The Price to Pay

[I think I will only post if someone responds, so that I don't wind up posting only to myself=)]
What is the value of a human life? Most people out of pure emotion would say that all life is priceless. But what about the thousands of people who die around the world because they don't have the money to pay for readily available treatments? What about the armor that is prohibitively expensive to impliment into the military? The point being, there is a price on life. So when we invest millions of dollars in response to 9-11, yet spend only half an ear and the evening news to disasters worldwide where thousands upon thousands are lost. Yes, there is a difference between terrorism and natural disasters, but also is there a difference between fear and compassion. Which cause are you for?