After the relief effort, warning systems must be set up

conalrehill · Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 74

From the Guardian in England:

"Although large and widespread tsunami appear to have been generated by a massive Sumatran quake in 1833, and perhaps others in 1861, no quake since has been of sufficient strength to send waves hurtling across the entire Indian Ocean basin. Consequently, [b]while recognising that there was a tsunami threat, a recent regional disaster planning meeting determined that the relatively low risk of such events was outweighed by the cost of a warning system.[/b]

In retrospect, of course, this decision will be viewed as being just about as wrong as it is possible to be. Given the many other priorities of the low-income countries bordering the Indian Ocean, however, it is understandable.

While it may seem a case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, it is crucial that a tsunami warning system is put together as soon as possible. Miss this opportunity, which may last just a few years, and the re-emergence of more everyday issues will push such a scheme rapidly down the list of government priorities. In the last few days the Australian, Japanese and Indian governments have all announced their intentions to help develop an Indian Ocean warning system."

This is the sort of thing that happens when the world is run on a right-wing free-market business agenda. Important life-saving schemes get shelved because of the cost, and many states impoverished by the global corporate system lack the resources to save their people.

There was no need for so many people to die, and the reasons they did are [b]political[/b].

For a bit of perspective here, we must remember that 500,000 people died because of US/UK sanctions in Iraq and millions have died of famine because of unfair trading and the refusal of developmental aid without strings attached.

The theatrical bleeding-heart displays put on by some people - who support the free-market system that prevents life-saving schemes all over the world because of prohibitive financial costs - make me feel a little queasy in my stomach.

Although the ignorant right-wingers will chime in with nonsense about Eastern leaders 'not caring about their people' and 'UN corruption' etc. the truth is that this terrible event is a [b]warning[/b] that in the new millennium we must change our ways and stop the insatiable search for profit influencing our decisions about everything.

Seismic Anamoly · Joined: 22 Aug 2002 Posts: 3039

Funny.....I seem to recall you saying something about canceling your account with EZBoard in a previous post.....

Glad to see you're continuing to support the free-market, for-profit EZBoard system.

:aua

Seismic Anamoly · Joined: 22 Aug 2002 Posts: 3039

Ah.....yes......

HERE IT IS

:wm

ANSWERAIRRE · Joined: 31 Dec 2004 Posts: 4

"Russky Joe was a girl from Latvia"

:cute

RonOnGuitar · Joined: 08 Jan 2003 Posts: 1916

"Russky Joe was a girl from Latvia"

Aw com'n, fella-airre. Kudos to Northumbria for providing such generous internet access to so many from all around the world!

It's great they're all allowed to post from "unn.ac.uk". (And that's the short version IPT info, lol.)

Was EZ enuf to discover in about oh, mebbe 30 secs at most, making it that much easier for me to peg them quite quickly back in his/their posting frenzy heyday.

Y' know, I'm figuring steve-coney, refill? (whatever) and the rest must be provided with a really long bench to use while at the PC.

(Sorry to interrupt but the whole bungled-names con gives me giggles whenever it's mentioned!!)

Forgive, forget, good riddance, it's time to move on and such, you know.

Carry on, ladies and gentlemen.

questionnaire · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 640

'Conal' will not be back. I've just banned him permanently from posting from my computers to this and any other message-board. The rest are already banned. I want my postgrads and research assistants conversing with intelligent people, not uneducated southern-fried f*ckwits.

Ron, your detective work is as faulty as the rest of your thinking. The way you construct a belief and make a decision to follow it with no reflection and no doubt is indicative of the primitive culture that created you. You are a product of your own mythology, Ron, you live your life many steps removed from reality, and you are truly funny. Natasha's "Hi-Hoe Columbo" sums you up beautifully, you f*cking stupid scare-mongering buffoon. Sarin test-kits!! :aua

Now you rednecks can carry on with your normal stupid conversations. Make sure you keep laying on the ignorance, xenophobia, sentimentality and hypocrisy with a trowel, y'all, and guilelessly give away what your culture is really about.

