Letters: Jan. 31, 2005

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It's time President Bush and Congress take their cue from the American people and examine their priorities in spending our tax dollars. We have spent $130 billion on the war in Iraq and only $350 million for tsunami disaster relief. That is shameful.

ROGER GOODE Hillsborough, N.H.

After the tsunami, humankind truly united with universal grief. But at what point did we become complacent about the killing and suffering of the tens of thousands in Iraq?

ROBERT F. ROSENBERG Brighton, Mich.

Why the Poor Suffer More

In??his??essay??"The Class System of Catastrophe" [Jan. 10], economist Jeffrey D. Sachs argued that "what the rich world suffers as hardships the poor world often suffers as mass death." That says it all. The U.S. has, with its wealth and abundant resources, the ability to lead the world in reaching out to those far less fortunate. Instead, over the years we have chosen to put our resources into military spending and most recently into a war that has become an enormous money pit. Perhaps if we had used our resources more wisely over the years, we could have helped reduce the death and destruction caused by the tsunami.

LAURA GEISEL Redondo Beach, Calif.

Sachs' essay, while an excellent description of the vast differences in how rich and poor nations are affected by catastrophes, slammed the U.S. for providing only 15?? of assistance per $100 of income. Sachs stated that raising the level of U.S. assistance to 70?? would save millions of lives. How ludicrous! Such an increase could only lead to widespread corruption among the bureaucracies handling the assistance; a mere trickle of aid would reach those who need it most. What the rich countries can do is unilaterally remove the trade quotas and restrictions on goods and services that poor nations can provide to rich countries, thus directly enriching the people of underdeveloped countries. That type of assistance would be more efficient and less prone to corruption.

JOSE BRIGOLI Downingtown, Pa.

Sachs neglected to mention that one reason more deaths occur in poorer nations is their extreme overpopulation. Moreover, governments disburse their money as they see fit. If those poor nations, many of which have extensive internal political corruption, choose to pay for things other than more hospitals, better roads and coastal barriers, they have no one to blame but themselves when disaster strikes. Poor nations of the world, take heed: Spend your money wisely, and hold your politicians accountable.

CHRISTOPHER VERA Carlsbad, Calif.

As??much??as??I??am??all??for??humanitarian??aid, it is wrong to expect wealthy countries to baby sit poor ones. We must set up these nations so they can help themselves. We can't do all the work for them. As the saying goes, Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime.

ANDREW HARTMAN San Jose, Calif.

Tall Order for Abbas