CNN just broadcast a picture of an Indonesian man wearing a t-shirt celebrating Osama bin Laden. He was in line to get disaster relief from U.S. troops.

Either makes me feel warm and fuzzy, or nauseous.

I'm not sure which.

There's lots of other ugly political stuff emerging in the tsunami aftermath. Sri Lanka turned down aid from Israel. India won't allow outside aid workers access to remote islands for at least four days, due to their military strategic vaue -- undoubtedly causing the deaths of at least hundreds of stranded survivors, if not thousands. The Burmese governmnet also won't allow outside relief, and claims that just 59 people died in Burma, despite the fact that the country has 1,650 miles of coastline and sits next to Thailand and India, both of which lost thousands.

Ugly. And stupid.

Gary McGath - 1/4/2005

"Either makes me feel warm and fuzzy, or nauseous."

Sounds like you've got a hairball. :)

chris l pettit - 1/4/2005

Having lived in Sri Lanka for 7 months I am highly encouraged by the fact that on a local level government officials and Tamil Tiger officials are working together to bring relief. While both the Tigers and Sri Lankan government are disgraces as institutions, it is fantastic to see that humans on a local level can put aside any differences and come together in a caring manner. The Centre I worked for in Colombo and throughout the island promoted cooperation on a local level to overcome the nationalistic and religious idiocy and prejudice that is so pervasive in the government and religious spheres. hopefully this goodwill can show the people that they can live and work together in peace and can overcome the destructive policies of their leaders.

The same is true in Aceh, where soldiers and government officials are cooperating with separatists. There are fears that the government or separatist leaders may try and seize an advantage, as there is in Sri Lanka, but on a micro level the human spirit is shining through.

I guess it just goes to show the idiocy and ugliness of governments and those in power, and the need for an international community of humanity and international law instead of a bunch of self interested nation states and their desires to gain power and influence from any situation. Such as what the US is trying to do with its paltry contributions to the relief effort that are being trumpeted as some sort of great thing. Maybe they should take all the soldiers and money that they are wasting in an illegal war in Iraq that has slaughtered as many as died in the tsunami in decidedly unnatural manners and put it towards true humanitarian concerns.

CP
www.wicper.org