Guess who's back
Apologies for the lack of postage over the yuletide period, but for those of you who really missed me, photographic treats depicting my activity over the past couple of weeks are being created. This one is the view from the window of the cottage in North Wales on Christmas morning.
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, depending on your perspective and your disposition, no one had a camera handy on New Years' Eve. Which sadly means no photos of what may have once been the most incredible flan of all time, but happily also means no photos of my contribution to its consumption. Tantilising eh? The details stop there I'm afraid, kids.
It's a while since these pages have seen a good rant, but due to the fact that my entire news consumption in the week I was in Wales consisted of an extremelt skimpy Indie, I don't really have anything to be angry about. Casualties in Iraq this week have been nothing short of collossal, for Iraqi troops in particular (see here: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/02/international/middleeast/02cnd-iraq.html and also here: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/29/international/middleeast/29mosul.html )
On the big news of the week there is little to say, except that deepest sympathies are sent to all who lost loved ones in the tragedy. There was some suggestion earlier in the week (which I heard on BBC World Service and elsewhere) that the Indonesian government was making it difficult for aid workers to reach Sumatra and particularly Aceh - where aid agencies and reporters have been unable to travel since the civil war escalated 18 months ago. Perhaps an early problem, but Shawn Donnan's suggestion that it is due to a basic lack of infrastructure seems much more plausible. Given the scale of the catastrophe, it seems impossible the Indonesians would do much to hinder aid efforts, which would surely generate global condemnation. The sad fact is that the country is just not very well run - not a surprise in light of its history. It's noteworthy that Channel 4 News showed Indonesian soldiers focussing on rebuilding their own installations in Aceh and doing little to help the starving, displaced, homeless and vulnerable residents, but to suggest they are actively hindering aid agencies is something else entirely.
"Aid workers have complained of logjams in the delivery of relief supplies and the flow of aid from Banda Aceh's airport has been slow with a lack of proper equipment causing planes already delayed by overwhelmed air traffic controllers to be unloaded by hand." More: http://news.ft.com/cms/s/b88d36a6-5cc3-11d9-bb9c-00000e2511c8,dwp_uuid=e7abb2ca-5776-11d9-a8db-00000e2511c8.html
Some people I have spoken to seem a little unsure about which charity to donate to and who will use the money most effectively. The Disasters Emergency Committee works on behalf of many aid agencies in times of crisis like this and has a central fund for this appeal, so if you're not sure, they're your best bet. http://www.dec.org.uk/ Generosity has surprised me for once. The pub I work in collected £240 on New Years Eve. Not bad.
A rather grim end to the post, but like I said, nothing to rant about. I'm sure it won't be long though... stay tuned, kids.
posted by UK plc at 12:25 AM
1 Comments:
Allow me to help with the ranting bit. From the lips of a senior democrat (but no doubt echoed in the minds of all Republicans who have ever agreed with Kissinger): "This (the aid effort) represents a political opportunity." I knew someone would say something this cretinous, but it still shocked me. The theory is that the US can let the world see them ostentatiously helping a Muslim country. It is as vacuous and nauseating as that common defence against anti-semitism "One of my best friends is Jewish."
There is also cause for concern that the US had already been busy using aid as a lever in other areas (see the mule, December 13th on article 98.)
As that famous seer Frank Skinner sang: "There must be something better than this."
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