Like all of us, I've been trying to fathom the events in Asia. I can't; the news is so appalling it defies comprehension.
If you think the government should be spending more, then get your hand in your pocket and make the buggers pay by providing a tax deductable donation to one of the relief agencies.
As usual, arguments have broken out across the philosophical divide about the effects of economic development on the disaster. One side says human economic development exacerbated the earthquake, the other says more economic development would have mitigated it.
The first argument is plainly stupid. Earthquakes happen.
The Currency Lad and Darp take different arguments about the second, which IMO is only partly true.
Developed countries may be able to afford a tsunami early warning systems and coastal defences, but their effectiveness is doubtful. With the waves traveling at between 700 and 800 kmh on the open sea, a warning system would have given India and Sri Lanka about four hours notice, perhaps enough time to take some evasive measures.
The coasts of Thailand and Indonesia, close to the epicentre, never had a chance. It's hard to think of any practical measures that would have prevented the disaster.
To those living on the Australian East Coast, it's a sobering thought that there's evidence of two tsunamis in the past 1000 years. The cause may have been space debris hitting the ocean, or a colapse in the continental shelf. Either way, the waves generated were huge.
Being a developed nation will not spare us from catastrophic consequences if the event is repeated.
Update: According to this morning's (1/1/05) SMH, the wave hit India and Sri Lanka in only two hours. Even less time to react.
This event is too huge to take in - and I can't help feeling that the numbers of Australians apparently unaccounted for is way too low. Stories of Indonesian soldiers' inaction in Aceh are horrendous - there to try to locate cached arms etc which have been washed out to sea and then, when none are found, loafing around and not repairing bridges or doing anything constructive at all. This from a Radio National correspondent this morning
But at times like this I am bothered by the level of attention given, due to the sheer numbers and - as in the case of Sept 11th - the shock of it all. After all every tragedy is 100% dreadful to many individuals every minute of every day and they never receive the public sympathy and support that happens when the scale is huge. Similarly I really hate the likes of the PM using events like this. To me, every time he rushes off to a Bali type memorial he basically denegrates the countless numbers of people who's lives are shattered every day - through car accidents, fires - you name it. I always hope a fund will be set up after a major event like this for people who suffer disasters in which they had no hand - and to which they could apply automatically. It might even out the access to public sympathy money.
And Happy New Year BTW
There's no political mileage in this one. No one to blame.
I've only seen Dill Downer commenting on the tradgedy. (But I haven't been watching the electronic media much. May have missed it.)
Happy New Year to you, too, Sue.