I bet every human mother in history has told her offspring, "Eat your spinach! There are starving children in Ethiopia!" Although your vegetable and country may vary, the underlying message doesn't: "You should feel guilty for having so much when others have nothing." Interestingly, the standard retort and its underlying message hasn't changed, either: "Gee Mom, why don't you get an envelope and send it to them?" It's a shame that the wiseguys who understand that the fate of the spinach on their plate has no effect on kids thousands of miles away have that common sense drilled out of their heads by the time they finish school.
- Tom Isenberg