Pretty much everyone on here is a rich kid from the suburbs. And while it's fine to be a rich kid from the suburbs, now might be a good opportunity to use that privilege to help out those in need.

I hardly need to give any description of the tragedies in Asia, so I'm not going to ramble on or call anyone to conscience. I'm just going to say that it might be nice for everyone on here to give a couple bucks to help out. I gave a hundred bucks. Give fifty. Give twenty. Give five.

Don't fall back on the excuse that you don't have a credit card. Ask your parents. Offer to pay the money back to them. Chances are they'll acknowledge that you're right and do it without your having to. Trust me on this one, they'll probably be impressed you even asked.

Go to one of the following. Credit to Matt Good for the links.

Unicef: https://secure.unicef.ca/forms/emergency_page.html
Red Cross: https://www.paypaq.com/redcross/en/
Oxfam: https://www.strategicprofitsinc.com/hosted/oxfam/

It seems daunting to think that anyone in the west could do something to alleviate the suffering of those in need. Watching CNN it seems like the forces of nature are simply unstoppable, and that the tragedy is either abstract or too far away to be effected. It's not. Red Cross, Unicef and Oxfam are non-profit, reputable organizations. They're not going to steal your money. In a very concrete way the dollars you give will go to people who need them. Someone will benefit directly -- not abstractly -- from your money.

If you need a reason to help people, that would be it.

And that's all.

I donated some through Amazon.com, which has, as of this posting, gathered $6,922,862.58 in donations.

Small note, which in itself is rather obvious: if you don't have, or don't know anyone who has a credit card, there are numerous donation boxes around the place that take cash (at least in my country there are; I'm assuming the rest of the world is the same). No one has any excuses on this one.

Medicine, water, and food are the most important commodities for them right now. Medicine for the dehydrating diseases because disease could inflict more casualities than the actual attack.

Yes, that's true, but the best thing that people in the west can do is give money. Donating goods is nice, but the cost to transport the goods will actually cost about the same as the price of the goods themselves, effectively negating your donation. Not to mention how long it takes to get the goods there.

Money is, effectively, there instantly, and can be put right to work.

Wholeheartedly agree.

google.com also has a link up for donations, and Mercycorps.com (? on link) is directly involved. They're based here in the Pacific Northwest.

I see your point. If we could get Korea in to help then food problems will be solved (champa rice is insane).

Pretty much everyone on here is a rich kid from the suburbs

I'm an exception to that rule, but I will still see about dropping off some money.

Well I was pretty poor for most of my life too Kraken, but so it goes. You are on the internet though. As I always say, if you didn't have any money, you wouldn't be on the internet. You'd be doing what people with no money do -- trying to get more.