Donor fatigue and donor fatheads

■"Farmers, Charities Join Forces To Block Famine-Relief Revamp: Bush Administration Wants to Purchase African Food; Lobby Says Buy American; Proposal Stuck in Congress," by Roger Thurow and Scott Kilman, Wall Street Journal, 26 October 2005, p. A1.

■"Aid to Quake-Hit Pakistan Trickles: Some Fear Donor Apathy Could Further Inflame Ire At West in Volatile Region," by Zahid Hussain and Peter Wonacott, Wall Street Journal, 26 October 2005, p. A17.

Don't get me wrong, because I think the WSJ is the best. But sometimes it does just repeat stories from the Post or Times, acting like it got there first. I can't remember the exact date, but I blogged the first story (about blocked reform on food aid) a while back, from NYT I believe.

Still, that one was a bit cursory in its treatment and this one is more in-depth, so worth reading.

And it's such a huge reminder that when it comes to stuff, as in our food products, we're more than happy to waste tons of money accomplishing little of utility. But when it comes to actually empowering people, like African farmers, so there isn't so much famine and poverty and conflict and terror on that continent--buddy, that is SO complicated and complex.

I mean, why do right by the Gap (and God) when there are so many constituents and companies and ag corporations and homegrown religious charities whose oxen would be gored. Yes, yes, we can feed mouths and liberate souls over there or we can fill pockets and grease palms over here.

As with so many debates that pretend to be about national security or foreign affairs, this one too is all about the money and who gets to control it.

And that's so sad.

Meanwhile, the donors get fatigued, the disasters get so old (why cover a temblor in Pakistan that kills 100k when you can cover Wilma here at home that kills in the single digits?), and the suffering in the Gap goes unabated.

And yeah, on days like this I do find myself considering the judgments of those who say America gets the terrorism it deserves--not because of what we do abroad (the old canard about our support for Israel) but because of what we don't do abroad, which is value "their" lives (be there foreigners or our own troops) over "our" jobs (or let's just say some jobs in some congressional districts).