Go Figure

Go figure that the current Myanmar regime would re-label all the aid packages with the top generals' names. You would have to be an idiot to think that they would do anything less. Somehow we Americans seem to think that the rest of the world is just like us, and that they really care about their citizens, especially those who are in distress because of some natural disaster. What the hell is wrong with us, why do we allow U.S. based agencies and our illustrious government leaders to lead us into believing that whatever aid we give will get to those who really need it? Don't we have enough people in this great country of ours who are starving, don't have adequate housing, or who can even afford to support their families properly?

Then please explain to me why it is, that whenever there is a natural disaster overseas, we Americans feel the need to run to the rescue of each and every one affected by these disasters? I suppose they help us in our times of need? Yeah right, sure they do. I cannot believe that we are constantly duped into helping people who could care less about us, or much less our problems. All we seem to do is make matters worse, as the aid we offer rarely gets into the hands of those who need it the most. Sure there are charity efforts in Africa and other underdeveloped nations where the aid goes directly to those in need. However, that is only because they allow the agencies or people providing that aid to oversee its distribution. What would make us think that a country which is ruled by a military dictatorship would allow such in their country.

I think someone was asleep at the switch on this one. I heard President Bush ask the military leaders in Myanmar if they would allow us to assist, and send aid, but I cannot remember him waiting for a reply before requesting Americans to put forth their hard earned dollars to help. We have lost our way somewhere back a few decades ago, when we tried to befriend any nation we thought might be otherwise influenced by then the USSR, and communism. Someone needs to tell the President and the Congress that the Cold War is over, and now our biggest enemy seems to be ourselves, and not the terrorists. If we are foolish enough to believe that this gesture of charity is somehow going to make relations between us and the Myanmar government better, they are just deluding themselves.

We are still dependent on OPEC nations for much of our oil. We are at the mercy of countries like Venezuela who jacks up the price of oil simply because they don't like us, and know we will pay whatever to keep our country going. To be quite honest, I think many of the oil producing countries have good reasons not to like us. We send our oil companies there to explore and teach them how to drill for the oil, and then rake in the profits from use of cheap labor and lower overall costs. They then pass on the ridiculous costs of shipping the crude oil back to the refineries here in the U.S. as well as the high costs of refining the oil into gasoline and other petroleum based products. Let's face it, if we continue to allow ourselves to be controlled by the petroleum industry, and don't start finding and refining new sources of power, such as nuclear, solar and wind, we are doomed to pay even higher prices for gasoline in the future.

Let's stop the nonsense people, and show the President and Congress we mean business in the upcoming national elections.