[extropy-chat] sri lanka tsunami

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Erik Starck <es at popido.com> wrote:

> At 17:01 2004-12-28 Mike Lorrey wrote:
> >--- Max M <maxm at mail.tele.dk> wrote:
> > > What is this about? Do you know for a fact that the french (and
> the
> > > EU) isn't helping?
> >
> >The EU is a larger economy now than the US, yet has pledged only $4
> >million up front to the US' $15 million, and a Norwegian UN official
> >had the gall to say that the US was stingy and needed to 'raise
> taxes' to be more generous:
> 
> First of all Norway is not a member of the EU.

Speaking of which, I don't see any releases on any Norwegian ministry
or embassy sites of what their response is. 

> 
> Second of all, EU is a community of individual countries. The fact
> that EU  sends $4million does not mean that the countries in Europe
> sends $4million together.

Sweden has offered $1.5 million to the UN for the effort. Why they
would put the money through that corrupt institution is beyond me,
unless they want as little of the money as possible reaching victims.

> 
> Last but not least, I am not attacking or defending anyone here, I
> just think it's sad that even in times such as these, arguing over
> whose the baddest country for giving the least amount of money
> becomes even an issue. 
> Thailand is a popular turist location for scandinavians. There are at
> least 1500 swedes missing in Thailand. Probably most of them are
> dead. Lots of them were children, bathing by the sea when the wave
> struck.

Then it sounds like scandinavians need to be at the forefront, not
griping about what others are doing. 

Austrialia has made the best start on things, putting $10 million
forward and pledging to work on an ocean monitoring system for the
Indian ocean like the Atlantic and Pacific already have. Being the
closest anglosphere nation, it is understandable, though with as small
a population as it has, the donation from the start is impressive.

> 
> Needless to say, the nation is in shock. I suppose other countries
> feel the same and share the same shock.
> 
> The last number I heard was 50000 dead. Most probably that will
> increase.

No doubt. The last similar tsunami was Krakatoa and 36,000 died there,
that we know of, when the population was much lower than today. I
wouldn't be surprised to see the dead be over 100,000.

Few countries are really prepared for tidal waves. The US is at grave
risk (as is the caribean and SA) if a certain volcano in the Canaries
collapses during its next eruption (as is being predicted). A 100 foot
tidal wave is expected from this. Smart money would put a few tens of
millions toward blasting the volcano apart bit by bit (if the Canaries
will allow it). The odds of this are far greater than an asteroid or
comet strike, and could do as much damage to the east coast of the US
as an asteroid strike could.

=====
Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Sadomikeyism


		
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