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Little Children
by James Glaser May 30, 2007 28,000 little babies die each and every day. 10.2 million children, under the age of five die every year around the world, and about 99% of them come from developing nations amid poverty, disease, and malnutrition. The US-based charity Save the Children came up with these numbers in a report it released on Tuesday, and it had this to say about Iraq. "Iraq, gripped by war since a U.S.-led invasion in March of 2003 and subjected to years of economic sanctions before that, had a 150 percent increase in child mortality." The report went on with, "Wartime electricity shortages, insufficient clean water, deteriorating health services and soaring inflation have worsened already difficult living conditions. In 2005, 122,000 Iraqi children—one in eight—died before the age of five, half in the first month of life." Iraq's childhood death rate deteriorated more than any of the 140 countries the charity reported on. It isn't just Iraq, in Afghanistan, 257 children die out of every 1,000 born, before they reach the age of five. You would think that the United States would be rated right on top, but first place was a three-way tie between Iceland, Sweden, and Norway. The United States came in 26th , tied with Nepal. We have been in Iraq for over four years now, and their children are suffering more than ever. We have been helping Afghanistan for over five years, and their childhood death rate is one of the highest in the world. It makes you wonder what we are doing to the people of those two countries. Post Script: Tomorrow I am heading off to the Future of Freedom Conference, titled "Restoring the Republic: Foreign Policy & Civil Liberties". It is being held in Reston, Virginia, and I am driving up there. So for a few days I am going to be writing about that trip, then I'll report on the conference. I hope to be able to find local saw mills on the way there or on the way back, where I'll be able to purchase some exotic local wood, woods that are not in demand, or that there isn't enough of to deliver large orders. I might find some different types of oak, maybe some lace wood, or maybe something I have never heard of. Also it will give me a chance to talk to small sawmill and small lumber company owners about what direction they see our country heading. I think it will be a fun trip and a very interesting conference. |
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