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SIMPLE MATHS

Andrew Denton viewer Lisa Richards proposes a solution to global poverty:

Simple maths suggests that with the population of the world around 6 billion, United States expenditure on defence at around 370 Billions it is feasible that if every man, woman and child in the world were to receive as a gift from the United States 1 Billion dollars each, there would still be 364 Billion dollars left over for defence spending.

Posted by Tim B. on 07/06/2005 at 12:54 PM
  1. She got good edjumakashun.

    Posted by Mr. Bingley on 2005 07 06 at 02:00 PM • permalink

  2. The battle for global stupidity is over.

    We lost.

    Posted by david on 2005 07 06 at 02:03 PM • permalink

  3. I hope Lisa doesn’t work in a job that requires making change.

    Posted by Randal Robinson on 2005 07 06 at 02:09 PM • permalink

  4. Wait… what?

    Posted by Aging Gamer on 2005 07 06 at 02:12 PM • permalink

  5. re: “The battle for global stupidity is over.

    “We lost.”


    My favorite quote:

    “Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.”

    -Rich Cook

    The quote Tim referred to seems to prove out Rich Cook’s fears!  LOL!

    Posted by mamapajamas on 2005 07 06 at 02:14 PM • permalink

  6. Is she one of them Cretans, with the ice cream cone and all?

    Posted by ErnieG on 2005 07 06 at 02:15 PM • permalink

  7. It won’t work.  It’s lost when bellhops touch it.

    Three UN officials check into a hotel room.  The clerk charges them $30B for the night.  Later he realizes it’s a $25B room, and sends the bellhop up to return the $5B.

    The bellhop realizes that three guys can’t split $5B evenly, so he pockets $2B and returns an even $3B to the UN officials.

    The UN officials paid $27B for the room, the bellhop kept $2B making $29B, where’s the other billion dollars?

    Posted by rhhardin on 2005 07 06 at 02:15 PM • permalink

  8. er, what?

    As the famous Barbie doll once said, “math class is hard!”

    6 billion people (6x10^9) multiplied by 1 billion dollars (1x10^9) is not 6 billion dollars but 6 quintillion dollars (6x10^18).

    I suspect this is more than the US treasury can handle… especially given Chimpy McBushitler’s tax cuts for the rich! Maybe Theresa Heinz Kerry can kick in a few beans…

    Posted by nequals1 on 2005 07 06 at 02:16 PM • permalink

  9. Instead of “answers” on math tests, I think they should have “impressions.” And if my impression is different from yours, so what? Can’t we all be brothers?

    —Jack Handey, ‘Deep Thoughts’

    Posted by iowahawk on 2005 07 06 at 02:28 PM • permalink

  10. People always tend to stuff the math when it comes to criticizing America. The former Lord Mayor of Brisbane Jim Soorley got his math wrong in his column  earlier this year.


    Surely the world needs those who are close to the Americans to give them honest feedback. The war in Iraq is now heading towards $300 billion in cost, the equivalent of $150,000 for every man woman and child in Iraq. Wouldn’t it have been better to give the $150,000 to each person to get rid of Saddam and bring in democracy?

    [http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,12157459%5E27377,00.html]

    ~$15,000 doesn’t sound nearly as good as $150,000

    Posted by drscroogemcduck on 2005 07 06 at 02:33 PM • permalink

  11. Is she one of them Cretans, with the ice cream cone and all?

    Nah, those are supposed to be Bush supporters, remember.

    Posted by PW on 2005 07 06 at 02:36 PM • permalink

  12. Perhaps we can use the $1 trillion bill ordered printed by Harry Truman.

    Posted by Andrew on 2005 07 06 at 02:47 PM • permalink

  13. I’m willing to start the ball rolling by kicking in some spare change I’ve got in my jeans. I’ve got several billion left from a night on the gas.

    Posted by CB on 2005 07 06 at 03:18 PM • permalink

  14. Good idea Lisa, only I’d like to add that the billion dollar payouts should be given in alphabetical order according to a persons last name. My last name begins with ‘C’ so that means I’ll be the second person to recieve his $billion$.

