I'm already sick to death of hearing all the arguing over whether America has been generous enough, or whether the President was quick enough to a microphone. What frivolous nonsense. Of course America is generous. Of course America is going to do a great deal to help - publicly and privately. Everyone should thank God for all the filthy wealth American capitalism has been able to generate, so that it can do great good in times like these, and our ships of war can be converted temporarily to transports of life with clean drinking water and supplies. And if you don't get by now that George Bush isn't the type of pol who rushes to a microphone half-cocked then you never will. What's the situation? How much money do we actually have available to spend? How can we get it there? When? To what extent are the vital interests of the United States at stake? You should know by now he only steps up to the mic fully cocked thank you very much.

And what is with these Iraq-funding comparisons? We're spending x on tsunami relief which is y% of a day's funding of the Iraq War. So what? We have a task to do there, too. The rest of the world hasn't stopped spinning and that money needs to be spent. There are lives at stake there, as well.

I have a better association to make. How about we look for programs that are somewhat frivolous - where there are no lives at stake, no great measure of our national prestige on the line in the international arena, where other funding avenues could easily be found to replace public largess - and move THAT money into Tsunami relief. I don't know what's earmarked for 2005, but maybe the President should have stepped up to the mic the day after and immediately re-dedicated the $121 Million budget of the National Endowment for the Arts to tsunami relief. Let's see who starts screaming then. Oh no! Not that! We can't send fresh water, medicine and bulldozers over there! No, we need more PISS CHRIST!

OK, I'll admit, I'm actually an agnostic on things like NEA funding - no sense in being overly dogmatic - and Piss Christ was a long time ago, but I do believe that when things get too controversial, and money needs saving, Arts funding should present its head for the block. (We can even have a nice ceremony as it saunters up to the guillotine...and gooorgeous costumes...) The money should probably be gotten privately. Besides, I'm ranting here.

The point is, drawing comparisons between Iraq and tsunami funding is as arbitrary as any other relationship, and merely confirms you never "got it" in the first place. It's also a bit like cancer research proponents complaining about the money being spent on AIDS research - they're not mutually exclusive and makes your own cause less appealing. Oh, and you better beware what you wish for...the cash has to come from someplace.

Now, I have this pile of rabbit feces I've been collecting, and I think with the proper backing I could really turn it into something big...