Thursday, January 06, 2005
The tsunami disaster has how officially killed 150,000 people, or approximately 2.4 bajillion more than September 11th (to say nothing of the thousands of survivors who are sick with dysentery and other water-born diseases). The reason that 9-11 was yet a bigger news story at its time, I guess, was that it was seen as an act of war, rather than an act of God. It had a culprit, and the victims weren't just a few thousand Americans but several well-known buildings and to a certain extent, the sense of security that was an important pillar of the American Dream. (Wow, what a great idea for a political cartoon; the twin towers as two table legs, and on top of the table is a huge flower pot labeled "The American Dream"... these ideas always come to me years too late.) The two disasters are worlds different, but still it's interesting to contrast them, one a crumbling of American cultural self-image and the other a physical nightmare that literally tipped the planet and changed the shapes and locations of several islands.
You know, we really could divert the money we spend building one attack helicopter and combine it with the money we spend on one week in Iraq toward probably building the victims an entirely new continent (and have one fewer attack helicopter and one less week killingliberating Iraqis to boot), and dammit, I just realized I'm using the disaster as an excuse to make America look bad.
Well, what can I say, except that I do try to keep things in perspective. And the thing that really matters is that I donated a ten-spot to the Red Cross and depending on my next paycheck, I may shoot over a few more dollars next week.
It's snowing like a son of a bitch here in Iowa. Tons and tonnes of snow is burying us. It's very beautiful. It doesn't stop! Driving the bus tomorrow is going to be a son of shit.
You know, we really could divert the money we spend building one attack helicopter and combine it with the money we spend on one week in Iraq toward probably building the victims an entirely new continent (and have one fewer attack helicopter and one less week killingliberating Iraqis to boot), and dammit, I just realized I'm using the disaster as an excuse to make America look bad.
Well, what can I say, except that I do try to keep things in perspective. And the thing that really matters is that I donated a ten-spot to the Red Cross and depending on my next paycheck, I may shoot over a few more dollars next week.
It's snowing like a son of a bitch here in Iowa. Tons and tonnes of snow is burying us. It's very beautiful. It doesn't stop! Driving the bus tomorrow is going to be a son of shit.