    Posted by Arty on 2005 07 06 at 03:30 PM • permalink

  15. New Math?

    Posted by swassociates on 2005 07 06 at 04:05 PM • permalink

  16. Rhhardin: Easy, it didn’t go anywhere; you lied. Hitler!

    Anyway. She was only off by nine orders of magnitude. That’s still close, right?

    Right?

    Posted by Sigivald on 2005 07 06 at 04:35 PM • permalink

  17. All your deficits are belong to us!

    These aren’t lira or pesos we’re talking about here.  But I am curious as to what she plans to do with the other $364 billion dollars we are wasting on defense… and imagine the effect on poor Mr. Greenspan when he learns that every citizen of the world suddenly has $1,000,000,000.00 of disposable income denominated in US dollars.

    Posted by c. austin on 2005 07 06 at 04:40 PM • permalink

  18. I think she forgot to carry the 1. Or maybe she was doing that clockwise thing with her foot when she was working the calculator.

    Posted by paco on 2005 07 06 at 04:43 PM • permalink

  19. Is she the victim of the U.S. or the Australian school system?

    Posted by blerp on 2005 07 06 at 05:00 PM • permalink

  20. Sounds brilliant compared to some of the crap I’ve heard on that program, from both sides of the mike!

    Posted by Gravelly on 2005 07 06 at 05:10 PM • permalink

  21. The way she counts money I’d not be surprised if she’s been working for Kofi on one of his scams.

    Posted by thunderbox jihad on 2005 07 06 at 05:32 PM • permalink

  22. Well, dividing 370 by 6, each man, woman and child could receive US$61.666…

    But judging by the repeating decimal, they’d have to have their forehead stamped to collect it.

    Posted by mojo on 2005 07 06 at 05:44 PM • permalink

  23. Randal,

    I respectfully disagree with you.

    1.  I want her to get a job that requires giving change.

    2.  I want to be her first customer.  (I figure she wouldn’t last more than 2 or 3 customers before she got tossed out on her can.)

    Posted by David Crawford on 2005 07 06 at 05:46 PM • permalink

  24. If you get her a job tending bar at my local pub, the drinks are on me!

    Posted by JDB on 2005 07 06 at 06:01 PM • permalink

  25. You’re all arrogant.  Just because your truths are different to hers!  Give her a PHD in alternate maths I say.

    Posted by murph on 2005 07 06 at 06:10 PM • permalink

  26. Heard that one before rhhardin.
    The Bellhops $2B should be subtracted from the $27B, not added to it, to make an even $25B that was paid for the room.

    Posted by RhikoR on 2005 07 06 at 06:18 PM • permalink

  27. Pessimistic view: a shocking indictment of contemporary mathematics education.

    Optimistic view: a chick this stupid has to be incredibly hot, and incredibly blonde.

    Posted by iowahawk on 2005 07 06 at 06:24 PM • permalink

  28. Lisa sounds like one of those folks who believe that, for very large values of one, one is equal to two, for very small values of two.

    Posted by Bruce Lagasse on 2005 07 06 at 06:52 PM • permalink

  29. That’s the sort of math you see in the recording industry.  I wonder if this is her?

    Posted by Bruce Rheinstein on 2005 07 06 at 06:56 PM • permalink

  30. No doubt Lisa was taught by one of those teachers who now insist that it is impossible for primary school kids to do arithmetic without pocket calculators.

    Posted by cuckoo on 2005 07 06 at 06:59 PM • permalink

  31. I’m assuming I’ve found the wrong Lisa Richards?????

    Posted by Hank Reardon on 2005 07 06 at 07:41 PM • permalink

  32. @#7

    Kojo?

    Posted by guinsPen on 2005 07 06 at 07:54 PM • permalink

  33. If we forget to mention it to and exclude China from “Operation Hand-Out”, there will be another two hundred mil each for the rest of us.

    WhooHoo!!!

