We made the news!!!

Apparently all eyes are on tiny El Salvador this week. And not just for Charlie Sheen's latest outburst, which was pretty hilarious, by the way. Pissed off a few folks, but it kind of made me laugh that he's even heard of us here.

No, we're finally getting some semi-good publicity, thanks in large part to a certain gringo passing through, taking a break from the frigid northeast.

<<< Obama in The Savior >>>

I wonder if they made him pay the $10 visa fee...

While he was here, Obama announced a US pledge of $200,000,000 to Central America to combat narco-trafficking and improve overall security. Great news, right?

What many were hoping for and what he ultimately failed to publicly mention were any increases in health initiatives for the poor (sort of a useless word since practically everyone's poor), but specifically funds which could be utilized for water projects, hospitals, child nutrition. In short, areas of dire need.

Here's a relatively old article, but one which outlines the situation fairly well.

<<< Salvadoran water crisis >>>

I know, I know. I'm sure an argument could be made for fiscal restraint in light of the ever-present US budget crisis blah blah blah, but those arguments lose nearly every ounce of credibility when US-led warships launch 112 Tomahawk cruise missiles in one day. Damn.

<<< Costs of this weekend's involvement >>>

Don't worry, I'm not about to go off on military spending, etc. I fully realize that our two wars there are costing tax payers approx. $450,000,000 a day. That's not my style nor what this blog is all about. I'm just disappointed that our commander-in-chief clearly views El Salvador and Central America as nothing more than impoverished nations caught up in the bullshit narco war and not populations in dire need of support. Frustratingly basic support.

A few facts to consider: each one of those Tomahawks costs around $1.5 million. Digging a well for a community of 100 families can cost as little as $5,000. You don't have to be a Rhodes Scholar to figure out which of the two will benefit more people, and in not publicly addressing the health needs of the Salvadoran poor, I think Obama ultimately revealed his views on the region as a whole. What a shame.