President Bush apparently has (without permission or principle) created a new financial aid package that sets the precedent for how foreign countries are to ask the United States for money. There are no messy, complicated forms to fill out, no lines to stand in and no red tape. One only has to brutally attack any one of the interests of the United States at home or abroad, preferably killing thousands, and the undeserved help will be swiftly granted.
The bleeding hearts of the country will doubtlessly claim that if we do not give humanitarian aid, we are to blame for their suffering. This is pure nonsense. The people in Afghanistan are not suffering because of anything the United States has done or will do. The blame for Afghanistan's suffering rests squarely on the shoulders of the Taliban and its accomplices, as does the suffering of innocent Americans.
The purpose of our government is not to alleviate suffering in foreign countries. If Americans are truly concerned about the plight of the innocent victims, they will donate to private charities, as has been clearly demonstrated in the aftermath of the attack.
The bottom line is, the United States needs to be more consistent in pursuing its own interests. If we had done so in the past, we would likely not find ourselves in our current predicament.
Doug Humphries
Salt Lake City