We Need More Than A Thousand Points Of Light

I'm up early today to watch a friend run 50 miles on his fiftieth birthday to raise money and awareness about leukemia.Leukemia has been a darkness in the world and a deadly problem for all of us our whole lives.Raising private money( I gave today and will give to others) for deadly diseases bothers me because I feel research should be a priority in this country and publicly funded to the fullest of our ability. I know our taxes pay for research and many private companies give money to universities to find cures to these diseases but we have been coming up short for so many years. I get discouraged and angry that we haven't found solutions to many of our horrible health problems.All across the country,people are raising money for the numerous inflictions that darken our world.Arizona has recently denied lung transplants to people on medicaid due to state financial debt.A young,exchange student from Afghanistan is running part of the way with my friend today to help support his cause.I understand she is a wonderful young woman and I'm looking forward to see her today and talk to her about her country and stay in America.The U.S. is spending $120 billion a year to bring Jeffersonian democracy to her country.It looks like we won't be successful after 104 months there with a total cost approaching a trillion dollars(she only has electricity a few hours daily).We went there because we wanted revenge and we stay because we don't want to lose face as a superpower, according to some experts.We are paying the Taliban $120 million/year to leave our supply lines alone.If we leave the country, the Taliban (or a similar violent entity)will take over and dictate laws, through force, to the people.We are stuck in a dilemma that brings only  more darkness.The decision to go after the terrorist that brought destruction to our shores was valid but we should have been more patient in doing so( I was against invasion from the beginning).The Taliban let the terrorist train in their country but there was no love between the two groups.We could have given them money to solve our problem if we weren't so revengeful with blood on our brains and in our hearts.The decision(both parties agreed) was more of a political move to feed that hunger than a thoughtful approach to protect our citizens.Homeland security,which has cost us billions, came after we made the decision to try to destroy the leadership of Afghanistan.Unfortunately,we didn't solve the problem with force and the Taliban are growing stronger every year.Slow and steady diplomacy(with bilateral cooperation concerning financial aid,building of schools and hospitals) should have been the course but we have missed another opportunity to be successful in a troubled country.

Money,money and more money goes into the military budget without much dissent from our major political parties.The War Resister's budget has defense spending at 54% of the total annual expenditures($1449 billion out of$2,650) .This percentage includes the cost of the two wars(Afghanistan,Iraq...$200 billion),current spending($765 billion) and past military expenditures($484 billion).The annual interest on past military spending is $390 billion(80% of our national debt).If only this money could be reduced and spent differently.

I just came back from the road race and met the young woman from Afghanistan.I talked to her about her city(Bamyan area) and dreams for the future. She is very pure and sweet with hope for herself and family.She is also very intelligent and wants to be a doctor to serve the poor in her country.I asked her about her neighborhood and if she felt safe walking to school.She stated that walking is fun(they don't have a car) and that she has never had any violent trouble with other children from her city. She also told me that the majority of the citizen are illiterate and poor and that she considers herself middle class( father is a doctor,mother a nurse).She stated that she never witnessed any violence between the Taliban and the Americans.

I get the feeling the vast majority of  citizens in Afghanistan want to live in peace and only want what we want.Reasonable health,shelter,food,jobs and the ability to live in a secure environment.Their religion might restrict them at times(discrimination) but it also makes their environment safe if the Taliban(or other fundamentalists) stay out of their way.The typical citizen needs a chance to have an education so they can overcome illiteracy and become intelligent, productive members of  Afghan society.

Bush's"Points of Light" strategy was a compassionate approach to solve the world's social problems and many citizens have answered the call over the twenty years in this country and around the world. Many individuals(Left and Right) have established foundations to alleviate numerous negative social conditions in the U.S. and abroad.Unfortunately,the "Points of Light"approach is not enough to solve the horrendous problems of the world. These lights don't even help the vast majority of poor in America.Stopping the military madness is the first step on the road to a healthier planet.We have to stop spending half our money on defense.Our country can be the leader in reducing military spending. Many countries around the world spend 2-4% of the GDP annually on their military machines. The U.S spends more money on defense than all of the combined total of developed countries. If we start decreasing by 10% annually,we could not only reduce our own deficit,but also start planning to really help the lower class in this country and the under served around the world.My Afghan friend might just have a rewarding life as a doctor helping the poor with a little help from this military reduction.Let the Deficit Commission start with defense spending before raising the age on full benefit social security.