On December 26, 2004, an earthquake in Indonesia spawned a tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean. The tsunami didn’t stop until it reached the coast of East Africa, 3,000 miles away. The first reports indicated a terrible toll of 12,000 killed by waves that may have reached heights of twenty feet. Each day the casualty count grew until it reached six figures. It then became clear that estimates in the range of 100,000 were also wrong. In Indonesia, towns with 15,000 inhabitants have disappeared from the map.

The horror played out on television screens and in newspapers around the world. The American media did not disappoint. They quickly transitioned from giving us just the facts to reporting the news as they always do, with bias, sensationalism and sentimentality, all with the intent of keeping the status quo intact.

It is indeed tragic that tourists lost their lives, or that a European mother could not hold on to both her children in the raging water and had to choose which one she would save. Yet stories such as those were played out thousands of times in all of the devastated countries. It is undisputable that dark skinned Sri Lankans also tried in vain to save their children and had to make the same terrible choice. Unfortunately they don’t fit the sentimental tale as well as northern Europeans, the blondest and bluest eyed of all.

It may even be the case that officials sanctioned the supremacy of white skin and the money that comes with it over the effort to save lives. The Thai government has been accused of not announcing tsunami warnings for fear of disrupting the tourism industry. If the allegations are correct, they caused the deaths of many of the tourists they were trying to placate. As for the United States of America, a natural disaster in the Indian Ocean became yet another occasion to show contempt and indifference to the rest of the world.

If there are any heroes in this story one has to be Jan Egeland. Egeland is Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Aid and Emergency Relief for the United Nations. On December 27th he criticized the wealthy nations of the world for being “stingy” with foreign aid. Despite howls of protest from thin skinned Americans, it is true that the United States initially offered only $15 million dollars, the same amount offered by tiny Denmark.

George W. Bush was on vacation in Crawford, Texas, perfecting the cowboy image that the rest of the earth despises but that so many Americans love. The Connecticut born preppy was “clearing brush.” We were all assured that he remained in touch with the aides he depends on for information. Lest anyone forget, he has bragged about not reading the newspaper.

It is clear from even White House accounts that the man who can get anyone on earth to take his phone call did absolutely nothing to get information about this disaster until December 29th. Until that day Bush had only sent condolence letters to other heads of state. He continued to clear brush until Mr. Egeland’s remarks were highly publicized. When Bush finally spoke his comments were utterly worthless.

Bush was correct about one thing. The response was all too typical. First the U.S. thinks it is the sum of all wisdom, goodness and kindness and then whines like a child if anyone disagrees with the loving self assessment.

Overnight $15 million turned into $35 million and by the end of the week became $350 million. As always money comes with strings attached. Victims whose families were swept out to sea will now be subjected to visits from Colin Powell and Jeb Bush. Haven’t they suffered enough?

Millions of Americans recently voted to keep a willfully ignorant man in office. Obviously it is because they too are ignorant and happy to be so. The press bears some responsibility for all of this bliss. One brilliant reporter could only bring herself to ask a State Department official about the war on terror. “Is there any anti-terrorism component to this?  Is the administration concerned about – that the terrorists might take advantage of the situation?” Enough about you, let’s talk about me.

It must also be pointed out that Egeland decline to mention any country by name when he made his now famous “stingy” remark. He wasn’t even referring to this particular disaster, but to overall decreases in foreign aid contributions from rich nations. (Click here for a video of Egeland’s actual statement.)

Why are we so stingy really? The foreign assistance of many countries now is 0.1 or 0.2 percent of gross national income. I think that is really stingy. I don’t think that is very generous.

Right on cue the media swung into action. They declined to tell us what we needed to know and only reported what would get under our skins and make for a sensational headline. An already clueless public is constantly misled by so-called journalists who see themselves only as agents of the powerful and rabble rousers for the mob.

Perhaps Indonesians, Thais, Sri Lankans, Indians and Somalis are better off without the U.S. Americans are unprepared to work with anyone else in the world, European or Asian. We see what happened when America tried to be helpful in Iraq, and helpful in Central America, and helpful in Haiti. If all these examples of helpfulness are any indication, maybe the people who survived the tsunami are better off if the very generous U.S. just leaves them alone.