:rolleyes

Girl From Latvia · Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 2

Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo

He loves me, I love you,

Therefore vicariously he loves you

He's a Christmas Poo

Sometimes he's nutty, sometimes he's corny

He can be brown or greenish brown,

But if you eat fibre on Christmas Eve

He might come to your town.

Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo

He loves me, I love you

He's got an 'edge' that 'worries' his 'colleagues'

He's a Christmas Poo

:wm

questionnaire · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 640

"Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo

He loves me, I love you,

Therefore vicariously he loves you

He's a Christmas Poo

Sometimes he's nutty, sometimes he's corny

He can be brown or greenish brown,

But if you eat fibre on Christmas Eve

He might come to your town.

Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo

He loves me, I love you

He's got an 'edge' that 'worries' his 'colleagues'

He's a Christmas Poo"

Unbelievable. Judging by that little poetic masterpiece, this 'girl from Latvia' must be about 5 year old.

Welcome to the board, my dear. I'll just pop off for a while and leave you with some very funny people from Jesusland who think like 5 year olds too. You'll have such fun together!

Bye-bye for now!!

Seismic Anamoly · Joined: 22 Aug 2002 Posts: 3039

Quote:
Now you rednecks can carry on with your normal stupid conversations. Make sure you keep laying on the ignorance, xenophobia, sentimentality and hypocrisy with a trowel, y'all, and guilelessly give away what your culture is really about.

Oh, Bloody Hell......someone hasn't had their tea and crumpets this afternoon.... :bawling

"Y'all" come back now, ya hear??

:aua

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

q - "I want my postgrads and research assistants conversing with intelligent people..." etc, etc

Oh my...it seems that what some of the "liberal and free thinkers" are really interested in allowing only one point of view to be heard: theirs. What a surprise. So much for diversity...

bbchris

Goodness, this thread started off so positively as I agree warning systems for tsunamis must be incorporated in South East Asia.

Over 150,000 people died and still we have people not grateful for what they have? GROW UP you lot. This is an international board and some of us HAVE lost friends and family in the tsunami disaster, there are most likely other boards where you can all be childish on. GO THERE!

Thank you.

questionnaire · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 640

I agree, Chris.

Whilst Conal was correct to post this:

"....while recognising that there was a tsunami threat, a recent regional disaster planning meeting determined that the relatively low risk of such events was outweighed by the cost of a warning system."

he neglected to include the detail that as well as complaining about the cost, the local corporate-backed tourist industry objected strongly to the setting up of warning beacons and other necessities in case they 'spooked' the tourists and money was lost. Tourism is quite a big earner, but the finincial papers report that it is not essential to local economies - it is western companies that make the real profits from it.

Along with makingh contributions to the current relief effort, these points are of vital importance and should not be met with childish derision. Resisting the influence of big business in many environments all over the world could save millions of lives.

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

q - "Resisting the influence of big business in many environments all over the world could save millions of lives."

Amen. Absolutely key. And more than just lives can be saved...much more. Officials that have the best interests of people at heart need to be in place in government...as opposed to those that have interests that make them the most money. Sometimes the two go hand-in-hand...and sometimes they do not. That's where a democracy can play a vital role...and people who do not govern, with the interests of the people they are supposed to be working for at heart, need to be voted out of office. I don't personally care if they make money at it or not, as long as the best interests of the people are served. But before this can happen, people need to understand and agree upon exactly what is most important, and prioritize it. If their goal is always materially oriented, they will most often vote contrary to what is really in their best interests. (That is the "Achilles-heal" of democracy.) So, it all comes back to our (or their) values.

This thread started with a call to put warning in place...if the locals deem the income generated by tourism to be more important than the warning system, they will vote for officials who are like-minded...and down the toilet people's lives could go again. When people realize that money is not the most important issue, they will be in a much better position to vote what I would consider to be appropriately...as in "their best interests". Now it can be seen more easily why a materialistic society is something that poses a danger to itself. It will be interesting to see what happens here.