The end of poverty

Been reading this book the past week...not nearly done yet. Its the brainchild of a renowned economist, Jeffery Sachs, who is adviser to a certain Mr Kofi Annan of the UN. Its interesting the way he presents himself as an unconventional doctor; one who heals diseased economies. Its even more heartwarming to know that there's a solution to eradicate poverty in this world.

Everytime I go shopping at Clayton town and see the loaves upon loaves of bread, piled from floor to ceiling, which are about to expire in 24 hrs, I feel like a stinking bourgeois shitbag; an accomplice in a genocide perpetuated by our the developed world's indifference. As Bono put it:

"Fifteen thousand people dying needlessly every day from AIDS, TB, and malaria...This is Africa's crisis. That it's not on on the nightly news, that we do not treat this as an emergency -that's our crisis."

Perhaps some may extinguish their guilt by telling themselves that it is by no fault of theirs that a whole continent is in flames; they did nothing to light the fire. This may make them feel better, if their moral framework decrees that an act is different from an omission. On night I forget to leave the heater on when I retire, I wake up with cold blood coursing through my veins and I feel the same. Indeed, it makes me feel better, and I'm free to spend my day worrying about what to wear to uni, what to have for lunch, that my hair is being messed up by the strong wind etc. Tucker Max once said that he hoped they served beer in hell. Well, I hope they serve bubble tea in hell. I, and you, yes you, may well be heading there by virtue of our callous omission.