terrshee's Diaryland Diary

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Granfaloons

Today I'm thinking back to my youth, to the time I read "Cat's Cradle" and learned of Bokononism and the concept of the granfaloon.

I listen to the reports of the impact of the tsunami and how they count the dead. Over 150,000 maybe, but who will ever know really? Anyway, the reports always enumerate the number of American citizens lost, like somehow these numbers are more important. A granfaloon inside the masses of humanity that were wiped out.

I know this is an attempt to bring the disaster home, to give it relevance and connection to people far removed geographically. But somehow it seems to say that the American lives are proportionally more important than anyone else's.

My boss was telling me of a grim joke they used to have years ago in the UPI press room where he worked. There was a chart on the wall that read something like: 1,000 Asians = 100 Europeans = 1 American.

I am proud of my country, and the outpouring of public and private help that is being sent to the stricken region. This is being done in a genuine spirit of compassion (although inevitably there is a public relations aspect to it). I just wish it was being attributed as much to our virtue as human beings as to the accident of our nationality. To be fair, living in the richest country on the planet does give us the means and obligation to help others. I just wish we could transcend the flag waving for a bit longer.

7:47 a.m. - 2005-01-04
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past tense - always tense - future tense