Like many in his generation, he believes the time for glacial reform is long gone.
I have a young friend, mid-20s, who votes, and votes the right way but is completely discouraged and disgusted with the system.
Urgency is upon us like never before, but on all levels many are acting like we’ve got years. And locally many see only a snail’s progress in attacking our huge problems, due to entrenched politics and business as usual. Newsom’s needed programs may not get through a greedy, small minded legislature. But the divided Dems in DC who want to save us are facing stiff opposition from a GOP that could take over again next year. Our City Council now has a fighting chance to do some good with a new balance since the last election. Newsom is now leading the charge with very big budget numbers for a clean and safe CA future, and I say yeah. If Congress doesn’t pass both humane infrastructure bills, we will soon look back and find that insane. Think of that.Ĭharles, why are you bummin’ me out? Last column you reminded us the planet is burning up, flooding, and more. Two-thirds of that could be provided by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, leaving a paltry balance, divided up. The UN estimates that about 9M people die of starvation every year, and that it would take only a $90B contribution from developed countries to wipe that out, among 700M of the world’s most vulnerable. Imagine all the people, sharing all the world… No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man. We have known for a long time that there is enough food to feed everyone. It’s not a matter of supply but of political will. The point is, America could do so much better. Maybe there is something to this socialism thing… Guess who also gets a commendable gray? Vietnam! Another surprise, perhaps: Russia and all the former USSR bloc, now independent nations, are all in the highest category for least malnutrition. Notable because every other country in Europe is solid gray. Join Romania and the Czech Republic in Europe in that next-best category of malnutrition mortality. Canada, not the US, earns the only gray coloring, with the lowest malnutrition death rate. The US is in only the second lowest category! In all the Americas, only Guatemala and Haiti are in the worst category. I found a color coded map of the world, for statistics on malnutrition death rates.
In America.īut what’s this got to do with Best Buy? Well, I’ll tell you. 38M experience hunger and food uncertainty, every day. Am I looking for a better condo or car, or food and safe water for my family, every day? Better shoes, or any shoes? Having a vaccine for coronavirus, or worried sick that malaria, TB or some diarrheal disease (all of which we have defeated in the first world) will take my family?ĭo people die of starvation in the US? Yes. Where you’re born is a matter of chance (or cosmic destiny if you will, but I’ll go with chance), that makes a life or death difference, literally feast or famine. I don’t take that for granted and am so thankful for it every day.
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