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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to find this comment ridiculous and ignorant (fb, sorry)

45 replies

manicinsomniac · 05/01/2014 16:08

It could well be me who is being ignorant and unreasonable so feel free to say so!

On facebook today one of my friends (well, not a friend but a lady I know) has written:

"I wonder how many foreign countries will send aid for our flood victims."

to which another lady I know has replied:

"I know! We always help others out but nobody helps us."

Seriously? They think other countries should help us, one of the richest first world countries in the world?

My aunt is flooded out. She's had to balance her thousands of pounds worth of antique furniture on bricks and move the whole family to the second and third storey - not quite homelessness is it?! (I do realise there are many people who will find it difficult to recover financially from what has happened to them but we surely can't say our country couldn't provide the resources and help necessary can we?)

Anybody living in a flooded out area (or anywhere really) who can tell me if IABU or not? Her whole tone just seemed really off to me.

OP posts:
IHeartKingThistle · 05/01/2014 16:11

They're being ignorant arses.

MrsSteptoe · 05/01/2014 16:13

I think normally when we send flood aid, it's to a country where there has been considerable mortality, starvation looms, homes have been irretrievably destroyed and continuing sanitation issues will see a rising death toll. Distressing though UK floods are to those that are affected, that's not really what happens here. So no, I think you're quite reasonable to be a bit Hmm with your friend!

MrsSteptoe · 05/01/2014 16:14

^ what Iheartkingthistle said, much more concisely than I did.

ginmakesitallok · 05/01/2014 16:16

Although the floods have been terrible I haven't seen anyone having to live in a tent, anyone who has lost absolutely everything, some without clean water to drink, or anyone who couldn't be helped by our own government.

Kewcumber · 05/01/2014 16:20

The European Union gave assistance to the USA after Katrina and they also accepted aid (and even troops), blankets, food ration etc from other countries too becuase the scale of the disaster was such that they couldn;t cope. No country could have been ready for a disaster on that scale.

If the UK ever experiences a disaster on that scale I expect we will get international aid. HOwever we are very lucky that whilst to individuals our "disasters" are traumatic, they aren;t on a sclae that we caon;t cope.

Original poster
manicinsomniac · 05/01/2014 16:21

Thank you. I was worried I might be sitting in my ivory (relatively) dry home counties castle and missing the waves (literally!) of flooded out coastal poverty on my doorstep that was desperately needing financial aid from the Philippines or similar.

My sense of sanity is restored Grin

No, to go and post something sanctimonious under her comment or not?! Hmmmm, probably not worth it!

OP posts:
CustardoPaidforIDSsYFronts · 05/01/2014 16:21

well put Kewcumber

OP...copy and paste Kewcumbers post as a reply

Catsize · 05/01/2014 16:22

Did they type those messages between coats of nail varnish and sips of Chardonnay? Some people... Confused

Kewcumber · 05/01/2014 16:22

Other countries don;t help us because we don;t ask them to because we can cope. The US had to (reluctantly) ask from help after Katrina.

No doubt if we asked for help they would be moaning that we are depending on Albania (who interestingly donated $308,000 to the USA) to bail us out.

LOTS of countries helped the USA when they needed it - you'd be surprised.

Kewcumber · 05/01/2014 16:23

if you cut and paste - please remove typos Wink

Pawprint · 05/01/2014 16:26

My town was very badly flooded some years ago. However, no one died of dirty water or was left homeless.

It was a terrible time and some people, mainly older folk, have never managed to return to their original homes.

In addition, some business (including some which had been around for a very long time) closed permanently.

However, I don't think you can compare UK floods to the Tsunami of 2004 or other catastrophic events such as floods in the Philippines.

I certainly wouldn't expect people in India to send aid to the UK...

Total ignorance.

Dollslikeyouandme · 05/01/2014 16:26

Of course it was ignorant and we can cope with our recent floods.

But, and I'm quite ignorant here so willing to be educated. Isn't the issue that people take that we are sending aid to countries where in fact their government are now in a position to help its own citizens? I'm not taking of natural disasters btw.

The media certainly likes to paint that picture, people hear that and go all Daily Maily about it.

mrspremise · 05/01/2014 16:28

Still loving 'Daily Maily'... Grin

Original poster
manicinsomniac · 05/01/2014 16:30

Blimey - seems I was being too charitable before. I thought it was unthinking rather than inflammatory. But I just went back to the page to see if there were any more measured responses and saw that she has now posted a photo of an aeroplane made with the front looking like a caravan and with 'Pikey Airways' written on the tail. Her caption underneath: 'Jan 1st: First Romanian immigrants land in the UK'

Disgusting.

OP posts:
SaucyJack · 05/01/2014 16:35

one of the richest first world countries in the world?

Yet we've still got people starving on the streets- so don't pretend our government is whiter than white when it comes to helping its own.

Agree that the floods on nowhere near on a scale to require international aid tho.

EATmum · 05/01/2014 16:36

Unfriend?

Misspixietrix · 05/01/2014 16:42

OP. I wouldn't bother with any replies. You can't educate the ignorant. You can take a Horse to Water and all that.. I would just unfriend to be honest.

marcopront · 05/01/2014 16:48

I remember reading an article about the amount of money donated per victim of Hurricane Katrina in comparison with an earthquake in Pakistan and I can't remember the third one. There was about 10 times as much for Hurricane Katrina.

marcopront · 05/01/2014 16:53

This isn't the article I read, but refers to a similar idea.

eca.europa.eu/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/1886570.PDF

NewtRipley · 05/01/2014 16:55

Oh dear. She's not very bright is she?

Or a friend.

FB seems to sort the wheat from the chaff doesn't it?

NeedaWee · 05/01/2014 16:55

Dead right, why are we forking out for space programmes and fleets of mercedes for dictators and terrorists

Kewcumber · 05/01/2014 16:59

There's a slightly peckish man selling the big issue outside Waitrose near me but starving on the street seems a bit inflammatory.

Mind you there's a load of Romanians camped on my drive.

ReluctantBeing · 05/01/2014 17:00

I think I might unfriend her.

Kewcumber · 05/01/2014 17:01

I suspect that the Katrina donations included donations from American companies and individuals which would have been enormous. More interesting would be a breakdown of donations from other countries. I find it hard to beleive that in the UK we would have donated more to Katrina than to the Phillipines for example. But would be interesting to know.

Kewcumber · 05/01/2014 17:02

you could comment on teh Romanian Plane

"Ha Ha Ha Ha... well that proved to be a load of old bollocks, didn't it!"

Then unfriend her

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