    Posted by Thomas on 2005 07 06 at 08:16 PM • permalink

  34. Which bank does she work at?

    Posted by Jessica on 2005 07 06 at 08:18 PM • permalink

  35. Will the tax office receive half of my billion dollars?

    Posted by Dan Lewis on 2005 07 06 at 08:25 PM • permalink

  36. She’s smarter than the average Denton viewer.

    Posted by Habib on 2005 07 06 at 08:35 PM • permalink

  37. BTW- I think she works in Treasury, and handles funding for the ABC.

    Posted by Habib on 2005 07 06 at 08:36 PM • permalink

  38. I think we’ve discovered The Lancet’s statistics expert.

    Posted by Achillea on 2005 07 06 at 08:58 PM • permalink

  39. Why are you all being so hard on her?  She was only out by $999,999,999 per person.  It’s a mistake anyone could make.  And yet, you use this to imply that she’s stupid?  Shame on you all.

    Posted by jic on 2005 07 06 at 09:08 PM • permalink

  40. I believe she also advises Bob Brown on economics.

    Posted by Habib on 2005 07 06 at 09:15 PM • permalink

  41. this is the value of state school education.

    they cant read or write or do rithmatic, but they can recite carl marx backwards.

    Posted by vinny on 2005 07 06 at 09:16 PM • permalink

  42. I think this is the kind of math the left was going to use to solve the Social Security funding problem, too.

    Posted by Steven Den Beste on 2005 07 06 at 09:26 PM • permalink

  43. It doesn’t help when she takes off her shoes either- it’s hard to count toes when they’re webbed.

    Posted by Habib on 2005 07 06 at 09:40 PM • permalink

  44. You neo-McCarthyites!  You attack her over a minor mathematical error, because you know that you can’t refute her logic!  You are all worse than a million Hitlers, and almost half as evil as George W. Bush (or, as I like to call him, Satan W. Evil)!!!!!!

    Posted by jic on 2005 07 06 at 09:47 PM • permalink

  45. If you want to see real stupidity,  Bush sometimes mispronounces words.  What an idiot!

    Posted by jic on 2005 07 06 at 09:52 PM • permalink

  46. Lancet math.  Just add zeros til you get the number that feels right.

    Posted by RicardoV on 2005 07 06 at 10:17 PM • permalink

  47. The humane thing to do is to remove Lisa’s feeding tube.

    (It’s difficult not to hate the Left when they always make you feel like you are making fun of the mentally challenged.  Bastards.)

    Posted by profeti on 2005 07 06 at 10:30 PM • permalink

  48. vinny:

    I think you mean “Carl Marcks”, assuming you’re referring to the famous commie, you know, like Lennon.

    Posted by Carl in N.H. on 2005 07 06 at 10:48 PM • permalink

  49. I think Lisa was Special Advisor to the New Zealand government when they were calculating all that money they were going to make from trading carbon credits.

    Posted by cuckoo on 2005 07 06 at 11:06 PM • permalink

  50. A mind like this belongs in Hollywood!

    Posted by nofixedabode on 2005 07 06 at 11:23 PM • permalink

  51. “Satan W. Evil” is a cool name for a president. I think George Bush should change his name to “Satan W. Evil.” I’d love to see the looks on peoples’ faces.

    Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2005 07 06 at 11:26 PM • permalink

  52. Using her math, I only have to sell 3000 copies of my graphic novel to pay for what Tim charges for a Blogad (How do you think he pays for that Wahoomaloo V8 or whatever it is he’s been driving?)

    OK, I’ll stop now…

    Posted by richard mcenroe on 2005 07 06 at 11:27 PM • permalink

  53. If the population was static and there was no inflation and defence spending was the same and that 370 billion is an annual expenditure then after 16 million years then you could give one billion dollars to each person and have the leftover.

    I guess the cheque won’t cash until the year 16,000,000 though so best put it to the back of my file.

    Posted by rocketman on 2005 07 06 at 11:41 PM • permalink

  54. Why have I wasted my time on rational arguments?  A rolled-up newspaper and a firm “No! Bad leftist!” would have been more appropriate.

    Posted by Mitch on 2005 07 07 at 12:00 AM • permalink

  55. As an American taxpayer, I strongly object to giving as a gift a single USD to any of the inhabitants of this planet.

