A few weeks ago, I suggested that the President, in his West Point speech, should have encouraged Americans to really support the troops by sending money to the various non-governmental organizations and charities doing terrific, humane work in Afghanistan. Nick Kristof, who is an journalistic treasure, lists some worthy charities in Afghanistan and elsewhere in his column today. But there is also this book, which describes many of the excellent ongoing programs in Afghanistan:
Those who want to buy some humanitarian relief should shop carefully, as you do with any purchase. Make sure that the charity you pick has a track record and that the money actually goes to people who need it. But I will say that those gasbags ranting about the secularization of Christmas would have more credibility if they emphasized the true spirit of the season–that it is more fulfilling to give than to receive…and it’s also kind of nice to hunker down with the family for the holiday weekend, watching British mysteries series on Netflix, which is what I’m going to do.