Liberia Says It's Going to Need a Lot More Body Bags

[Exiled_Child]

motherjones.com/mojo/2014/10/liberia-ebola-going-need-lot-more-bodybags

If you need any more evidence that the Liberian government is overwhelmed by the worsening Ebola outbreak (or you’re still wondering why President Barack Obama committed American troops to help coordinate the relief effort), just look at the table below. The numbers, which come from Liberia’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, show the huge gap between the supplies the Liberian government has and the supplies it needs.

As we reported last month, Liberia’s entire national budget for 2013-14 was $553 million, with just $11 million allotted for health care—about what Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are believed to have spent on their house in Bel Air. The country allocated another $20 million in August specifically to fight the virus, but that still represents just a fraction of the resources needed.

The rest of the world has so far been unable to close the gap. In September, the UnitedNations asked member states for almost $1 billion to fight Ebola. On Friday, UN officials reported that they’ve only raised a quarter of that.

 

[Exiled_Child]

If the US abstained from war for one day they could easily fund Liberia’s pandemic effort. It makes one wonder at the US being so eager to bomb nations all around the globe in the name of justice, harmony and world peace. If we’re such humanitarians then why are deliberately allowing this disease to flourish? Far from actually helping anyone, the United States and United Nations seem deadly intent upon further spreading this disease, not stopping it. I say this because both US and UN troops are likely to carry this plague with them, both here and abroad.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If the US abstained from war for one day they could easily fund Liberia’s pandemic effort. It makes one wonder at the US being so eager to bomb nations all around the globe in the name of justice, harmony and world peace. If we’re such humanitarians then why are deliberately allowing this disease to flourish? Far from actually helping anyone, the United States and United Nations seem deadly intent upon further spreading this disease, not stopping it. I say this because both US and UN troops are likely to carry this plague with them, both here and abroad.

It’s not because of war that this government isn’t pouring money into the effort, it’s because its plan is nutty. I’m no expert on these things, but I imagine if Obama really does send 5,000 national guard to west Africa (which, in itself seems insane to me) it will cost a good deal more than a billion dollars to do it.

Likely the least expensive things to do would be to ban all arrivals from any hot zone into the U.S., other than returning health workers who would be duly quarantined for 21 or 30 days upon return, no matter what, offer very large pay to actually qualified health workers worldwide to go there in teams with all the stuff they might need, increase the effort at production of that “mouse vaccine” and actually quarantine people who have had known exposures here. And perhaps most of all (though it might not seem so) do everything in this government’s power to prevent the disease from finding an animal host here. If that means Nina Pham’s dog has to die and be cremated like that dog in Spain, then that’s what it means. (CDC firmly believes there are asymptomatic animal hosts, but admits it doesn’t know what they are.)

But that won’t happen, because Obama wants to spend billions on National Guardsmen in west Africa who have no idea whatever what they’re going into and some of whom are certain to return to this country with it.

It’s almost as if the man wants this country to share the misery, as if somehow that’s more “just” or perhaps less “racist”.

 

[Exiled_Child]

It’s not because of war that this government isn’t pouring money into the effort, it’s because its plan is nutty. I’m no expert on these things, but I imagine if Obama really does send 5,000 national guard to west Africa (which, in itself seems insane to me) it will cost a good deal more than a billion dollars to do it.

Likely the least expensive things to do would be to ban all arrivals from any hot zone into the U.S., other than returning health workers who would be duly quarantined for 21 or 30 days upon return, no matter what, offer very large pay to actually qualified health workers worldwide to go there in teams with all the stuff they might need, increase the effort at production of that “mouse vaccine” and actually quarantine people who have had known exposures here. And perhaps most of all (though it might not seem so) do everything in this government’s power to prevent the disease from finding an animal host here. If that means Nina Pham’s dog has to die and be cremated like that dog in Spain, then that’s what it means. (CDC firmly believes there are asymptomatic animal hosts, but admits it doesn’t know what they are.)

