Tragedy, Sans Any Hint of Facetiousness
The new death toll in Southern Asia [assuming such toll can be regarded as accurate] has just been upped to 18 thousand, with 41 thousand injured.
Why so many? Can you say, "Building Codes"? That, coupled with 3rd world status and poorer living conditions, and the result is the devastation being beamed around the world even now. The tragedy is not God's preference of one group of people over another. The real tragedy is being able to watch the tele and not recognize ourselves in the shell-shocked people digging through the rubble.
If you can't see your own face super-imposed on the suffering faces of these survivors, there's something fundamentally wrong with you.
Why so many? Can you say, "Building Codes"? That, coupled with 3rd world status and poorer living conditions, and the result is the devastation being beamed around the world even now. The tragedy is not God's preference of one group of people over another. The real tragedy is being able to watch the tele and not recognize ourselves in the shell-shocked people digging through the rubble.
If you can't see your own face super-imposed on the suffering faces of these survivors, there's something fundamentally wrong with you.
from the mind of... Eric | 2:18 AM
2 Comments:
And America gives less than 1% OF 1% in foreign aid each year. America's puacity in regard to foreign aid compared to other developed nations is one of the factors that increases the unfavorable view of the USA in third world countries. People in those countries see America coming in exporting their resources and giving nothing in return.
Just as countries must meet humanitarian qualifications to become favored trade partners, so Congress could institute similar policies for importing companies. Requiring businesses that import to provide living wages, heathcare, etc for employees in order to get import tax breaks. It will never happen with the USA's corporate owned government.
This tragedy will be on the news for about a week, and then it will be forgotten except by those that have a wider view than only what is happening in America. Will congress write foreign aid for this disaster in next year's budget after the public discourse has moved elsewhere? Do you remember the earthquake in Libya? It killed 30,000.
You love quoting the percentage of GDP in respect to foreign aid. America still gives more, far more-- more often than not --than any other country. Even when she's wounded and struggling to rebuild from her own disasters. As to why people in 3rd world countries despise America-- and I'm not convinced they all do --it's because of this very kind of rhetoric that the Hate America First crowd claims as its mantra.
Congress should do a lot of things. On both sides of the aisle. And by the way, it's a government "by the people, for the people." You want to see something change? Go out and change it. Corporations do not own America... you and I do. It's as simple as attaching yourself to a cause, or creating one of your own, and making a difference.
How do you propose we solve the entire world's problems, and our own, when we can't even agree on the most basic of issues? You want to save the world? So do I. But I want to know we aren't going to bankrupt ourselves in the process.
I want to know I'm not going to be crucified by the media for both acting too quickly or not quickly enough. I want to know I'm not going to get spat in the face by the people I'm offering millions of dollars, and logistical support to.
Were men free of the pettiness that afflicts all human hearts, none of this would be an issue, but we don't live on that continent. You and I-- a microcosm of the divisions that split not only this country, but the entire world --have no choice but to do the best we can, fully expecting to fall flat on our faces on occasion; fully expecting to get spat on for all our efforts, but that doesn't mean we can take our ball and go home. Like it or not we're in it for the long haul, and the only thing that's going to make it any better is to learn to work together.
And I have my doubts about even that eventuality.
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