Posted 6:25 PM by Jason
Appreciation

The U.N.'s number two, Malloch Brown, is apparently feeling unappreciated by "middle America":  

"He lamented that the good works of the U.N. are largely lost because 'much of the public discourse that reaches the U.S. heartland has been largely abandoned to its loudest detractors such as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.'"

"'The U.N.'s role is in effect a secret in Middle America even as it is highlighted in the Middle East and other parts of the world,' Malloch Brown said."

Could that be because we don't need (or even want) your help?  What have you done for us lately?  Because the U.N. depends on the U.S. and not vice-versa?  Yes, I realize that that is a vast oversimplification, but it's a lot closer to the reality of the situation.  

Which brings me to this other article, a good read on philanthropy in America from an outsider's perspective:

"Americans give to schools, hospitals, libraries, galleries and the poor like no other country in the world.

Last year, American citizens gave more money to victims of the tsunami than their government did.

Yes, charity can be written off against tax, but it is also hard-wired into the psyche of a nation founded by pilgrims and enriched by private enterprise.

It is impossible to imagine modern America without philanthropy, because so many of the institutions funded by the state in Europe are financed by private citizens in this country."

But Jan Egeland probably still thinks Americans are stingy.  



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