Mountain Dweller’s Paradise

I came across another line in President Obama’s inaguration speech that I need to comment on:

“And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.”

I would love it if the wealth of the world was spent on resolving the problems of poverty in Africa and elsewhere, rather than on wars, population reduction through wars, and enslavement of soldiers who are mostly way too young to understand they’re being used to promote suffering and evil.

I’m probably stepping on toes again, not that I want to. I’m usually so disgusted with politics I pay little attention to it - but with our country in such a crisis, and with so many others experiencing major emotional traumas or hopes, it is hard to ignore it.

My main point is that Africans are suffering extreme deprivation and I’m tired of seeing the photos of starving children and their elders, while mega-millions are spent on wars and destruction. I hope President Obama can bring some SANITY to the situation and direct some cash back to people who really need it.

If you’d like to help, you might be interested in a charity I’m participating in, called Kiva… with Kiva you can give loans to people in developing nations who are trying to start or maintain businesses. The business owners must repay the money so usually you’ll get your loan money back, and then can either loan it to someone else, or keep it. My first loan went to Mary Barimah in Ghana for her used clothing business.