Money, Mayhem, and March

I know that I do not understand a lot of things. Here is a list of things I don't understand that have recently come to mind. I am not saying anything particularly new. Just feeling a bit ranty today:

1.
$38 million -- Total campaign spending by Romney and his "pet" PAC to date
$9.7 million -- Total spent by Newt Gingrich and the super PAC supporting him
$6 million-- Total spent to date by Santorum and his super PAC, the Red White and Blue Fund
(statistics from theweek.com March 1)

Well, I guess $53.7 million isn't that much money on a national scale, but when all (or rather, some) of the talk is about the economy, how to fix it, etc, etc... is spending this money so on TV commercials and air time and campaign trails creating jobs? If so, for who? I don't know.

1b. MAJOR DONORS to these SuperPACs. If they are willing to give upwards of $3 million on a candidate who may not win or may win, they must feel its a worthy if not risky investment. For a simple person like me 3 mil seems like a lot to gamble which means that

a) these gamblers don't mind loosing 3mil?

b) the chance of electing a certain candidate must be worth 3mil to them. What are they getting (hoping to get) in return?

c) if I have $3mil (or $3,000 for that matter) of disposable income, I wouldn't spend it on any candidate.

2. MAYHEM

I don't understand how the world continually finds itself in mayhem from the small scale to the large scale. Well, maybe that's not what I don't understand. Perhaps there is some law out there in quantum physics about self-destruction that I don't understand. On a personal scale, and on a global or national scale we continue to learn and forget that-- guns kill us and our enemies (whether in war or in PTA battles) are people with shoes and hands and chapped lips, with purses or pockets with keys in them, who would like a fan or airconditioner or an open window and shade when it reaches above 89 degrees outside, just like we do.

3.

It is 80 degrees in March in Chicago. This is (apparently) unheard of.