Yesterday, President Obama hit the 100 day benchmark in office. Established in the Roosevelt era, this number seems a bit arbitrary now. Why not 101? Why not 200? Or 30? I'll tell you why... Americans like round numbers. And, most of the time, we don't question things like this. We just roll with the punches.
In his news conference, he talked a bit about torture, the economic state, the car companies... But, from this question-and-answer session, I thought of what the most important things are to Americans and to citizens of this world. I consider myself a citizen of this world first, then an American. Being an American just means I am very lucky, and I start life with a ten step lead.
Life before livelihood. What does this mean? It's a way to measure all things important in this world. It's a theory on living and how to live. It's a projection of what capable greatness governments and people can have. And, it's a message that we need some real fundamental change.
Life. Life is people. The issues of life start with something like the catastrophic events and human rights violations unfolding in places like Darfur. Life involves the child sex slaves in Cambodia. Life involves 18 or 19-year-old American soldiers (or 10-year-old child soldiers in DRC) in vast deserts. Life is food. Life is usually literal, like the eroding environment that will lead to the death of EVERYONE. These issues should take precedent over livelihood issues.
So, what is livelihood? Livelihood is cars, movies, cell phones, clothes, etc, all of which I enjoy and sometimes think I can't live without. These are the bonuses of life... in a country that can afford it. But, these things aren't essential to life. These things only make life more interesting and provide conversation points, but they don't add up to a hill a beans if you look through the proper prism.
I saw a Charles Schwab commercial yesterday. It was one of those directed by Richard Linklater. You know... the cartoons that are actually real people. In it, a businesswomen looks like she's taking questions from an interviewer. And, she says, "I can't even look at my portfolio..." I couldn't believe it. Her life is so bad. Boo hoo. Poor lady. It's unimaginable that she lost money on stupid investments. These are the problems of middle class Americans.
I realize that the economic situation is bad. People losing jobs is never good. We need money to make the wheels go 'round. Okay. I get it. But, the businesswomen's statement forced me to look at this whole thing with some realistic perspective. If you live in America, you'll never really be poor. Not REALLY poor... although some NOLA victims will disagree. To compare poverty in America to, say, Africa, let's do a little experiment and what if.
Let's say I live in Detroit. I lose my job at the automobile plant. I run out of money. I lose my home, my car, my items. I'm homeless. It's cold outside and I have no food or money. That's about as bad as it gets in America. Agreed? Okay. That's scenario #1.
The next situation is this: I live in Darfur. I'm an IDP (internally displaced person), which means that I used to be a farmer in the northeast region of Sudan, but I've been driven off my land and forced to live in a camp that offers some protection through sheer numbers. It's hot outside and I have no food or money. Bad. Agreed? Okay.
Here's the difference. In America, if I'm homeless, I have options. I could always go into the local grocery store and steal food. In Darfur, THERE ARE NO GROCERY STORES. In America, I could always commit a crime and get caught, ending up in jail with food and shelter. In Darfur, if I do something to offend the local authorities, they'll probably just rape my family, burn my body and throw it in the well, poisoning the water for my entire community.
I'm not trying to dismiss the problems American's have. But, I don't understand when someone doesn't think that we are part of a global community. We're so willing to slap hands at a football game with someone who happens to live in the same city as us. But, we can't extend a hand to people in dire need? Why is there such a disconnect?
Life before livelihood. We need to solve these life problems now. That way, we can deal with livelihood problems (which are real and painful and horrible, too - I know). So, let's do it. Let's get these things taken care of:
- Human Rights for all
- Safety and Protection for all
- No Unnecessary War
- Environment
- Health Care & Prevention
... so we can worry about things like:
- Stock Market
- Corporate Raiders
- The party next Saturday
On a livelihood note: For those who don't know, Manny Pacquiao is fighting Ricky Hatton on Saturday. This will be an amazing fight between two warriors. I pick Pacquiao to WIN in a decision. But, I think he wins Rounds 6-12 pretty handily. Enjoy!
