While we were busy destroying ourselves . . .

It so happens that there are some truly awful things going on in the world right now. Not that you ought to care. Reuters supports a non-profit news service on humanitarian issues around the world, which I check regularly for Iraq Today. This causes me to know stuff that I wouldn't know if I only watched American TV and read American newspapers.

For example, 10 million people are starving right now in the horn of Africa. It's a combination of drought, civil conflict, and pervasive poverty. The United Nations news service will also tell you a bit about it, if you should happen to care. So far they've been able to raise about half of the $2 billion they need to stave off a world historic catastrophe.

I'm old enough to remember when Americans gave a damn about shit like that. Bangladesh, Biafra and what not. I'll bet if word leaked out that the U.S. has ponied up almost half of that $1 billion that's been pledged so far, the Tea Party would start howling for impeachment.

The fact is, though, that just feeding those people isn't going to solve anything. Much of the land is likely never to be arable again. We are seeing the first signs of the population displacements that are going to become commonplace in coming years as the global climate changes. Get ready.