last thursday, bono met with the newly elected congressional leadership in the democrat party to discuss a $1 billion commitment that the U.S. made towards fighting AIDS and malaria in Africa. Bono was fearful that the commitment was going to be lost in translation, and of course it was…
“I’m alarmed we could not get a commitment from the Democratic leadership to prevent the loss of $1 billion in the continuing resolution,” Bono said Thursday in a statement.
“I don’t know who to blame. Democrats are blaming Republicans. Republicans are blaming Democrats. But the million people who were expecting (mosquito) bed nets don’t know who to blame. They just know that a promise made by the United States to keep their families safe is in danger of being broken next year.”
mosquito bed nets typically run $3 and save the life of a child or even an adult by preventing the deadly bite of a malaria infected mosquito. unfortunately, we as a country are more concerned and infatuated with killing people (iraq–yes this is a political rant) than we are in saving people’s live. with the cost of the iraq war set to reach $378 billion by March of ’07, we can see the fruits of our tax money in the killing of about 500 iraqi’s per day (655,000 as of October ’06, more than 20 times the estimate of 30,000 that president bush gave us)–not to mention the soldier’s death toll (3,197 of all coalition forces*). but our newly elected and crusty old congressional incumbents are too stingy to follow through on a promise to spend a measly $1 billion (in comparison) to save countless lives per day–at $3 per bed net that’s roughly 334 million people. basically put we could spend $378 billion to kill 660,000 people, or we could spend a fraction (1/378th) of that and save the lives 509 times more than we’re killing.
yep, i’m proud to be an american**, aren’t you?
——
*death toll as of December 18, 2006
**please denote the strong sarcasm in this statement.
Related posts:
- Bono on Live 8
- I Voted for Bush…Can I Take It back?
- U2 FYI
- Grow some balls will ya!
- red cross in trouble
Thank God he didn’t get any commitment from Congress — this is the best news that could have happened. Why?
#1) This is not government’s area to steal from me to give to anyone who says they are needy. I don’t see how it is Biblical to steal to give to another person, regardless of their situation. What if I am sick? What if I have AIDS and can barely afford drugs? That billion has to be paid somehow — and if it is paid the common way (government borrowing) it will cost $3 billion to pay it off. Of that billion, more than half will go to bureaucracy and cronies — it won’t go to the needy. If they buy items for the needy, they will buy it from their friends (cronies) and it will cost triple what anyone else can buy it for.
#2) The U.S. government has no provision for charity under the Constitution – NONE. This means that it is provided for the individuals states or the PEOPLE to do it themselves. You, sir, are paying 50% of your income to the government at various levels. If I could double your income overnight, what more would you do for YOUR charity, or for people in your life who were in trouble? Even if we had to pay for roads and some security, that is 8% max — your income would almost double. For 200 years, the average household paid 2% to 8% of their income in taxes. Only in the last 30 years of hegemony have we see that skyrocket.
#3) No one should force anyone else to support anyone against the will of the person who is doing the supporting. What if I was able to go to Congress and get them to give $1B for education in Afghanistan — money that you might fear would secretly go to fund fanatic Islamic schools? Would you be happy with that? What if Congress gave $1B for a “Christian” ministry in Australia, and you found out it was teaching the Book of Mormon. Would you support that?
Stop stealing from me to give it to others — it is un-Christlike, and it is wrong. People should be moved by the Spirit and in their heart to give — that is Godly. Taxes are un-godly.
I am not disappointed in this, I am excited. I hope we can see some change in the Federal government of reduced budgets and reduced taxation (doubtful), unlike the tyrant Bush has provided for 8 years on the backs of the conservative powermongers who support government “aid.” Remember the old joke: “We’re from the government, we’re here to help you”? It’s still a joke today.
By the way, don’t think that I am niggardly, because I definitely believe in spending more on charity and less on personal possessions. I just don’t believe that anyone should take from you to support something that I am not committed enough to do. If a program or person I support is not getting enough, I will personally ask you for help — rather than going to a group of men with guns and jails to force you to help my program or person I support.
“unfortunately, we as a country are more concerned and infatuated with killing people (iraq–yes this is a political rant)”
Oh yeah that’s right, our soldiers are over there firing on the innocent people at will…it all makes sense now….before everyone jumps on me for being pro-war, I am not, nor am I pro hate US either. Killing people is wrong period, but face it, the majority of killings arent coming from the US, they are coming from people who have been feuding since the days of Abraham. The US isnt planting road side bombs, and blowing themselves up in markets.
Even if mostly everyone thinks Dada is wacko with his tax stance, I do understand his ideology and you dont have to agree with it, but at least give it some thought. It stretches you to dig deeper into Jesus in the end.
