- Joined
- Mar 5, 1999
- Messages
- 34,096
I saw somewhere -- CNN or some other news program -- that the MREs we are dropping in Afghanistan are showing up for sale at the bazaars. Not a bit surprised. I saw the same thing in Nepal -- the olive drab cans of vegetable oil clearly stating "gift from the USA" and everything else we gave as "gifts" from rice to beans being sold in pasals located in the shadow of the US Embassy in Kathmandu and every other pasal one might happen by. My complaints to the embassy and Washington fell on deaf ears. Unless an honest and dedicated worker hands the gift to the intended recipient it seldom reaches him -- a lesson we have not yet learned it seems.
Another point: How damned indiscriminate the terrorist attacks are and how far reaching. They think they are attacking the US but consider this. There's a bunch of Sherpas up in the Solu-Khumbu who are much like the kamis with no name. These are folks who have a fraction of an acre of land on which they rely for subsistence farming. If the weather is good and they are lucky they'll get enough produce to feed themselves. If the slightest thing goes wrong they go hungry. They can't raise enough food to sell for cash so they depend on carrying the load for trekkers and climbers for extra income. They carry 60 to 80 pounds 10 or 12 hours per day for maybe 3 or 5 bucks. It ain't much but it buys sugar, salt, foodstuffs the Sherpas can't raise and also buys paper and pencils for the kids school work -- sandals, maybe a pot or pan and other such stuff. Subsistance farming is just that.
Well, after the attacks on the WTC travel to Nepal has dropped more than 50%. The Sherpas who depend on trekkers and climbers are lined up trying to get a job and there are less than half the usual number of trekkers and climbers. This info from Pala and Gelbu who know the territory so I know it is real and accurate. What this means is the poorest of the poor will be lucky if they get enough to eat. Sandals will wear out and then these people will walk barefoot in the snow and the kids will try to grind up charcoal and mix it with water and try to write with a bamboo pen. There will be no batteries for the transistor radio, the only link with the outside world. And maybe there will be no kerosene for the lamp.
Tourism is the third contributor to the Nepal economy and when this goes bad everybody in the country suffers. Every person who depends on tourism from the rich hotel owners to the lowest of the low, the guy who cleans the charpis (toilets) will suffer.
And this is only Nepal. I know it's the same story all over the world.
Is this the work of a heroes, champions of the cause? Or is it the work of some stupid, uncaring, unseeing hate-filled and hate driven bastards?
We talked with Pala a couple of days ago via phone and when he told me about the Sherpas lined up and almost fighting to get a job carrying 80 pounds for 10 hours per day it sickened me and pissed me off most severely.
I don't have any answer except let's try to never let this happen again.
One last question: Where's the nearest recruiting office for 68 year olds?
Another point: How damned indiscriminate the terrorist attacks are and how far reaching. They think they are attacking the US but consider this. There's a bunch of Sherpas up in the Solu-Khumbu who are much like the kamis with no name. These are folks who have a fraction of an acre of land on which they rely for subsistence farming. If the weather is good and they are lucky they'll get enough produce to feed themselves. If the slightest thing goes wrong they go hungry. They can't raise enough food to sell for cash so they depend on carrying the load for trekkers and climbers for extra income. They carry 60 to 80 pounds 10 or 12 hours per day for maybe 3 or 5 bucks. It ain't much but it buys sugar, salt, foodstuffs the Sherpas can't raise and also buys paper and pencils for the kids school work -- sandals, maybe a pot or pan and other such stuff. Subsistance farming is just that.
Well, after the attacks on the WTC travel to Nepal has dropped more than 50%. The Sherpas who depend on trekkers and climbers are lined up trying to get a job and there are less than half the usual number of trekkers and climbers. This info from Pala and Gelbu who know the territory so I know it is real and accurate. What this means is the poorest of the poor will be lucky if they get enough to eat. Sandals will wear out and then these people will walk barefoot in the snow and the kids will try to grind up charcoal and mix it with water and try to write with a bamboo pen. There will be no batteries for the transistor radio, the only link with the outside world. And maybe there will be no kerosene for the lamp.
Tourism is the third contributor to the Nepal economy and when this goes bad everybody in the country suffers. Every person who depends on tourism from the rich hotel owners to the lowest of the low, the guy who cleans the charpis (toilets) will suffer.
And this is only Nepal. I know it's the same story all over the world.
Is this the work of a heroes, champions of the cause? Or is it the work of some stupid, uncaring, unseeing hate-filled and hate driven bastards?
We talked with Pala a couple of days ago via phone and when he told me about the Sherpas lined up and almost fighting to get a job carrying 80 pounds for 10 hours per day it sickened me and pissed me off most severely.
I don't have any answer except let's try to never let this happen again.
One last question: Where's the nearest recruiting office for 68 year olds?
.