Just to put things in perspective...

Comparisons in World Spending

Since the September 11th attacks, global military and security spending has spiraled. In total, $1.6 trillion is spent annually on military weapons. At the recent Salt Lake City Winter Game alone, organizers spent an estimated $300 million on security measures or approximately $125,000 per athlete. By contrast, the 1999 WTO meetings in Seattle had a mere $5 million to spend on security.

This is in response to the deaths of 3,000 people. By contrast, in the last twelve months:

- more North Americans were murdered by their spouses

- three times as many people died from food poisoning

- five times as many people were killed by drunk drivers

- ten times as many people committed suicide

- 100 times as many people died from smoking

North American governments are now planning to spend more than 20 billion dollars a year to help fight terrorism. Coincidentally, 20 billion dollars a year just happens to be the amount the World Health Organization has estimated it would take to end hunger in the world. On September 11th alone it's estimated that:

- 24,000 people died of hunger

- 6020 children were killed by diarrhea

- 2700 children were killed by measles

- 1411 women died in childbirth

- 3288 children were made homeless by war

For an additional investment of 48 billion dollars a year (or less than 0.4% of world military spending), mankind could:

- ensure that all children both boys and girls - receive a primary education

- reduce the number of maternal childbirth deaths by three-quarters

- reduce the number of children who die before the age of 5 by two-thirds

- stop the spread of AIDS.

thanks to Ethel the Blog