My view is simply taxes are inevitable in this society, and govt waste and spending wont stop. I say if there are going to throw billions of dollars at something though, I sure hope its not to send someone to mars, or to protect tree huggers. There are billions wasted each and every year on things we never even hear of, including politicians pockets. The war is visible so people target that, but this is hardly the issue why Africa isnt getting nets.
Best way to change immediately to me is simply to continue to vote people out of office, no matter of party. If they are an incumbent vote them out. Then tell the person you just voted in they will get removed when their term expires too. If they know their own jobs aren’t safe for term after term, then real change can happen. If not, then you have situations just like this.
It is sad for the people I do agree….how come no one puts pressure on the national govt’s over there though? They are the ones taking all this UN funding etc and building more and more mansions while their own people die. That’s where the real uproar should be. Everyone wants to blame the US for every single issue in the world, and frankly its really getting old. We arent perfect by any means, but its not entirely on us either.
Killing people is wrong period, but face it, the majority of killings arent coming from the US, they are coming from people who have been feuding since the days of Abraham.
And? The people who are fighting on both sides are listening to people who have misconstrued the Old Testament, the New Testament and whatever other spiritual books they have. I was told at TLR this Sunday to render unto Caesar what is Caesars — if Caesar demands fighting, do you give in to that?
The US isnt planting road side bombs, and blowing themselves up in markets.
Yes they are. The US was the first government to train Middle Easterners in the use of car bombing and road side bombs.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/engelhardt/engelhardt180.html
Don’t start throwing “They’re blowing us up” mumbo jumbo, because “they” learned it from us. You reap what you sow, you live by the sword, you die by the sword. While I will love every murderer that wears our uniform, I will not let them use my name in their murdering. Nor do I believe you can stop a warmonger with more war — Gandhi and Jesus were both correct.
There are billions wasted each and every year on things we never even hear of, including politicians pockets. The war is visible so people target that, but this is hardly the issue why Africa isnt getting nets.
So true, but those billions don’t amount to much for you and me. If I asked you for $10,000, would you give it to me? Probably not. If I tried to steal $10,000 from you, would you try to fight me off? Probably. If I asked you for $0.05 (5 cents) would you give it to me? Probably! If I tried to steal $0.05 (5 cents) from you, would you try to fight me off? Doubtful. Take a nickel from 300,000,000 Americans and you have $15 million dollars. Turn that nickel in $5.00 a year from each of us and you have $1.5 billion. You won’t fight 1.5 cents a day stolen from you ($5.00 a year), but someone is receiving $1.5 billion from that collected theft. They will fight, bribe, steal and lie for that $1.5 billion, but it costs you 1.5 cents a day — you won’t be able to get that theft stopped!
Christ wants US to serve others, not for us to vote to steal from some to give to others who don’t have. This again is Christians wanting non-Christians to live a Christ-like life, rather than invest in teaching others that sharing and loving and peace are key.
Why are Christians afraid to die at the hands of terrorists? Are we afraid that all the Christians will die? Would God allow that???
BTW, Jason, I’m not debating the war issue, I’m just showing that we are hypocrites for not realizing that MOST “terrorists” are just following their leaders — like most Christians believe the Bible requires of them. The truth is that those who are terrorizing learned it from someone, and that someone is the US and continues to be the US. We used to be powerful because we manufacturerd and saved and were thrifty and entrepreneurs — now we’re powerful because of weaponry. It won’t be long before the US falls well below the rest of the world, as weapons can only control masses, not individuals.
Actually, yes I am proud to be an American. Why is it so hip for Americans to hate themselves? Are we perfect? Far from it. Are we a “Christian nation?” Clearly not. When Bono starts his own country somewhere maybe I’ll go join, but until then I would say that comparatively speaking where else would you prefer?
Anyway, nets are a lousy solution to the malaria problem. Have you ever wondered why we don’t struggle with malaria in the developed world? It has very little to do with climate. It is because we killed off the offending skeeters years ago with chemicals and pesticides. Unfortunately the political climate will not allow such an environmentally incorrect solution for the developing world. So because of environmentalism people in Africa are forced to make due with an imperfect solution.
By the way, just so I’m not misunderstood. Go ahead and buy all the nets in the world–this is the best solution we have now. Rick Riley from Sports Illustrated has a website – nothinbutnets.com where you can purchase nets. All I’m saying it that we have a better solution available if the politicians would get out of the way. Check out this website…it tells the truth about the consequences of America’s ban on DDT.
http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/articles/summ02/DDT.html
That website is actually http://www.nothingbutnets.net/.
