A Wave of Questions Putting a Disaster in Context

How does one comprehend the magnitude, impact, and context of a disaster that may claim more than 100,000 lives? But enough about the U.S. occupation of Iraq... The recent earthquake/tsunami in Asia raises more questions than answers. Here's a start:

What's the political context of the disaster? Reports on the Asian tsunami typically ignore the crucial political back stories in volatile areas like Aceh and Sri Lanka...and how "aid" efforts will be exploited for geo-political gain. Without such context, the coverage is woefully incomplete and irresponsible. Today, Democracy Now did delve deeper into the situation in Aceh...the military repression, the role of Exxon-Mobil, and now the earthquake/tsunami.
( http://www.democracynow.org/article...04/12/29/161219 ). Do some research and see for yourself.

Why was there no warning? There was warning. Here's how the folks at Democracy Now describe what happened: "Within minutes of the tsunami forming on Sunday, U.S. officials at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii began tracking the waves. But the scientists claimed they had no one to contact in the Indian Ocean region about the possible danger. One exception was the British-owned island of Diego Garcia that houses a major US Naval base. The Independent of London reports that U.S. officials in Hawaii did warn Diego Garcia about the possible tsunami and the island suffered no major damage."

Could any of the affected countries done anything? It might have helped if U.S. scientists in Hawaii hadn't initially calculated the earthquake at a magnitude of 8.0 (ten times weaker than in actuality). "Based on it being an 8.0, we assumed the damage would be confined to Sumatra and would be a local tsunami event," said Charles McCreery, director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, "one that strikes shore within minutes of the event." But even so, we must never forget that profits outweigh people. An official in Thailand's meteorology department told the Guardian of London, "A proper warning was not given. If we had given the warning and then it hadn't happened, then it would have been the death of tourism in those areas."

Mickey Z., 12/29/04 "ICH" --

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