In Reply to: Indonesia Tsunami posted by rds1 on Friday, 2. September 2005 at 05:31 Bali Time:
The world gives to America on a daily basis. That's why there is so much wealth there. They consume many times the amount they produce.
I know it's not evenly distributed, and that most of the rich people got out of New Orleans and the other towns, while the poor were left behind.
The question we should really be asking is: Why didn't the American Government get those people to safety before the hurricane hit?
If they've got the ability to send a few hundred thousand soldiers half-way around the world, how come they can't move people a few hundred kilometers?
Insurance companies will cover most of the damage done to buildings. The US has enough money to cover a relief fund for those who were too poor to have insurance. No doubt a few insurance companies will go broke. The Government should, must really, make up the shortfall.
The main problem is that people no longer have homes and jobs. Should we let them come to our countries and put them up in our homes until New Orleans is inhabitable again? Absolutely. Would they accept the offer? Maybe a few would. Can you imagine an option like that being considered for Indonesians? No way. (Not in Australia, anyway.)
The bottom line is that, whatever way we send our support to the victims, simply giving money is not the answer. The US already has a disproportionate amount of it. If they'd spent it more wisely, many lives could have been saved, both at home and abroad.
Will the task of rebuilding provide jobs and opportunities for local people who have lost their livelihoods? I hope so. But the contracts will probably all go to companies like Haliburtons. Some people will get rich from this disaster, as usual. What we should be doing is hunting down these profiteers and making them donate their blood money to the victims.
And I bet that more energy goes into getting the oil flowing again than goes into fixing the water supply. Anyone prepared to bet against it?