Drop the damn aid.

However, aid providers are unlikely to pursue unilateral deliveries like airdrops [to rural Myanmar regions] because of the diplomatic firestorm that it could set off. (credit: MSNBC)

Officials have said only one out of 10 people who are homeless, injured or threatened by disease and hunger have received some kind of aid since the cyclone hit May 3.

The government's abilities are limited. It has only a few dozen helicopters, most of which are small and old. It also has about 15 transport planes, primarily small jets unable to carry hundreds of tons of supplies.

"Not only don't they have the capacity to deliver assistance, they don't have experience," said Farmaner, the British aid worker. "It's already too late for many people. Every day of delays is costing thousands of lives."

WTF?? Look, I'm sorry, but I think this is one of those times that diplomatic feelings should be told to piss off. Is the Myanmar regime actually a military threat to anyone (other than it's own populace)? Or is this about not pissing them off so they won't cut off access to their natural resources for the foreign governments that prop them up?

100,000.

Not doing aid drops is tantamount to actively participating in ethnic cleansing. There are a large portion of the people not being given aid (with the propaganda that this foreign aid is a "gift" of the ruling regime) even as the country goes ahead and participates in a national referendum to continue the military junta's power. Ie, those they don't want to vote aren't, and oh by the way, they'll probably be dead by month's end.

Look, foricibly involving your country in another's affairs (*cough*Iraq*cough*) is bad. Ignoring what's happening for the sake of diplomacy or the idea that interfering in a civil war is not only criminal, it's immoral. (see Rwanda, Uganda, Darfur, Bosnia, etc). We've seen that sometimes, interference actually improves the situation (Liberia, anyone? Of course, I'm refering to the latest interference that helped allow peaceful elections and not all the crap that came before). Yes, it's a fine damn line. However, when there's 100,000 lives at stake that are just being ignored, it's not that hard.

The events and aftermath of Katrina were horrible. One wonders if the Myanmar junta took lessons from Brownie's FEMA or if this is the way things would have gone anyways.

One thing is for certain, Myanmar learned well from the popular protests earlier this year about how to control the media. The few journalists in the area must avoid the army and the lack of electricity hampers much real reporting. In a few years, Myanmar may join N. Korea in being a black hole for news.

MotherJones has an account of the price gouging and other scenes of desperation

Newslinking while anger overcomes my general depression on world events.

Run-offs agreed to iin Zimbabwe
However, no date has been set and the opposition MDC can't freely campaign. Plus, veiolence is being used to keep suspected MDC supporters out of certain regions of the country. And if you get beaten, you're given a certificate so you can show it to soldiers the next time they come around. How...quaint.

Hand, mouth, and foot disease has killed at least 34 children in China. The sheer numbers of children initially affected (around a week or two ago when the story broke) meant that China was unable to conceal this outbreak as long as it did SARS. That, plus the numbers of foreign journalists in the country as the Olympics approach.

McCain abandons his straight shooting, no-negative ads facade and instead tries to link Obama to Hamas. This is just...well, about as stupid as the rumor that Obama had been raised in militant Islamic schools. When Obama suggested that McCain was "losing his bearings" from his normal scripted persona, McCain freaked out. Because it is far worse nowadays to be accused of being the normal Republican than it is to be accused of being too old for the job (though McCain's continual confusion over Shia and Sunni does that pretty well itself. Of course, MSM never harps on it...)

Taser abuse isn't limited to US authorities.

An essay on the Post-American age

Yes, I'm weird.

Ignore me, spamming to avoid cleaning..

So, one of the things about me is that, as I was lactose intolerant a bit before lactaid was invented, I grew up without ever eating dry cereal. Instead, cream-of-wheat, malt-o-meal (chocolate :)), or oatmeal was my morning breakfast. The thought of which I knows horrifies many a person. However, me being me, and my mother not wishing to make every breakfast a fight over me eating, realize that any of the above was served with enough sugar to rival your favorite sugary cereal.

( Read more... )

(no subject)

this is just ...wow

eta Huh...it's not just guys w/ too much time. it's a levi jeans funded vid

If you're interested...

a poll about a burn notice challenge community..

because i've found that maybe gauging interest would be better than just doing. Because sometimes, you issue challenges and nobody writes..

Is the 15 minutes over yet??

This past week has made me ready to call it quits on TV and news for the forseeable future. I keep hoping the fifiteen minutes is over, and then her face appears in another article, on another celebrity news show, or even on the tabloid rack.

Who'd have ever thought I'd be writing these words and they wouldn't be about Britney Spears or her ilk?

( Seriously Barbara, SHUT UP. )