    Posted by Katherine on 2005 07 07 at 12:08 AM • permalink

  56. As an American taxpayer, I strongly object to giving as a gift a single USD to any of the inhabitants of this planet.

    Too late.

    Posted by david on 2005 07 07 at 12:15 AM • permalink

  57. It’s the thought that counts not if she has the right answer.  However I wouldn’t be surprised if Lisa thought math was icky in high school.  When you concentrate it makes wrinkles in your forehead.

    Posted by Pat Patterson on 2005 07 07 at 12:17 AM • permalink

  58. The math is obviously beyond appalling, but I can’t believe someone actually thought that the idea made sense.

    <retard on>
    OMG!! I just realized the US spends so much on weapons that everyone on the planet could be a billionaire if only they cut their defence budget by 1.6 percent and distributed it!!!

    Money comes magically from nowhere!
    <retard off>

    Posted by Crispytoast on 2005 07 07 at 12:34 AM • permalink

  59. I can’t tell if I’m mad that I am late into this thread, or glad because I got to read all the comments here!  LOL!

    Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2005 07 07 at 12:53 AM • permalink

  60. Retarded Crispy Toast is right.  One of the most amazing things about Leftist Retards is the manner in which they not only erroneously assume they are correct about a multitude of issues, but they build on these erroneous assumptions by imagining that either nobody had ever considered the problem before, or that some evil conspiracy, involving censorship, bribery, threat of violence or otherwise, is at work to prevent their ingenious plan from being successfully executed.

    Posted by murph on 2005 07 07 at 01:02 AM • permalink

  61. There’s a whole army of Lisa Richards out there that cancel out our votes.
    I struck up a conversation with one of them last Friday afternoon when my watering hole got invaded by a bunch of union swampies. Allan (AWU member)who had taken part in the demonstrations against IR reform could not understand why we can’t just print more money “to pay for schools, hospitals and better roads”.
    Allan may be the logical choice “World Economics Expert” Ms Richards wanted to appear on Enough Rope with Denton.
    Allan also had some interesting predictions including that unemployment will go up to over 50% because bosses could wake up in a cranky mood and will go in to work and fire half their staff just because they can.
    Skeptical me was just told “you wait and see”.
    All said he was actually a pretty jolly and likeable chap but jeez!!

    Posted by Hank Reardon on 2005 07 07 at 01:20 AM • permalink

  62. One can imagine the thought process that leads to the conclusion that money grows on trees:

    Q: What color are is American money, the greenbacks?
    A: Wait, I know this one…. it’s green!

    Q: What else is green? Come on, you know the answer…
    A: Grass is green! And leaves!  Leaves are green!

    Q: Excellent! And how you get the leaves? 
    A: They grow on trees!!!  They grow on trees!!!

    Q: Therefore…how do you get money?
    A:  You grow money on trees!

    (Damn Pythons, they covered everything all those years ago!)

    Posted by Katherine on 2005 07 07 at 01:28 AM • permalink

  63. The world is a terrible and unfair place, Lisa Richards. That’s why Tim gets 63 comments (so far) for creating a link, while young James gets only 1 on his blog even though he did all of the important snarkwork.

    That’s life in all its inequitable glory. Gotta love it.

    Posted by blandwagon on 2005 07 07 at 02:57 AM • permalink

  64. Blandwagon - yes, I’m seething with impotent rage!

    Still, wasn’t a bad outcome for my newly minted blog (just a couple of days old) - Tim’s link tripled my site meter’s count!

    Posted by James Waterton on 2005 07 07 at 03:05 AM • permalink

  65. It’s the absent-minded, global poverty activist!

    Posted by Craig Mc on 2005 07 07 at 07:00 AM • permalink

  66. carl; “I think you mean “Carl Marcks”, assuming you’re referring to the famous commie, you know, like Lennon.”

    i think your confusing him with his cousin from leipzig…....totally different dood, not really into all that revolution stuff.

    Posted by vinny on 2005 07 07 at 07:47 PM • permalink

  67. All we need is for Lisa Richards to total James’ sitemeter stats and poof, he has more hits than Instapundit.

    Posted by Veeshir on 2005 07 08 at 10:00 AM • permalink

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