Disasters

Burma: a case for humanitarian intervention?

Larvatus Prodeo - May 15, 2008 - 11:01pm

Surely the bedrock responsibility of any state is to protect its citizens in the case of natural disaster. The bungling and incompetence shown in New Orleans was the lever for Bush’s free fall in the opinion polls. Far graver is the appalling regime in Burma, which has never shown any interest in doing so, and which held an absurd constitutional referendum to entrench itself in power and ban Aung San Suu Kyi from ever holding office even as many of its citizens were being devastated and killed by Cyclone Nargis and its aftermath. Read more »

Disaster resilience

Larvatus Prodeo - May 8, 2008 - 2:58pm

The unfolding mass human tragedy that is the Burmese cyclone (the specifics of which I don’t have anything except that a) I hope that the junta stops putting up barriers to international assistance, and b) that it’s going to make the global food crunch worse) reminds us of the awesome power of nature to inflict death and destruction. Read more »

This Anzac Day, Bill Rubinstein agrees with me

Larvatus Prodeo - April 24, 2008 - 4:28pm

Conservative and strongly pro-Israel Professor Bill Rubenstein has had a letter published in the April edition of Quadrant which ends with the following observation: Read more »

Burma donation appeal at Troppo

Larvatus Prodeo - May 10, 2008 - 4:28pm

The exact magnitude of the effects of Cyclone Nargis on the people of Bruma remain unclear, and will likely be so for some time. But what we do know already is it’s the biggest natural disaster in the region since the Boxing Day tsunami, and without sufficient and timely aid it will get far worse. Read more »

Jesus...

HarrangueMan - May 7, 2008 - 1:05am

Cyclone killed 10,000 in one town.

If this happened in a western country we'd be glued to the TV, S11 style. Ironic huh? Assume 30k are dead that's x10 S11's loss. Read more »

Annals of Naive Science, Episode 12938/WWF

Larvatus Prodeo - April 15, 2008 - 7:19pm

SMH Reports that the WWF and Climate Institute will join the CFMEU and Coal Industry to promote clean coal funding by governments

“If it’s going to work we need to know quickly. If it’s not going to work we need to know even more quickly,” Mr Bourne said. “If it’s never tested we are have deep problems on a world wide basis.” Read more »