The New Road

That aide sum sounded a little off based on what I heard on NPR this morning and what I've been hearing on the radio all day. This is a tragedy on so many levels and I hope that we can do what we can to help the effort to save those who can be saved, but to help these countries rebuild. Here's what I found:

"...United States had responded to an appeal by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent by providing $4 million of the $7 million it initially requested worldwide.

The U.S. State Department said an additional $20 million in aid will be added to the $15 million the United States has already pledged for nations hit by the tsunamis.

In addition, 21 planes packed with relief supplies were on their way to southern Asia."

One unusual thing about the re-building that will inevitably have to occur is that many of the regions that were hit are incredibly poor--mostly people who live off the land and live in tiny houses--put up against the coastal areas where there are monster resorts for tourists. Where will the money go? To help the resorts rebuild to bring in tourism dollars? To help the natives recreate their way of life-near poverty? To create a difference existence for the natives?

First, obviously is to save lives and clean-up. To draw a parallel, the effort in Grand Cayman from Hurrican Ivan is still going on--though we don't hear about it much in the news. They have no way to get rid of the waste of the destruction, disease is running rampant, standing water everywhere, mold is all around and yet, they've managed to clean up the tourist port to accept cruise ships again. People are living without housing. Most live in the schools which have been closed since the hurricane. They're getting very little international aide anymore and now will surely get less. With so many people wanting our help, where do we put the emphasis?

I think the numbers are going up because we are making a stink about it. It was $15M for sure this morning, with Powell defending that number. If the numbers are going up it's because they have been pressured to do so.

I get the point about the shanty huts being cheap and all. But power and water cost real money. And that's true the world over. $15M wouldn't have cut it. My guess is that it will take a lot more than that.

What people don't understand is that this is a security issue. What creates terrorism? It's the disparity between our wealth and the abject poverty of the rest of the world. We should learn from Afghanistan. Where there is poverty and despair there are the roots of fundamentalism and terror.

Spending the right amount of millions to fix these countries now will save us from spending billions of dollars to invade them later.

I read that the Bush inauguration is being paid for with private donations--no tax dollars are being used aside from the usual security issues. Anything above and beyond a normal public appearance is being handled through private donations.

I think terrorism appears where there is opportunity. Whether that be economic, religious or just through a strong charismatic leader who takes something seemingly benign and makes it into something horrible.

And I agree, I'm sure it will take many more billions of dollars to clean up the devastation from the earthquake and tsunami.

I think the security on the inauguration itself runs into the tens of millions.