From: ivaliote@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Lotus )
Subject: Re: Somalia
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 11:20:42 GMT

green@plains.NoDak.edu (Brad Green) writes:
>>>families on Christmas (that's a God-fearing Christian holiday, I might
>>	     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>No it's not.  Maybe at one time it was, but now, it is little more than a
>>commercialized capitalistic orgy which runs from Halloween through Valentine's
>>day.  
>Unfortunately, there's too many folks like you, and not more of those who
>still believe in the "real meaning of Christmas".  Just because you figure it's
>a secular buying feast, doesn't mean there's still not a very large majority of
>people who celebrate it for it's original reason.
Very large majority?  Umm, I hate to break this to you, but considerable 
minority is what you are really dealing with.  Seriously.

>>How's this for an idea?  We stay out of other nations' affairs, keep our troops
>>at home, and spend the money feeding _our_ hungry citizens at home.  The same
>>money will feed a lot more people here, since a greater portion will be spent
>>on the food itself, as opposed to the portion spent on (1) sending it over 
>>there and (2) protecting it.

>How many homeless have you seen in the condition of the 75% of the Somalies
>you see on the news?  We guarantee schooling, feed the schoolkids breakfast,
>give them a free lunch and then send them home, where AFDC, food stamps, and
>other programs provide them supper.  We provide free or low cost housing,
>energy assistance to pay heating bill, Medicaid to provide healthcare, you
>name it.  There is absolutely NO reason why anyone has to live on the street
>and starve.  Get off this kick about spending the money here, we are.  We are
>paying farmers to grow the food, the military to insure it's safe arrival,
>defense suppliers to provide the equipment, energy suppliers to provide the
>fuel, etc.  The military provides one hell of an economic impact (positive)
>here already.  And if you think not, just ask the laid off defense worker that
>lost his job because of defense cutbacks.
Maybe that defense worker would have been a steel worker or some other plant 
worker if we had been less defense-conscious and more business conscious over
the past decade or so.  And if there is no reason why anyone should live in the
street and starve, then why does it happen in such great numbers?

>We're (fortunately) not trying to export our way of life.  We don't need LA
>street gangs to show they way, they already have "technicals".  All we're
>trying to do is keep millions from starving to death.
If we truly wanted that, we would have started months or even over a year or two ago.  I sense a catch.

>>Lest anyone get the idea that I am unsympathetic toward the plight of the
>>Somalian people, let me assure you that I am not.  Although I sympathize with
>>their situation, I feel that America's priorities are out of whack.  
>So, put up, or shut up.  Just EXACTLY what SHOULD we do?

Umm...nothing?  Or do you want to go into Western Sahara, Liberia, and Angola 
while we're in Africa?  And then shall we move to Asia?  There are scads of 
countries with nothing to eat for many of their people.  After all, our 'way
of life' is the one that spends the money.


Matt I.

Newsgroups: alt.current-events.somalia,talk.politics.misc,alt.politics.bush,alt.politics.clinton