Corporate Charity

Major American corporations have taken a beating this year from leftists and other anti-Capitalists. But let's look at some of the good US corporations have done this year:

NEW YORK - The killer tsunamis, hurricanes and earthquakes of the last year have led to more aid from U.S. companies, which are increasingly reaching out to donate money and supplies and to provide expertise, training and services.

The donations are partly the result of the growing U.S. economy, which has given corporations more available cash. Another factor is the large presence of American companies overseas: They often see an opportunity to advance their strategic interests by offering help after natural disasters (couldn't leave that out--ed.).

The devastating Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004, triggered the largest U.S. corporate aid effort - an estimated $565 million - for an international disaster. That is second only to the $750 million collected after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

There has got to be some nefarious reason for corporations doing good, doesn't there? Well, no:

In October, five U.S. executives established the South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund to help the victims of the earthquake that killed 87,000 people and left 3.5 million homeless, most of them in northwestern Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir.

The fund was formed by the CEOs of Citigroup, General Electric Co., Pfizer Inc., United Parcel Service Inc. and Xerox Corp. with the aim of raising $100 million by Jan. 31 to meet the quake survivors' need for food, medical treatment and supplies.

And what is not mentioned is that the top corporate contributor for Hurricane Katrina was the evilest of all evil corporations--Wal-Mart. Also not mentioned and a truly large charity contributor is Coca-Cola.