h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

First real conversation here: just throw out statistics that you've come across. For instance:

"The US government estimates that 2 million women and children are trafficked annually into the United States for the purpose of sexual slavery and prostitution"

"The sex industry through the exploitation of women generates up to 5 to 7 billion dollars a year, equally as lucrative as the sale of drugs and arms"

"According to UNICEF and the World Health Organization, US-led sanctions against Iraq have killed over one million people, half of them children under five."

"Bush cut federal funding to libraries by $39 million and sought to eliminate a federal program that gives free books to poor children. His proposed tax cut for the richest 1% of the population is 128 times more than what he proposed to spend on federal reading programs."

"Here’s what Bush thinks of the authority of the United Nations: Since taking office, he has scrapped more international treaties and violated more UN conventions than the rest of the world has in 20 years."

"Chance that an American filing for bankruptcy last year did so because of medical expenses: 1 in 2; Percentage change last year in the total profits of Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies: +35; Percentage change in the total profits of all Fortune 500 companies: -54."

"Projected percentage by which melting Artic ice will shorten shipping routes between Europe and East Asia: 33."

"Amount the Bush Administration paid this year to buy back oil and gas drilling leases off Florida's coast: $115,000,000; Factor by which this exceeds the price that the Reagan Administration received for selling them: 7; Months before the Florida gubernatorial election this year that President Bush announced the buyback: 5"

"Number of nations besides Somalia and the United States that have yet to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child: 0"

(sources: madre.org and Harpers)