We give aid to those who hate us. (Bin Laden T-shirt)
Posted on 02/13/2005 11:31:40 AM PST by traviskicks
Tsunami Tyranny
On February 2nd, 2005 US President George W. Bush said in his State Of the Union Address:
The only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom. (1)
The attack on freedom in our world has reaffirmed our confidence in freedom's power to change the world. We are all part of a great venture: To extend the promise of freedom in our country, to renew the values that sustain our liberty, and to spread the peace that freedom brings. (2)
How can we define this freedom and liberty that the President speaks so highly of?
freedom n 1: the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints 2: immunity from an obligation or duty. (3)
liberty n 1: The condition of being free from restriction or control. 2. The right and power to act, believe, or express oneself in a manner of one's own choosing. 3. The condition of being physically and legally free from confinement, servitude, or forced labor. (4)
Do we really experience this freedom and liberty here in America? Keep these definitions in mind as we now turn to an event that serves as a microcosm for the constant flagrant violations of our own freedom and liberty, an event which perfectly illustrates the pervasive ignorance that clouds the mindset of many Americans, including our current President: the Asian Tsunami disaster.
(Excerpt) Read more at neoperspectives.com ...
ping!
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
In the early days of the relief campaign, US aid dwarfed all others--including the UN and all Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). The sight of C-130's landing was seen by the victims themselves as a powerful testimony to what the Americans were doing. This was not lost on the Indonesian government. They quickly told the US that the C-130s only could land at night, so they would be out of sight. During one incident, Al Jazeera reporters even called Jakarta to complain that the sight of US aircraft landing looked bad for the Muslim world.
They also started denying flights diplomatic clearance to some provinces. The local governments were screaming for the aid, but the corrupt clan in Jakarta was too busy counting the money flowing in and playing politics.
So now, we have all but left.
The Indonesian gov has acknoweldged some of the good we've done:
-snip-
Revealingly, some of the most supportive comments of the US efforts came from Indonesians. The comments of the Indonesian Foreign Minister were reported by the New York Times:
For his part, Mr. Wirajuda, a Harvard Law School graduate, went out of his way to praise the performance of the American military in the aid effort. "We particularly appreciate the crucial role that the United States armed forces play in providing helicopters for relief assistance for victims and survivors at the remote and isolated areas," he said. (53)
Eight days after the Tsunami hit an Indonesian military spokesmen described the American effort:
"They've helped us reach places we have not had the time, or manpower, or equipment to go to," said Col. Basuki, noting that Americans had helped clear helicopter landing spaces for the arrival of future supplies. "It really speeds up the distribution of aid to [Sumatra's] west coast." (54)
On January 18th, the Indonesia Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said at a press conference:
"The U.S. Military [in Aceh] has been the backbone of the logistical operations providing assistance to all afflicted after the disaster. We'd like to pay tribute to the soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen of the U.S. Forces deployed in Aceh throughout the relief effort." (55)
They quickly told the US that the C-130s only could land at night, so they would be out of sight. During one incident, Al Jazeera reporters even called Jakarta to complain that the sight of US aircraft landing looked bad for the Muslim world.
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Had not heard this, any links to it?
Good read and in-depth analysis. I think one has to be very well educated or one has to spend a few years living in another country to truly appreaciate and value America's system of governance.
BTW, I posted one of your recommended reads "Is Corruption getting worse in Africa?" on FR this past Saturday.
thanks! yea I meant to thank you for that post, I got that African article from your FR post.
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