By the way, in that article a European health minister admitted that the reason why he came out against DDT was because malaria helps keep the world’s population down. That is like state-assisted genocide. If Bono had integrity he would fight the most important fight of legalizing DDT.
That’s a frustration right here. Us anarcho-capitalists have been begging for DDT for over 10 years, but we’ve been laughing stocks because “everyone knows” that DDT is bad for you.
Some articles:
2001: http://www.lewrockwell.com/edmonds/edmonds10.html
2001: http://www.lewrockwell.com/edmonds/edmonds25.html
2006: http://www.lewrockwell.com/molyneux/molyneux23.html (DDT ban kills 60 million)
Who banned DDT? The State. Why did they ban it? Power. Control. Why did YOU allow them to ban it? Because you voted for them in support of protecting “the environment” when scientist after scientist has called out for its approval — but that’s not our place, it is your government’s place.
You voted for these guys? You did it in your name — you let 60 million people die. How many more are dying because YOUR State keeps dictators in power, YOUR State keeps the IMF and the World Bank in charge of making sure that poor countries can never save enough to prosper.
And that is the Christian’s response. Instead of saying NO to Caesar, they want to buy nets. How about we stop supporting those who prevent us from supporting others?
Oh, and Dr. Hein’s intriguing article on the poor and wealth (and DDT):
http://www.lewrockwell.com/hein/hein92.html
I actually agree with Dada on something. Lord have mercy.
I don’t get it. Why are we (Americans) supposedly “protecting our interests” or “exporting freedom” with huge outlays of cash for war resulting in a quagmire and a huge death toll? Why are we investing such miniscule effort in diplomacy? Why are we unwilling to make a relatively minor expenditure to create good will in a way that saves lives and will ultimately protect our citizenry?
It’s biblical for a government to serve its citizens (foremost by keeping them alive) and being a good neighbor.
This is not exactly rocket science.
Aaron, seems like you might be “back”…you know, outspoken and fearless and all.
Haha, Ragz
Diplomacy for the elite is not profitable, nor does it retain those profits for future generations. You and I are more concerned with our current than our future selves — and generations, while the elites have always been concerned not about the now but about retaining the future control for their bloodlines. The Old Testament shows that pretty clearly, any wonder why the current elites (both Muslim and “Christian”) love the Old Testament so much?
Because it won’t work as long as it is done by government — it never has. You can not point to one place where the State has honestly succeeded in doing better than private citizens/business, except POSSIBLY in the realm of capturing foreign nations. Defense has generally been better when relegated to smaller groups (say, cities as in Vietnam, or individual states/cantons as it was in parts of Europe not conquered by Hitler — Switzerland, for example). The State, the federal one at least, has a horrific record of promising the sky but barely promising a few steps above ground. It squanders away the finances on pork and cronyism — as the Bible told us mortal kings would. It enslaves the populace (military and jails) to retain control. That’s what government has always been, except for the amazing example that the US was from 1740 to 1850. From then on, we WERE empire because that is what Lincoln wanted from the start — and we never looked back.
Is it? I don’t see that, not with the New Covenant of love that we’re supposed to follow. Christ’s plan makes sense — share with others what others show need for — not random anonymous others, but people you know and can love directly. But even the Christians think that is rocket science, because they’re about the late and over great commission more than the gospel of love. It’s sad, honestly, that I see so many people from Zion traveling all over the world, but Zion is one of the worst hellholes in NE Illinois. Heck, some pastors have been going to other countries for the poor when a huge percentage of Zion is living in poverty and waste. What a Christian nation we are!
Am I laying blame on others? No, I’m just asking questions. Even as I have given up an income and a source of paying for my own needs, I see I still don’t do enough — I don’t know WHAT to do, though, because my hands are tied. My ministry is stuck between a rock and a hard place due to IRS regulations of not-for-profits. Caesar prevents me from doing my best. Many of you can’t give you all because you already give 50%+ to Caesar. What are you supposed to do?
I really think it is time for Christian to separate from the Federal and State government and scene entirely and start focusing on their villages and towns only. Let’s return home completely, be missionaries to the dark neighborhoods down the street, be personal examples for the love that Christ envisioned for us to give — as our villages and towns see repair and holiness, then we can expand by moving to the towns over. Don’t go to India or Africa or Mexico, stay right where you are. As long as one is hurting near you, help them with your constant love and attention. As long as one sheep is lost, forget about your congregations and your communities and you corporate prayer meetings and your offerings/tithings and give to that one person to lift them out of the quagmire.
That’s my vision of the Church. I don’t recall Christ telling me to go anywhere else (and I do believe the Great Commission is over 2000 years ago) but where I am.