As I was writing about hunger among the Sri Lankans who are in the warzone, I wanted to also add a quote from a book that I’ve just started reading: Confessions of an Economic Hitman, which promises to be one of the most insightful books I’ve read of late.
A couple of quotes that really struck me:
The United States spends over $87 billion conducting a war in Iraq while the United Nations estimates that for less than half that amount we could provide clean water, adequate diets, sanitation services and basic education for every person on the planet.
and also..
Ecuador is typical of countries around the world that EHMs (economic hit men) have brought into the economic-political fold. For every $100 of crude taken out of the Ecuadorian rain forests, the oil companies receive $75. Of the remaining $25, three-quarters must go to paying off the foreign debt. Most of the remainder covers military and other government expenses – which leaves about $2.50 for health, education, and programs aimed at helping the poor.
Thus out of every $100 torn out of the Amazon, less than $3 goes to the people who need the money the most, those whose lives have been so adversely impacted by the dams, the drilling, and the pipelines, and who are dying from lack of edible food and potable water.
All of those people-millions in Ecuador, billions around the planet- are potential terrorists. Not because they believe in communism or anarchism or are intrinsically evil, but simply because they are desperate.
The book is a compelling read.
Talking of desperation, the face of the Somali pirate who adorned the cover of the Wall Street Journal today and who will likely receive a life in prison from the US justice system comes to mind.
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This is a little dated but I wanted to put this up here and see what people think.
Sri Lankan at the Stanford GSB 