Superbowl and Smart Power?

USGLC Super Bowl Infographic

http://twitter.com/PenelopeCrump Penelope Crump

This really puts things in perspective!
- http://twitter.com/davidwarrenlong Rev. David W. Long
  
  Yes, and what our priorities are, even with football.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=633621145 Hal Donahue

Outstanding
http://twitter.com/SPKrikava Steven Krikava

I try to stay on top of the facts. But some of this is just shocking. Super Bowl Chicken Wings = half of famine relief to Kenya? That’s outrageous.
Matthew

I know development types eat this stuff up, but I find it condescending. Mosquito bed nets, HIV prevention, and famine relief are all jobs of national governments for their own citizens. US foreign diplomacy should be about strengthening foreign governments through economic partnerships and technology transfers, not about handouts. The Chinese understand this. Why can’t we? Perhaps too many bloated US-AID salaries are on the line?
- http://www.facebook.com/tim.probst.16 Tim Probst
  
  That’s a cop-out. Kids are dying of malaria, and simple mosquito netting can save their lives. They can’t afford it; we can. I support tech transfer and economic partnerships, too, because that’s the long-term answer. But saying that in the short-term, we just let those kids get malaria, is selfishness or cheapness. Disguising it with a thin veneer of rhetoric doesn’t fool anyone.
- Melissa May
  
  Condescending to whom? Are you sure you know what that word means? Americans should be proud of our work in improving lives of people around the world. This graphic shows what a great investment we’re making, for the collective cost of one event annually. And it may be giving us pause to consider how we want to be spending money in the future. I’d personally rather pass on the hot wings this Sunday and help fight famine in Africa. Perhaps others, now better informed, will start to believe in the wisdom and power…and value…in foreign aid.
- http://www.facebook.com/LindsayCharleyLong Lindsay Long
  
  If a child remembers receiving food from a famine relief drop or a mosquito net and other “SMALL” gestures that impacted his life and those in his family/community,
  those memories are the beginnings of DIPLOMACY that lasts a lifetime. That same life that was saved may grow up to become a leader through education spurred by DEVELOPMENT, avoiding DEFENSE, paving the way for economic partnerships and technology transfers.
  
  I am being condescending – I wonder if you have ever been hungry or poor, have had to stay in a homeless shelter, visited our American Indian reservations or Appalachian communities or taken part in an “Angel Tree” or similar event. While I have never been in a third world country, I have seen the sadness change to brightness in the eyes of the children and the smiles and giggles of joy. I have talked to the refugees who have such appreciation for the United States because we were able to make a difference in their country when it was in utter chaos.
  I have seen the impact on the lives of our soldiers and their families when they have returned home physically and mentally wounded. Our country is able to make a difference, whether it is a small or a huge gesture. The dollars spent on the front end as diplomacy are better spent than risking our men and women in the military because we did not make every effort. DEFENSE MUST BE THE LAST RESORT.
http://www.facebook.com/anne.child.7 Anne Child

Not to mention what could be done with all the money the players, owners, vendors, parking lots, hotels, etc, etc, etc will make on this one game. I’m going to watch, but I’ll probably have my computer on also, working on preparing RESULTS volunteers to better advocates for the world’s poor.
http://www.facebook.com/billy.rogacki Billy Rogacki

It’s disgusting how we spend in this country and then complain that things just ain’t right. When the World Series comes around, make sure you’re on vacation.
http://www.facebook.com/lisa.kubiske Lisa Kubiske

This is excellent. Thanks.
John Too

I am an African from Kenya and i think the comparison here are short term solutions what we need are long term solutions. Providing the mosquito nets is good, but it would do much more if the parents of the children are provided a lasting solutions. One way of doing this would be to help them establish self sustaining agriculture and income generating projects.
Relief food is good but it would be better if those communities would be able to provided lasting solutions like irrigation schemes and other small community based initiatives like keeping of chicken.

Watch some of this links if you don’t believe me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQPhBk5WyZI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W_gCvbbCog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVB5oMgf6Qk
http://www.facebook.com/carole.fenn Carole Fenn

Well done message! It is interesting,sad where people put their priorities.
Airenfo

can anybody give me the numbers that for this week?