The Army quietly announced last week, after performing tests and investigations that the munition devidces described in Iraq were not manufactured in Iran. This was intentionally not widely reported.
A Tale of Two Countries
It has been said that the measure of a people is the compassion they show the least fortunate amongst them. This paraphrase of what the Prince of Peace or the Buddha might have said is just as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago.
United States. August, 2005
Hurricane Katrina struck and virtually wiped out large swaths of the Gulf coast of Louisiana, especially New Orleans, and ravaged the coast of Mississippi and flooded parts of Florida as well. It displaced nearly a million people, some 100,000 for a year or more. Tens of thousands of these refugees were re-settled permanently in other states. Much of these services came from private aid groups, including donations from dozens of countries, including Venezuela, which the US to this day demonizes.
Cuba, having a large, well-trained medical corps and extensive hurricane disaster relief expertise, offered with no strings attached, to send immediate help. They were arrogantly rebuffed by the US – as usual.
What did the US Executive Branch do? What did the head of FEMA do during that dark, terrifying first week? Not much. He wasted time trying to convince others that the situation was no big deal, rather than take action and show leadership. Neither came. FEMA director Michael Brown didn’t lose any sleep, and neither did anyone else in the federal government, other than possibly the oceanographic and weather bureau. Cuba was far more on the ball and proactive about what was about to hit the US than the US itself was.
Michael Brown, whose prior experience consisted of being fired from the group that organizes Arabia show-horse events, stayed in Washington DC, while bodies floated down St. Charles and Canal Streets and elsewhere. He sat on his ass, while old people and children were packed into the Superdome – to be robbed, raped, and killed by armed monsters. The innocents were left with no protection. Brutalized, hungry, lacking even the most basic medical treatment, many died in the Stadium, which became a living Hell. Bodies, including that of a 7 year old girl that had been brutally gang-raped in a restroom by eight men, then stabbed to death, were left out in front like garbage to be hauled away. Bush played golf. Cheney was either in his secret bunker, or pheasant hunting somewhere. In either event, he was MIA, intentionally avoiding a word to the press, or to the public during one of its most difficult times.
Roaming bands of armed thugs terrorized neighborhoods. They broke into hospitals and pharmacies to steal drugs. They broke into homes to steal weapons and in many cases, killed any occupants they encountered as they entered. Snipers positioned themselves in buildings near the Superdome to fire on aid workers. Many thugs ran from building to building, setting them on fire. Parts of The city burned. Some neighborhoods turned into armed strongholds to take-on bands of armed looters looking for their next victims.
As this was happening, the mass exodus and chaos spread. Police deserted their posts to join in with the looters. There was no military presence for weeks. In some cases, the private mercenaries hired by wealthy homeowners, fired on civilians who posed no danger (ie, thrill killings in the fog of chaos).
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China, May 2008.
By comparison, what did China do this month, when faced with a powerful earthquake in a densely populated region?
No looting – people banded together to form close-knit support teams, fully cooperating with each other and their local services.
The prime minister of China was on a plane to the epicenter within hours to do his best to show compassion, to give emotional support, and to assess the degree of suffering and determine the level of need. Initial search and rescue and aid teams poured into the area within hours.
Within two days, the 130 thousand troops that the prime minister had dispatched to assist in rescue and relief operations had arrived.
The prime minister immediately laid out specific plans of action and matched them with specific measures for financial assistance.
In spite of massive destruction and loss of life, relief and rescue operations were arefully and efficiently coordinated at all levels of the cities, counties, provinces and the Chinese national government.
I used to wonder why the people of China have done so well the past 30 years, and why their country’s economy and future are so bright. Now I know.
And in contrast, I look at the barbarism lurking under the surface of the American psyche, and how prone to hate and violence we are.
We can express rage, and employ devastation far better and faster than any other people on this planet. We have truly perfected the method of death, and in bringing destruction down on those who have a different skin color or political belief or religion, or who possess resources we are lacking. What happened in the aftermath of Katrina truly provides a mirror of what we are. For Americans our God is Greed and Greed has been good. Greed always has been good and perhaps always will be.
But then, when Greed no longer works, who will be the ones to come to our rescue, to save us from ourselves?
