Re: U.N. 'furious' as Myanmar aid 'seized'

On May 9, 4:19=A0pm, bmo...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:
> On May 9, 3:49=A0pm, PaPaPeng <PaPaP...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> > On Fri, 9 May 2008 14:47:02 -0700 (PDT), bmo...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:
> > >What if only one grain of rice reaches the people? You're saying that
> > >no matter how shameless and horrible the junta is, we should bend
over
> > >backwards to comply with their edicts, even if it means more people
> > >will die. Sovereignty is im****tant but in so is saving lives,
arguably
> > >moreso in this case. It's too bad the junta is in charge. They don't
> > >deserve to be.
>
> > This is a human disaster not a morality play. =A0There is no place for
> > good and evil battles. =A0Do what is possible first and that is to get
> > drinking water food and shelter, medical supplies to the disaster
> > site. =A0Who gets the supplies is irrelevant at this moment. =A0The
> > im****tant thing is to get the stuff there on the ground. =A0Then argue
> > about the fairness and the morality of allocation. =A0
>
> OK, but if there is a way to put pressure on the junta not to behave
> as they have been behaving, and get more aid to the people and have
> more trained personnel involved, it would save lives. Having trained
> professionals involved could make a world of difference.

"Trained professionals" in one country do not mean they are "trained
professionals" in another country.

In the 1960s, an aunt of mine was complaining about American packages
being passed out in Hong Kong schools.  She said the people on the
streets needed the packages more than those families with students in
the schools.

>
> > If the regime is stupid enough to hoard the supplies only for itself
> > then the anger of the people will have a unstoppable basis to topple
> > the regime with. By then their lives are already written off and dying
> > with a bullet is better than their families and themselves slowly
> > starving to death. =A0The ordinary army =A0ranks will certain not
sup****=
t
> > a regime that immoral for their own families will also die in the
> > disaster.
>
> You might be right. Though the junta might see to it that the military
> and their families are well-fed, even if the rest of the people are
> not. If I were a murderous dictator mainly interested in keeping power
> that's what I might do. Of course, if foreign aid workers were present
> it would be much harder for the junta to get away with that. That may
> be one reason they want to keep foreigners out.

Could it also be they know where the help is most needed?  They know
where the people are?  And the Junta doesn't want foreign influences
contaminate their uneducated people and plant CIA agents in their
country?