A tiny fraction makes all the difference

GEORGE W BUSH has said that the war on terrorism is not only a military one but also a war for global prosperity, and that US security requires that the world’s impoverished children be fed, educated and given health care.

Yet his administration seems devoid of practical ideas on how to turn these flights of rhetoric into reality.

If the US raised its aid budget from 0.1% of GNP to 0.2% (their international commitment is 0.7%), we’d have an extra $10 billion to devote to disease control, education, clean water and other vital services.

That $10 billion extra from the US would quickly leverage at least $20 billion more from the Europeans and Japanese. Only then would we start having an adequate strategy for fighting terrorism, AIDS and other diseases throughout the developing world. Millions of lives would be saved.

Can we who are economically privileged bring ourselves to be part of a solution as opposed to being part of the problem?

Philip Cremin,

Scrahan,

Knocknagree,

Mallow,

Co Cork.