Mobile version

Disaster upon disaster . . . . . !

  

by: tahoebasha3

Sat Aug 21, 2010 at 17:21:04 PDT


( - promoted by buhdydharma )


I had intended this as a comment, but it grew . . . .!

Pakistan!
(American River Canyon has a very informative diary up here.  Jacob Freeze had a very good diary here (he's had two ) and pinche tejano didn't miss a stroke here.).  

This picture drums it ALL into your psyche!


Pakistani flood affected people look towards an army helicopter which was dropping
relief supplies at the heavily flooded area of Rajanpur, in central Pakistan Sunday,
Aug. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Khalid Tanveer)

Apparently, it really got to this one Sun-Times regular columnist.

August 17, 2010
BY MICHAEL SNEED Sun-Times Columnist

I'm 66 years old and, as they say, I've been around.

Traveling to the world's broken places is not unusual for a general assignment reporter, which is basically what I am.

Only Monday morning, I didn't have to smell it, hear it, or see it on television . . . or even be there -- in order to feel the story.

It was the extraordinary power of one photograph -- a black-and-white still photo, an AP pix by Khalid Tanveer -- which transported me into the world of 20 million homeless people affected by a flood in Pakistan of biblical proportions.

This extraordinary still life of a scrap of land, surrounded by water, occupied by goats, cows, baskets, and strewn with the detritus of desperate people, was the cradle of life in harm's way.

And it was the majesty of a hand-held newspaper; a chance flip of a page controlled by whim; and the profundity of silence -- that made me take notice.

I have chosen to devote column space today to this stunningly provocative piece of film. Study it. Place yourself in it. Imagine the nightmare and the need.

And then be what we were born to be: Americans whose pride of place should always be standing next to someone in need.
tahoebasha3 :: Disaster upon disaster . . . . . !
And, the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was overwhelmed by what he saw:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP)

- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday he has never seen anything like the flood disaster in Pakistan after surveying the devastation and urged foreign donors to speed up assistance to the 20 million people affected. . . . .

"This has been a heart-wrenching day for me," Ban said after flying over the hard-hit areas with President Asif Ali Zardari. "I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today. In the past I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this." . . . . (emphasis mine)

This totally blows me away:

"Health relief operations are not possible in the flood-affected areas of Jacobabad because the airbase is with the United States," Mr Lashari said while answering a question asked by Senator Semeen Yusuf Siddiqui of PML-Q.

Dr Jahanzeb Aurakzai, coordinator of the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Centre, said: "Foreign health teams could not start relief operations in remote areas because there are no airstrips close to several areas, including Jacobabad."

(h/t to ARC)

How is it that we seem to control so many airbases, no matter where in the world?  Just incredible.  

You mean to say that our Ambassador to Pakistan could not instantaneously effectuate an order that health aid be immediately allowed to land at that airbase?  All too reminiscent of Haiti.

This, on top of our measly offer of $150 million in aid?  Remember the outpouring of aid to us for "Katrina?"

Let's see now, NOLA, Haiti, Peru, Chili, Pakistan and . . .  ?  Yep, the poorest . . . . . !!!!!    

* * * * *

Finally, we should give whatever we can spare to reputable selections of charities by Charity Navigator:

-Concern Worldwide US
-Direct Relief International
-Oxfam America
-United States Fund for UNICEF
-Islamic Relief USA
-Plan USA

also, should be added is Doctors Without Borders.



Tags: , , , , , , , , (All Tags)
Print Friendly View Send As Email

Disaster upon disaster . . . . . ! | 37 comments
And the Senate (4.00 / 16)
drags its heels on Clean Energy!

But, then, we have greater concerns, such as whether Obama is an American and whether or not he has a religion!


"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle

I continue to think (4.00 / 11)

that instead of investing Billions
for a War Machine and World Domination,

the USA would be much better off,
politically, morally, and practically --

if we instead invested those Billions,
for an Emergency Response and Recovery "army",
that was on call and very mobile.


Think of all the friends and good will,
that this kind of investment "in Humanity",
would gain us, both here and around the world.


