[Ankesh]

Thanks Michael.

Why was Poverty chosen for B.A.D? I think it was because poverty is a topic most people can write on. Most people don't know what is going on in Zimbabwe. But almost everyone has seen poverty one way or another. Obvious disclosure: I'm not one of the organizers of B.A.D. So I have no idea of their thought process. Thats my thinking.

(I personally think education and poverty are 2 chief causes. Take care of them and pneumonia etc will become a small issue on its own.)

So people die in Hurricane and floods. People also die in plane crashes, car crashes, falling down a flight of stairs, off off ladders, and a myriad of other ways. Why are those who die in Hurricanes worth more effort to prevent than any other manner of death?

They are not worth more effort. But you have to start somewhere. Again -- just because you can't deal with every unnecessary death together doesn't mean you shouldn't start with even one.

Yes - I would like to see cars with sonar technology with auto-brakes so that they don't cause as many accidents too.

Here is the grub: I neither know how to build such cars. Nor do I know how to prevent hurricanes. So I do what I can. And I try to build awareness for what I can't.

There are entire ecosystems that depend on those hurricanes and floods. Stop the weather and all those systems perish. But everything is symbiotic.

Weathermen can't even Accurately forecast tomorrow's weather. And they have all the best weather monitoring gear. No way I want them - or anyone - to try to Control our weather.

Did we or didn't we change the way of the nature by implementing irrigation systems?

Did we or didn't we manage to dilute the influence of nature by building 101 floored sky scrapers in earthquake prone zones? (Taipei 101 in Taiwan is bang middle in an earthquake zone.)

People don't know how the waves work, yet they can sail wonderfully.

We still don't know how electricity works. But yet we have lights.

We may not know how the weather works. But that doesn't mean we can't do a better job of controling and leveraging it.

You don't agree we should let people die? But you do Ankesh, you do. Your actions speak for you.

Yes I don't sell everything and go to Ethopia. Nor do I invest all my time helping others. But I do what I can. Just because I can't reach everyone doesn't mean I agree with letting people die.

That would mean saying You agree with Government taxing people because you pay the taxes. I know You don't agree with it (at least thats what I get from our past discussions). But you do what you can.

1,000 bloggers writing on poverty. Phooey.

1 person phooey-ing 1,000 bloggers effort of building awareness - whats that Michael?

Wasn't the breaking of the Berlin wall initiated by 6 people with candles in their hands?

I know you want to save the world. But the world does not want to be saved.

Thats where building the awareness part comes in. In persuading the world to want to change. (Ah -- I know I've opened a can of worms with that...)

I have no such desires. If you think I am Evil for my stance, so be it.

I don't think that stance is evil. Its just a lazy way out in my humble opinion.

When the airplane is in trouble, you should first put on your own oxygen mask. True. But then if you just sit back and look at someone else struggle with his mask - and do nothing to help - that is either laziness or selfishness - or both.