About ten years ago Volunteer Now! came out with a report called "Consumerism" that focused on global priorities in spending in 1998. Figures were as follows:
Cosmetics in U.S.....$8 billion
Cigarettes in Europe.....$50 billion
Alcoholic drinks in Europe.....$105 billion
Narcotic drugs in the world.....$400 billion
Global military spending.....$780 billion
Compare to the estimated costs of providing universal access to basic social services in all developing countries:
Basic education for all.....$6 billion
Clean water and sanitation for all.....$9 billion
Reproductive health for all women.....$12 billion
Basic health and nutrition for all.....$13 billion
Total.....$40 billion
So, $780 billion on military spending and we can't scrimp out a measly $40 billion to provide basic human necessities for the people who need it most? With what excuse exactly? Security? I can say with all certainty that providing any of these services to developing countries would do so much more for collective security than building F-22 Raptors for $143 million-a-piece...and that's with 1998 numbers. Today global military spending is at approximately $1.5 trillion.
Something to think about.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
La Primavera
The first time I heard a song by Manu Chao my head nearly exploded. I can hardly explain the feeling; it's like a surge, and you don't know what to hold on to, and your skin is on fire, and you want to come undone and the sky could be falling on you and you don't care.
I saw this show a couple years back. Without a doubt one of the best shows I have been to. The air was sweltering hot, electric. From afar this must have looked like a cult worship. First, the rhythm hits you. It's so fucking sexy, so contagious, I can't remember anyone standing still. Then that rush of energy. He takes you back, injects you one more time and finishes off what's left of you with that guitar solo. By the end you're tame as a puppy.
It's easy to lose a little faith any day, but, when I listen to music this good I think we are downright blessed. Makes me a gooey, tree-huggin', babby-kissin' fool that understands religion, believes in altruism, heroes, the flying spaguetti monster and forgets all about the damage.
Love is seriously blind. And batshit crazy.
I saw this show a couple years back. Without a doubt one of the best shows I have been to. The air was sweltering hot, electric. From afar this must have looked like a cult worship. First, the rhythm hits you. It's so fucking sexy, so contagious, I can't remember anyone standing still. Then that rush of energy. He takes you back, injects you one more time and finishes off what's left of you with that guitar solo. By the end you're tame as a puppy.
It's easy to lose a little faith any day, but, when I listen to music this good I think we are downright blessed. Makes me a gooey, tree-huggin', babby-kissin' fool that understands religion, believes in altruism, heroes, the flying spaguetti monster and forgets all about the damage.
Love is seriously blind. And batshit crazy.
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