But that won’t happen, because Obama wants to spend billions on National Guardsmen in west Africa who have no idea whatever what they’re going into and some of whom are certain to return to this country with it.

It’s almost as if the man wants this country to share the misery, as if somehow that’s more “just” or perhaps less “racist”.

It’s a frightening thought, but it’s becoming apparent to me that, as you say, the intention is to spread the disease back here and throughout the world. What I meant about America’s military budget for our “humanitarian” wars was just that we can find all these noble and high-minded justifications to bomb the hell out of people and places, but for some reason we can’t seem to find the money to help Liberia obtain examination gloves and chlorine bleach. This casts a huge, huge shadow of doubt on our supposed efforts to save lives around the world through military actions. It would save a lot more lives and be ridiculously inexpensive to simply buy Africans some plastic gloves. I mean, imagine, plastic examination gloves!?!? They’re so dirt poor they can’t even afford gloves! If the US and UN can’t find it in their hearts to cough up enough money for plastic gloves, then it’s clear their humanitarian talk is just a lie.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It’s a frightening thought, but it’s becoming apparent to me that, as you say, the intention is to spread the disease back here and throughout the world. What I meant about America’s military budget for our “humanitarian” wars was just that we can find all these noble and high-minded justifications to bomb the hell out of people and places, but for some reason we can’t seem to find the money to help Liberia obtain examination gloves and chlorine bleach. This casts a huge, huge shadow of doubt on our supposed efforts to save lives around the world through military actions. It would save a lot more lives and be ridiculously inexpensive to simply buy Africans some plastic gloves. I mean, imagine, plastic examination gloves!?!? They’re so dirt poor they can’t even afford gloves! If the US and UN can’t find it in their hearts to cough up enough money for plastic gloves, then it’s clear their humanitarian talk is just a lie.

Of course their humanitarian talk is a lie. Their calculations are made politically or ideologically. With the U.N. one can also add greed.

 

[oldcatholicguy]

If the US abstained from war for one day they could easily fund Liberia’s pandemic effort. It makes one wonder at the US being so eager to bomb nations all around the globe in the name of justice, harmony and world peace. If we’re such humanitarians then why are deliberately allowing this disease to flourish? Far from actually helping anyone, the United States and United Nations seem deadly intent upon further spreading this disease, not stopping it. I say this because both US and UN troops are likely to carry this plague with them, both here and abroad.

The actual facts don’t really support your argument. Countries bombed by the US since WW2- around 30, US ranking on giving aid- total money given- 1st by a wide margin, % of GNI- 19th.

 

[Hobbes42]

In the vaunted halls of the Pentagon bunker, Congress, and the White House, humanitarian is translated to describe missions which kill and maim innocents.

Just like in Serbia, where NATO forces killed civilians in order to “save” civilians.

“But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”
“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

 

[Path_Finder]

In the vaunted halls of the Pentagon bunker, Congress, and the White House, humanitarian is translated to describe missions which kill and maim innocents.

Just like in Serbia, where NATO forces killed civilians in order to “save” civilians.

“But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”
“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

And if a tsunami hits Japan, they look to the USA for help, the Kurds look to the USA for help, Africa looks to the USA for help. If a famine hits the Horn of Africa, they look to the USA for help.

Per the Japanese Tsunami.

United States designated its military response to the earthquake and tsunami as Operation Tomodachi (Japanese for “Friend”).[131] The United States was the largest contributor in monetary aid.[132] Various branches of the military participated, notably the USS Ronald Reagan carrier group, and aviators based at Yokota Air Base, among several other personnel.[133][134] The US Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance sent Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 2 and Virginia Task Force 1, some of whom worked with Canadian SARS teams in Miyagi Province.[135][136] US personnel were dispatched to restore the Sendai airport, which sustained extensive damage and flooding.[137][138] The State Department moved its embassy operations, set up contact information systems and issued travel advisories and later evacuation orders for American civilians.[139]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_response_to_the_2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami

After World War II, Ethiopia began to receive economic development aid from the more affluent Western countries. Originally the United Kingdom was the primary source of this aid, but they withdrew in 1952, to be replaced by the United States.[1] Between 1950 and 1970, one source estimated that Ethiopia received almost US$600 million in aid, $211.9 million from the US, $100 million from the Soviet Union and $121 million from the World Bank.[2]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_aid_to_Ethiopia

I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name to me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don’t think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.

Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I’m one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They’ll come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they’re entitled to thumb their noses at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians.

And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke.

This year’s disasters – with the year less than half-over – has taken it all. And nobody, but nobody, has helped.- Gordon Sinclair

And who are Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea looking to for help?

 

[Path_Finder]

nytimes.com/2014/10/17/world/africa/because-of-ebola-ambulance-work-in-liberia-is-a-busy-and-lonely-business.html?_r=0

Video on this page gives you a good idea of what it actually is like to be on the ground in Liberia.

 

[Jeanne_S]

It’s not because of war that this government isn’t pouring money into the effort, it’s because its plan is nutty. I’m no expert on these things, but I imagine if Obama really does send 5,000 national guard to west Africa (which, in itself seems insane to me) it will cost a good deal more than a billion dollars to do it.

Likely the least expensive things to do would be to ban all arrivals from any hot zone into the U.S., other than returning health workers who would be duly quarantined for 21 or 30 days upon return, no matter what, offer very large pay to actually qualified health workers worldwide to go there in teams with all the stuff they might need, increase the effort at production of that “mouse vaccine” and actually quarantine people who have had known exposures here. And perhaps most of all (though it might not seem so) do everything in this government’s power to prevent the disease from finding an animal host here. If that means Nina Pham’s dog has to die and be cremated like that dog in Spain, then that’s what it means. (CDC firmly believes there are asymptomatic animal hosts, but admits it doesn’t know what they are.)

But that won’t happen, because Obama wants to spend billions on National Guardsmen in west Africa who have no idea whatever what they’re going into and some of whom are certain to return to this country with it.

It’s almost as if the man wants this country to share the misery, as if somehow that’s more “just” or perhaps less “racist”.

Right on!

 

[Exiled_Child]

The actual facts don’t really support your argument. Countries bombed by the US since WW2- around 30, US ranking on giving aid- total money given- 1st by a wide margin, % of GNI- 19th.

Well, the other day the Joint Chiefs of Staff asked for another 59 billion dollars, mostly for the war in Afghanistan. Surely some tiny fraction of that could be diverted to buy Liberians surgical masks and handsprayers and whatnot, rather than simply giving it all to arms merchants and defense corporations.

theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/29/us-war-isis-cost-millions-estimate-pentagon-strikes

 

[Path_Finder]

Well, the other day the Joint Chiefs of Staff asked for another 59 billion dollars, mostly for the war in Afghanistan. Surely some tiny fraction of that could be diverted to buy Liberians surgical masks and handsprayers and whatnot, rather than simply giving it all to arms merchants and defense corporations.

theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/29/us-war-isis-cost-millions-estimate-pentagon-strikes

Liberia: U.S. Announces Additional $65 Million Ebola Aid for Liberia

allafrica.com/stories/201410151181.html

I could almost assume and I think anyone can assume, we already give aid to Liberia, let alone the soldiers who are being and have been sent over there.

The Government of Liberia, with the support of international partners—of which the United States is the largest bilateral donor—is slowly restoring public confidence in political, social, economic and judicial institutions while addressing the regional disparity and bad governance that contributed to the conflict.

usaid.gov/liberia

This was written apparently before this current crisis.

 

[Exiled_Child]

I could almost assume and I think anyone can assume, we already give aid to Liberia, let alone the soldiers who are being and have been sent over there.

This was written apparently before this current crisis.

This article is two weeks old, so some of the information is already quite outdated. For instance, new strains of ebola have emerged throughout Congo and Guinea, etc…
nytimes.com/2014/10/03/us/us-effort-in-liberia-barely-gets-on-the-ground.html