Wednesday - January 05, 2005

Beaten To The Punch

I was going to comment on this story which I found offensive on so many levels. The biggest thing I found offensive was when the authors claimed to have contacted “politicians and commentators” yet on reviewing the list of aforementioned individuals I find “artists” “comedians” a “founder of some bullshit award” etc. 

But Neal Boortz beat me to the punch.  Here it is in all its “ripped to shreds” glory:

Uh oh.  Here it comes.  The Independent Online Edition features an article today titled “Could the tsunami disaster be a turning point for the world?” The lead paragraph reads:  “As the international aid effort grows and George Bush launches a fresh appeal, we ask politicians and commentators if 2005 might see a new determination to tackle global poverty.”

So, there you go.  A massive earthquake and the resulting tidal waves are somehow being translated into an urgent need to address the problem of world poverty.  We all saw this one coming. 

Let’s take a look at what some excerpts from what these “politicians and commentators” had to say about the issue:

* I am hopeful, but we must see a real commitment to changing the economic relationships between the West and the poorer countries. As well as charitable giving,
* On an individual level, it is not just about what we are prepared to give, but what we are prepared to give up. Having left Afghanistan and Iraq in their wake, can our leaders be trusted to fight a war on poverty? (This from a comedian)
* No longer can we exist in isolation when we see lives and livelihoods being destroyed.
* It seems churlish to say it, but while it’s relatively easy for most of us to give £50, it would be much harder for us to make the changes in our modern lifestyles that are needed if we are to move to a fairer world.  (A “fairer world?” Fine .. .define “fair.” This comment, by the way, from a Greenpeace honcho.)
* It was the same after 11 September. Everyone said it was a great opportunity to try to understand the world but it was used by the US as a reason to go on a rampaging adventure in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Another comedian heard from.  Somehow the Independent thinks that comedians are a great source for comments on how to change the world.)
* Western capitalism demands that people must be impoverished.  (This comment from an artist.  Imagine my surprise.)
* The danger is that resources which might have gone to Africa will go to this instead.  (Can’t shortchange Africa, can we?  Here is a continent with absolutely immense natural resources, and they can’t even feed themselves.)
* It would be one of the biggest breakthroughs mankind has ever experienced if we pooled our wealth in order to look after the poorer people of the world.  (A Novelist)
* It may make people realize that the UN needs to be well-equipped and funded. If people diverted money from weapons and war, we have the technology and money to be able to help - if we decide to do that. (The UN?  Talk about diverting money.  Has this former cabinet minister heard of the Oil-for-Food scandal?)

Now ... what’s missing from these comments?  One word.  Freedom.  The greatest mechanism for ending poverty the world has ever seen is capitalism and the free enterprise system, yet we see no comments from any of these exalted commentators and politicians relating to ending third world tyranny and bring the wonders of economic freedom to bear in a worldwide war on poverty. 

Let me tell you where this is going.  Read those comments again and you’ll see references to “giving” and “giving up.” You see condemnations, not praise for capitalism.  These people are obviously focused on the idea of taking the current worldwide economic pie re-slicing it so that everybody gets a peace.  Nobody is talking about simply baking a bigger pie.

The anti-West, anti-capitalistic left is going to use this tsunami as a platform to promote not a rise in worldwide economic freedom, but for an increase in worldwide wealth redistribution.  The United States, as the richest nation in the world, is going to be cast as the villain, while poor third world countries will be presented to us as the victims. 

One other thing.  In this quest to combat world poverty nobody is going to state the obvious:  That we have too many women in poor countries around the world having children that they simply cannot afford to raise.  Step one in avoiding poverty ... birth control.  Don’t have children you can’t afford.  But why bring that up when it’s just so much easier to attack the west and demand that their ill-gotten gains simply be seized and redistributed.”

(NOTE: This post was spell-checked prior to submission.  Any errors should be blamed on the spell-checker program.  Grammar errors are intentional.  I speak like that.)

Posted by Ranting Right Wing Howler     on 01/05/2005 at 07:28 AM   
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