Ugly. It isn't always American

Some Pakistani politicians are getting a little pushy about relief money from Uncle Sam and Great Britain.

The United States, which was under pressure to increase a pledge of $500,000 (£280,000) considered almost derisory by many Pakistanis when it was made over the weekend, announced it intended to give $50m in emergency aid.

The gesture, intended to make up for the resentment caused by an initial pledge which, along with the British offering of £100,000, was labelled as "peanuts" by Qazi Hussain, the leader of the Pakistani opposition party Jamat Islami, was greeted as a major boost to the struggling relief effort.

Forget, for a moment, that in most instances private relief aid from United States citizens through such agencies as the Red Cross and Catholic Relief Services almost always dwarfs the government handout. Forget, for a moment, that the U.S. Treasury has been tapped for billions in disaster aid since last December 26.

And while you're at it, forget for a moment, your manners. America always puts its top dollar forward when it comes to disaster aid. Don't worry: your opportunity to skim profits off of our sincere attempts to help will come soon enough.

Sigh.

UPDATE -- We posted too soon. The U.K. Independent has a list of who has pledged what. Take a gander at this:

Aid donors

Britain: £1m

United States: £50m plus helicopters

European Union: €3.6m plus aid workers on the ground

United Nations: $100,000

Kuwait: $100m

South Korea: $3m

Malaysia: $1m

Australia: $4.2m

Sri Lanka: $100,000

Notice who the skin-flints are? The European Union and the ever-so-ready to get their hand into the pie United Nations, who we are certain will be demanding to "coordinate" disaster relief within hours.

Chances are the U.N. will send Uncle Sam a bill for the $100,000 plus 15% for administrative costs.