Priorities
I realize numbers can become very abstract. Large numbers are thrown around on the news for things like government budgets and corporate fraud, but it’s true meaning is never quite understood. They all just get thrown in the mental category of “big” and then we go back to making pop tarts.
Numbers of the dead, hopefully, are something different. Hopefully we are capable of pausing and realizing the horror of it all. Here are some numbers of the dead, each with a name and a face and a family who loves them, as of today:
- Indonesia 45,268
- Sri Lanka 25,000
- India 12,419
- Thailand 1,829
It’s more horror than anyone should have to consider.
Here are two more numbers to consider:
- Amount Bush has committed to aid the survivors:
$35 Million - Amount being spent on Bush’s Inauguration Party:
$40+ Million
It really puts into perspective how much money a nation such as ours really has that we can spend more on a three day party than on this horrible disaster. Bush says we will contribute more, but won’t really say how much or when. He actually committed only $15 Million at first and then pledged more when the criticism came.
We can do better. Please, write to the President, to your Congressional Representative and to your Senators to tell them so.
Update: It would seem making noise once again works as Bush has pledged $350 Million in aid. What a strange path to charity though with first pledging $15 million, then $35 and finally $350 million, but I’m so glad it finally arrived at a number that matches the need. I just wish it wasn’t such an embarrassing path.
Permanent Link
Here is a good NYTimes editorial about the US stinginess.
Admittedly, Canada has given $40M toward this cause, which is a considerable amount given they are 10 times smaller than the US in population. However, I find it an interesting trend that those who have an axe to grind with the President (or any other leader for that matter) will use anything and everything against them. The old adage, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy for the US as we see the dollar weaken (and no doubt, that too can be blamed on the leader, no matter who it is).
Although I’m not a fan of Bush, I don’t consider this a political issue, but a humanitarian issue and one that we can do something about. Applying pressure on the government as a whole (you’ll note I linked the executive as well as the legislative branches) will do a great deal. If our representatives do not at the very least make a lot of noise about this, they are just as much to blame.
As for a weakening dollar, I doubt my often conflicting views with the White House has much of an effect. More than likely, a massive trade deficit along with startling government and personal debt plays a much larger role.
Well, think of it this way… $35 million is about 0.12 dollars per American. Or something like that. Do you think that each American, given the chance, would be willing to give $1? $5? $10? I think that a lot would give $1, which would increase the amount of aid by an order of magnitude (almost). I also think that a lot would give $5, if they understood what was going on and saw pictures of the devestation.
Yes, very good website!