Maybe some decade?


Where's the Note?    -- SEIU

[ Parent ]
The greedy would not be (4.00 / 8)
happy with this, jamess.  But I've always harbored such feelings and thoughts, too!

Thank you.   "Maybe some . . . . .," if there's still a planet!

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle

[ Parent ]
In the '50s and early '60s America was beloved and emulated (4.00 / 11)
Due to the record high funding of foreign aid the U.S. poured out. Then came 'Nam, and the U.S. military staged its coup on America, turning it into Amerika. It was a quiet coup, no guns at home at all (actualy on reflection, there was Kent State, People's Park, Selma, Watts and others ?), but the results are obvious to any thinking human. The thugs took over, just like Ike warned us about.

The carrot works way, waaaaay better than the stick, but the idiots that hold the stick are slobbering misanthropes that wipe their asses with their brains.

So, sorry charlie, there will be no better world until the bullies are overthrown, and they have made it damn near impossible with their microwave crowd control, lock down press control, and fear, fear fear on all sides. We can't fight them.

Let me repeat that, we can't fight them! We have to create the world we want, first in our minds, modeling ALL of the bits and pieces we would like to see in a better world. More time needs to be spent on the creative modeling of a better world and less time spent on the desruction of a destructive force that we will NEVER be able to overwhelm. By fighting them, we join them. Destructive energy is destructive....period, it doesn't differentiate between participants. Creative energy on the other hand is exactally that, creative, producing new and ever more creative acts.

Me? I am concentrating on getting an old wooden boat in sea worthy shape, so that I can go comb the oceans for the elusive pink whales, those lavender tinged cephlopods with their mighty peace loving intelligences focused on birthing beauty, love, and intelligence.

I pray they are not extinct.

Let me know if you see any, please..... pretty please, OK?

Be well  

visualize: the act of the mind using spiritual energy to manifest in the physical realm  

[ Parent ]
cj... (4.00 / 5)
I posted a reference to this at Lady Lib's...diary from earlier today.

Breathe in emptiness and luminosity.  Breathe out compassion.
[ Parent ]
Pick me up (4.00 / 9)
in Vancouver on your way, will you. I'll be the guy standing on the wharf with the nearly white mustache shaking his head. ;-)
[ Parent ]
Please take me with you, crystaljim -- (4.00 / 3)
I'll come join you wherever you are!

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle
[ Parent ]
On the other side of the coin, cystaljim, (4.00 / 3)
while I think you may right, I'm not sure we should just concede because "there's no use" kinda' attitude.  If everyone were to assume that "mentality," then, rest assured, we would, thereby, "guarantee" an outcome of "there's no use."  Kinda' "you get what you wish for."  I'm not sure I can join in a "there is no use" attitude.  

About two years ago, I visited a local accountant -- we spoke about the prevalent circumstances and he told me I was so akin to his brothers and sisters, who, according to him, were as outraged as I.  He told me that he had advised them to forget it and stop stressing themselves out -- that it would not change anything if they continued their outrage!  Well, to me, that was a small bit of a philosophical attitude, but very, very hard to accept or  relinquish to.  When you give up, you concede to TOTAL LOSS!

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle

[ Parent ]
jim, make sure you get a pair (4.00 / 1)
while you're at it.

"Disappointment and bourbon are hard on the heart."  (Amanda McBroom, Errol Flynn)
[ Parent ]
Heart-rendering photographs (4.00 / 8)
at Boston.com Continuing Pakistan.

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle
There's nothing to say... (4.00 / 5)
...just nothing to say!

Breathe in emptiness and luminosity.  Breathe out compassion.
Somewhere you speculated Tahoe... (4.00 / 6)
...that you thought the Pakistani flood might have had something to do with climate manipulation.  I'm sure you know about the Pentagon/Defense/War Department's strategies on this.  

But for those who don't know, I recommend articles on "Owning the Weather 2025," especially an article by Michel Chossudovsky, at Global Research .  

