Not Enough
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
The world-wide response to the tsunami in Southeast Asia will simply not be enough. Jan Egeland, United Nations Relief Coordinator, has called the aid offered by Western nations "stingy" in the face of 100,000+ deaths. Economic globalization has already done plenty of damage to the people of India and others in the "third world." I've seen that damage first hand in the slums of India. The United States consumes most of the world's resources and more than anyone we take advantage of the economic systems that help cause terrible poverty in Southeast Asia. Yet as a percentage of the gross national product we give away only 0.14% of our wealth to assist other nations struggling to feed their people. Our response as a nation to the tsunami is inadequate in the face of such suffering. Christians - who as a matter of faith are called to put the least of these first - should be particularly upset with how our government has reacted. It even took the president until today to show his face and offer support for those who have lost their lives. We need to do better.