OK, so I've been a terrible slacker these last few weeks. The annual holiday morass of shopping, wrapping, and eating (not to mention weeks of crushing boredom at work) has left me so utterly drained of energy and wit that I haven't been able to string together more than a sentence or two at a time. Blar.
But there's nothing like an international disaster to shake me free of my lethargy. The death toll continues to rise in the wake of the horrific devastation wrought by tsunamis in the coastal areas of south Asia - official counts have reached 52,000 and are still climbing. And that doesn't even include the casualities that are sure to follow from disease and starvation.
Meanwhile, our good friend Sheelzebub observed earlier today that the U.S. has pledged a paltry $15 million in aid to the battered region.
Interestingly, the Washington Post now reports that USAID is preparing to increase its aid efforts by another $20 million. Guilt is a wonderful thing, eh? Still, it's a drop in the bucket coming from the wealthiest country on the planet. Then again, what else should we expect from an administration whose raison d'etre is to line the pockets of the uber-rich? As Sheelzebub points out, "Between the invasion of Iraq, the "war" on terror, and tax cuts for the super-wealthy, we're just strapped."
For those who'd rather not wait for the government to get off the proverbial dime and pony up more funds, there are plenty of organizations lining up to offer assistance; check out this list. All of them are eminently worthy, but I'll put in my own personal plug for Oxfam.
I can't help reflecting on the irony that at the very moment so many of us were wallowing in wretched excess, tens of thousands were being stripped of their homes, their livelihoods, and even their lives. If God exists, s/he has a viciously perverse sense of humor.
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