More Border Delights: Left Hand Giveth, Right Wing Taketh Away

10 Comments

1. 

   Street Kid on April 6, 2006 at 1:11 am

   Of course, do you think running a website is a lot cheaper than actually funding these programs?

   Depends on which software is being used.

   • 

     Kidspeak on April 6, 2006 at 2:50 am

     True, there is always “Hallisoft”, or “KBR-WBR”.

     But at least you don’t have those pesky scientists and medical types running around and shooting off their mouths. You can always just delete them with a few stokes – not of the physical kind, of course.

2. 

   DuctapeFatwa on April 6, 2006 at 5:49 am

   It would be a nice touch to note how many bombs (or fraction of bomb) each cut program will help buy.

   • 

     Kidspeak on April 6, 2006 at 7:10 am

     What a good idea!

     Of course, that is exactly what’s happened:  Away from building up people and their communities, directly into killing people and their communities.

     I did go straight to the original postings to try to figure out an approxmation of the loss in funding. However, the announcement texts have been removed, or frozen – not downloadable anylonger.  I likely could access them through another route, but lacking time, (I was diverting myself from writing a final when this alert from HHS came in), I didn’t. Que lastima.

     It was another case of a transfer of resources being openly juxtaposed against the pretense of concern for what those issues address.  

     Your point is so well taken!! Everyday I see young persons and children who are or have been affected by both sides of this terrible movement.

     The hypocrisy is sickening.

   • 

     AndiF on April 6, 2006 at 7:20 am

     website, the current (as of the moment I went to the site) cost of $271,110,412,473 could have insured 162,341,564 children for one year.

     Or we could have fully funded global anti-hunger efforts for 11 years.  

     Not quite what you were asking but depressing all the same.

     • 

       DuctapeFatwa on April 6, 2006 at 7:36 am

       few years ago, so some of the material is dated, but I was struck by:

       10: Percentage of U.S. military spending that would provide global population with basic necessities.

       A very concise sum-up of the foundation of US policy, from which all others, both foreign and domestic proceed:

       Better to spend a dollar to kill someone else’s child instead of a dime to care for your own.

       77: Percentage of Americans who support military action against any country believed to be linked to 9/11 terrorist attacks, even if innocent civilians are killed in those countries.  

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       69: In a 2002 poll, percentage of Americans who said they believe Iraq has nuclear weapons.  

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       O: Number of nuclear warheads in Iraq.  

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       53.9: Estimated number of U.S. troops over the age of 20 deemed to be overweight by federal obesity standards.  

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       $850 billion: Estimated military spending in the world in 2002.  

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       50: Percentage spent by U.S.  

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       0.0015: Percentage spent by Iraq.  

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       50 per cent: Spending increase on U.S. national defence projected between 2000 and 2007.  

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       320 metric tonnes: Amount of depleted uranium left in region after 1991 Gulf War.  

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       200,000: Estimated number of U.S. soldiers said to be suffering from Gulf War Syndrome.  

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       700: Between 1991 and 94, percentage increase in cancer rates in Iraq.  

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       1 in 6: Chance the U.S. bombed Iraq on any given day last year.  

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       9: Percentage of U.S. munitions dropped during the first Gulf War that were classified as precision-guided.  

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       75: Percentage used during current war.  

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       98: During the first Gulf War, the reported “success rate” (or percentage of accurate strikes) by Tomahawk cruise missiles.  

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       10: Pentagon’s estimated “success rate” after the war ended.  

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       $750,000: Unit cost of one Tomahawk cruise missile.  

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       725: By Thursday morning, number of Tomahawks used in Iraq.  

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       6: Of the 10-member commission created to investigate the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the number who have direct links to the airline industry.  

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       $3 million: Budget given to commission.  

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       $9 billion: Estimated monthly cost for U.S. to sustain war in Iraq.  

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       $100 billion: Estimated cost of Iraq “reconstruction.”

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       $7.4 billion: Amount U.S. will spend on missile defence research and development this year.  

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       70: The percentage increase in wealth gap between the top 10 per cent of American families with highest incomes and the 20 per cent of families with lowest incomes between 1998 and 2001.  

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       400: Number of French products and companies suggested for boycott on several Web sites.  

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       18: Number of times France has invoked its veto in United Nations history.  

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       76: Number of times the U.S. has used its veto.  

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       1,200: Number of American historians who signed a petition last year demanding the Bush administration respect the U.S. Constitution with respect to declaration of war.  

