guess those Muslims aren't so bad after all. [ source]

"The State Department said offers of help had been received from more than 50 countries.
As of Friday, the White House had not accepted any offers, but Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the State Department was "working very closely with the Department of Homeland Security to match up what is available with what is needed."

There was no immediate word whether the United States would take Qatar up on its offer."

Am I missing something here? Since when do you discuss/debate whether or not to accept offers of help? What's to discuss? Are these loans we might have to repay? Or are they gifts? Are these nations going to expect 'special treatment' in return for their offers?
This is just another one of those things I just don't understand about our government. See, my common sense says you say "THANK YOU!" When can I expect your check?

Oh yes and wasn't it really nice of Carnival Cruise Lines to 'rent' out three of their cruise ships to the US, to aid in the relief effort. [ source ]
Of course it would have been much nicer if they'd have donated at least one of them. But I guess beggars can't be choosy.

Speaking of 'nice', isn't it really 'nice' of the Air Force to send home more than 300 Air Force airmen from Iraq and Afghanistan. The airmen are based at an installation (Keesler Air Force Base) in Mississippi battered by Hurricane Katrina to allow them to assist their families, officials said on Saturday.
"We're robust enough (in manpower) that this wouldn't upset anything. But it's the right thing to do to bring them back," said Lt. Col. Patrick Barnes

"It's the right thing to do." How about that?
Now how about lets get busy, do the right thing and accept some of those offers, before they dry up. Just think of how well we could rebuild the affected areas with $100 MILLION!!!

I suppose it wasn't very 'nice' of Kanye West to speak up about that elephant in the room that nobody wants to mention. [ source]
But you know how those folks (rappers) are. They tend to say what everybody else is thinking but don't have the balls to say.