Nothing But Love :: golf blogger

Billions for Defense

The earthquake and tsunami that struck nations bordering the Indian Ocean is proof of not only the insignificance of mankind in the vast universe, but of mankind on this insubstantial hunk of rock and metal hurtling through an infinitesmal part of that universe. We are unjustly arrogant about our place in the universe and the world.

And when someone says that the United States is stingy in providing aid to decimated countries, let alone towns and villages, he is correct. Even now, with the $35 million that President Bush has pledged, the United States is pretty fucking stingy. Is there no realization that this could be an opportunity to return the country to a pre-eminent position. We have the contractor in charge of building roads pulling out of Iraq because it is not safe. Send the contractor to the Indian sub-continent and Indonesia. Spend the billions there cleaning up, building roads and building housing.

If the U.S. pledged to spend $35 million dollars per day on the Asian relief effort, it would take over 11 years to spend what we have spent on the War in Iraq. Stingy? Damn straight.

Bush talks like this donation is a big deal. He is merely moving foreign aid money from one column to another column in the scheme of things. The money is already budgeted for foreign aid. The U.S. was going to spend it somewhere, probably a lot of it in India, Indonesia, and other Asian countries anyway. Stingy? Yep.

Why not have Halliburton take a little cut in pay over there in Iraq? The company is gouging the U.S. government on behalf of its former CEO. Cut Halliburton's payments for work it cannot do in Iraq right now by about a billion instead of paying them for things the company has not done yet and send the money over to the earthquake relief effort.

There is an opportunity to make a choice of what kind of world we want to work toward, what manner of man we can strive to be. We have heard our leaders talk about the WAR ON TERROR, always in capital letters, and always describing it as a different kind of war. Right now, I see 35 million reasons for Osama bin Laden to rally his troops against the U.S.A. This paltry donation by the U.S. adds fuel to his fire. Why fall into the trap?

Turn the tables, so to speak. Take away a platform.

And while you're at it, take care of the hungry and homeless in this country.

Posted by Bill at December 30, 2004 11:45 AM