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       54 to 67: By 2020, estimated percentage of crude oil that will come from Persian Gulf.  

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       2: As a measure of proven oil reserves, ranking of Iraq among all countries.  

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       6: Percentage of the world’s population living in the U.S.  

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       30: Percentage of the world’s energy resources used in the U.S.  

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       89: Percentage of Americans who rely on television as their first source of news during war in Iraq.  

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       92: Between Sept. 14, 2002 and Feb. 7, 2003, percentage of news stories airing on NBC, ABC and CBS that originated directly from White House, Pentagon or State Department.  

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       67: Between March 25 and 27, percentage of U.S. television viewers who said they felt “sad watching the war coverage.”  

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       83: Percentage of U.S. television viewers who say they now want a return to entertainment programming.  

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       236,202: The number of times Osama bin Laden was mentioned in international media reports between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 11, 2002.  

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       57, 667: The number of times Osama bin Laden was mentioned between Sept. 11, 2002 and today.  

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       66,648: The number of times Saddam Hussein was mentioned between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 11, 2002.  

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       225,147: The number of times Saddam Hussein was mentioned between Sept. 11, 2002 and today.  

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       Oct. 2, 2002: Date the American Gulf War Veterans Association called for the resignation of U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld after he denied the U.S. sent biological weapons to Iraq during the 1980s.  

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       38: In a 2002 poll, percentage of Americans who said Canada should be annexed.  

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       13: Percentage of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 who could find Iraq on a map prior to the war.  

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       16,000: Number of inactive military ranges in the U.S. that have unexploded munitions that pose serious environmental hazards.  

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       1.5 million: Number of Internet “hits” the Iraq Body Count Web site has had since the war began.  

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       52: Percentage of these visitors who are from the United States.  

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       50: Percentage of weapons entering the global market that come from American firms.  

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       10: Percentage of U.S. military spending that would provide global population with basic necessities.  

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       1: Number of countries that have used nuclear weapons against another country.  

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       Sources: U.S. Department of Defence, New York Times, Opinion Dynamics Corporation, Factiva Database, Leger Marketing, Center for Media and Public Affairs, Medact, Pentagon, Znet, U.S. Surgeon General, National Geographic, Environmental Protection Agency, United Nations, World Health Organization, National Energy Policy, Colorado Campaign for Middle East Peace, Iraqi Body Count, Advertising Age, The Pew Research Center, Congressional Budget Office, BBC News, Washington Post, Amnesty International.  

       Populations using the least amount of water:
       Gambia – 4.5 litres of water per person per day
       Mali – 8.0
       Somalia – 8.9
       Mozambique – 9.3
       Uganda – 9.3
       Cambodia – 9.5
       Tanzania – 10.1

       Average US citizen: 500 litres per day
       Average British citizen: 200

       Recommended basic water requirement: 50 litres
       At minimum: 30 litres (5 drinking and cooking, 25 for hygiene).

       Source: Rob Bowden, Water Supply: Our Impact on the Planet (Hodder Wayland 2002).

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       Number of people in millions without safe access to water supply, in 2000:

       Africa: 300
       Asia: 693
       Latin America & the Caribbean: 78
       Oceania: 3
       Europe: 26
       North America: 0
       World: 1,100

       Source: Peter Gleick et al, The World’s Water 2002-2003 (Island Press 2002).

       Both via ni magazine #354, March 2003
       http://www.newint.org/

       And once again, to quote Samuel L, Jackson in Coach Carter:

       “And that’s some statistics for yo’ ass.”

       • 

         AndiF on April 6, 2006 at 7:53 am

         my ass would like to shove those statistics right up Bush’s ass but given all the shit he’s full of, there probably isn’t any room.

         • 

           CabinGirl on April 6, 2006 at 8:50 am

           Go ahead, I won’t mind seeing the crap come flying out his nose and ears…

       • 

         Street Kid on April 6, 2006 at 2:06 pm

         I never want to hear anyone ever say that a single payer system is unaffordable again!  If that amount could be spent on killing people, it can also be spent on providing medical treatment for people.

3. 

   alice E on April 6, 2006 at 4:21 pm

   Arrrg!  My body can only handle so much anger.

   Republican math:

   Death=Profit
   Life=expenditures

   GWB on social security; “Old people and poor people just are not dieing quick enough, it’s costing us money!”