Re: A leetle voice... -- WASHINGTON BOARD

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Date Posted: 09:36:54 09/22/02 Sun
Author: Grumpy�
Author Host/IP: 155-41.poccpe.cableone.net / 24.116.155.41
Subject: Re: A leetle voice...
In reply to: Mike A. 's message, "A leetle voice..." on 07:42:27 09/22/02 Sun

Ah, the joys of grandparenthood. :) A bunch of 6 year olds running back and forth chasing each other, losing track of which goal is theirs and forgetting exactly what it is they're doing. There are always one or two, though, that keep their minds on the business at hand and get the job done. Much like grownups, out of all the conflicting efforts, the misdirected shots and the riotous hubbub, arises a degree of accomplishment and sufficient efficiency to accomplish the goal.

Goal selection is vital to any business we undertake, and I have to wonder about ours at the moment. The current focus on the Middle East may eventually bring about some good, it is to be hoped, but while the world is fretting about Iraq, there are other problems that are not just festering, but are assaulting our claims of humanity. Africa is a plague of conficts, and has been for some time, but little attention is paid to those conflicts at any level.

The price tag for the proposed war with Iraq is rumored to be about $150 billion; I wonder how many wells could be drilled, how many miles of roads could be built, how many schools and hospitals could be erected, and how many lives could be saved with the same amount of money spent in Africa. I wonder that we can propose spending that much for war, but can't commit the necessary sums and people to truly recreate Afghanistan and modernize Pakistan. I wonder how far that sum would go toward settling the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

Why is it so much easier to spend money for war than it is to spend even piddling sums for peace?

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