The Dialectic of Disasters

The recent tsunami disaster provides the bases for a good deal of reflection on the world stage and an opportunity to highlight new and old lessons and their use in fighting savage inequality for those who still dabble in the land of caring for other people.

First, with an event of the magnitude of this seismic event, we need to know what were, if any, the responses of the intelligence and defense agencies. Were they aware? If so, when? And what did they do with the information? Or was this simply a matter of interest to geologists holed up in various laboratories? But what did the so-called defense community with all of their equipment know about this disaster?

Second, what was the character and nature of information of the disaster made available to various national governmental and non-governmental organizations and leaders (including the UN) and what were the time-lines between preliminary notification and response? How did we think about this disaster? What were the time-lines of response to subsequent reports of damage? This goes beyond what did W know and when did he realize he had to act (as well as acting in a manner that was not insulting).

Third, are the different rates of donations by nations to this event following past patterns? Are the big donors the regular big donors? Or are we seeing a different pattern of giving here?

Fourth, will the communications opening as exhibited in blogging turn out to be an effective mechanism for clearing away certain myths about the disaster or this part of the world? or will it clear only some myths that serve the purpose of a barely legitimated Bush administration? In other words, how long before we see pictures of the smiling, grateful and not the suffering?

Even know all the commentators talk about this historic opportunity for Bush to change the image of the United States rather than people were harmed and need our help.

Fifth, what will be the balance of virulent neoconservative politics concerning regimes and indigenous politics? How will those who do not care much for that part of the world (I wonder if the Vulcans or New Century people care at all) balance the scale of concern with winning the hearts and minds of Muslims vs. expressions of personal sentiments to collect and distribute material goods and services and provide opportunities to those harmed in this tragedy?

Some hard old lessons for us to consider:

Like the sinking of the Titanic and numerous natural disasters (unlike 9-11), the victims tend to be disproportionately the economically disadvantaged. Monitoring the facts of this disaster have been distorted into a social observers' equivalence to bean-counting: How many dead today? How many projected death? How many will die of disease?

Matters relating to values and humanitarianism seem to pale when business elements are assessed against human misery. Yet, we must not wallow in the scale or misery, we must act to ensure that something like this does not happen again.

The nature and extent of sentiment that swirls about individuals after this tragedy will very likely overshadow other lessons that we should consider. Meanwhile, the the disparity between human experiences and corporate operations (How soon before Haliburton becomes involved in emergency response here?) provides an opening to move the world toward human needs rather than that of Bidness. Let's hope we take that opportunity.