The United States was criticized last year by a United Nations official for being cheap in responding to the Asian tsunami. But here are some impressive statistics about the generosity of the American public, as noted in a Wall Street Journal editorial:
U.S. citizens gave $1.78 billion to tsunami relief, dwarfing the donations of other developed nations.
Since October, American have given $78 million toward relief following the Pakistan earthquakes.
The total value of private donations in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita has reached an estimated $3.12 billion.
Americans donate a quarter-trillion dollars a year to churches and charities, more than the entire gross domestic product of most countries.
And, of course, the Journal’s editorial pointed out that “all of this comes on top of the $1 trillion in taxes that Americans pay each year to support government income-transfer and benefit programs.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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