This 2004 article is a bit old, but still valid.  For other and more recent articles, just google owining the weather.  Perhaps the Pentagon version (PDF) is still on line.  I didn't look.

In this regard, it is quite curious to find that most of the really malicious weather catastrophes have occured recently in Russia, China and Pakistan.  I heard earlier today that 15K people had died in Russia due to the fires and respiratory problems therefrom.  Could be coincidental, but...!!!  Also there have been deadly floods and slides in The Chinese controlled areas of Tibet.

Curioser and Curioser!

And just who is the Red Queen?

Breathe in emptiness and luminosity.  Breathe out compassion.

Thanks, syd! (4.00 / 4)
It wasn't me who said that, but some Pakistanis, see here.

Yes, we do know HAARP exists.  "The High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) based in Gokona, Alaska --jointly managed by the US Air Force and the US Navy."  It'a all this highly secretive stuff that is really scary.

Others have been suspicious, too, such as Hugo Chavez with respect to Haiti. I remember well because I was chastised for mentioning it.

We've been having back-to-back environmental disasters of unbelievable magnitudes -- global warming inspired, of course, but back-to-back?  All this horrific death and destruction.

Curiouser and curiouser -- YES!

"Who is the Red Queen?"  Hard to say!

(I had thought China had had dreadful flooding in some province, which is why I left some space.)  But all those mentioned are ones that suffered horrible floodings, mudslides, etc., several of which were results of earthquakes.    

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle

[ Parent ]
China floods... (4.00 / 2)
"The Christian Science Monitor" reported some days ago, August 11, 2010:

China expects heavy rain in the coming days. China flooding and mudslides have already killed more than 1,000 people, with tens of thousands still at risk.

Since then, there have been major floods in the NE Korean border, with 50,000 evacuated (Aug 22nd report),
       here.

Many of the floods (also in Tibet) are connected with mudslides on earthquake eroded hillsides.    

Breathe in emptiness and luminosity.  Breathe out compassion.

[ Parent ]
It's unbelieveable, syd! (4.00 / 2)
Although we do know that the heavy industrialization in China, particularly, and other Asian countries, contributes greatly to the pollution.  And, they have no regulations at all over their emissions, etc.

Whatever, however . . . . it is mind boggling and painful to see!

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle

[ Parent ]
I just can't understand all these (4.00 / 3)
back-to-back environmental disasters, almost like a domino effect.

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle
[ Parent ]
Something is happening... (4.00 / 3)
...but we can only guess what it is...

Breathe in emptiness and luminosity.  Breathe out compassion.
[ Parent ]
Something is happening? (4.00 / 3)
Maybe we won't get it till it happens?



[ Parent ]
Have fun and keep guessing! (4.00 / 2)


"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle
[ Parent ]
Something is happening... (4.00 / 3)
...but we can only guess what it is...

Breathe in emptiness and luminosity.  Breathe out compassion.
[ Parent ]
Have fun -- and keep guessing! (4.00 / 2)


"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle
[ Parent ]
I believe I had read the (4.00 / 2)
Chossudovsky's article way back then, just scanned it some more and it's kinda' hard to find any lack of sound reasoning given therein -- it all makes total and complete logical sense.  And, there is little that we can say, because we don't know what is and what isn't being done by HAARP.

But, it does seem that whoever we have it in for, "they" get it "big time" (looking at the pattern of those countries that have suffered major environmental disasters).    

I keep thinking that there is some concerted effort (whether just by the U.S., or others conjoined with the U.S.) to wipe out the "poor," after we've sufficiently impoverished a country, by our "drones," "bombs," WMD's whatever, as even we are being impoverished. Like "rapists" who must kill their "victims?" Or, the "Dr. Strangeloves' idea of "population control?"  [We have destroyed Iraq, killed over 1,000,000, maimed, caused cancer to gawd knows how many, caused massive displaced Iraqis, about 2,000,000 within Iraq, and some 2,400,000  outside of Iraq, all of whom suffer poverty, lack of work, children being turned into prostitutes, slave labor, etc.]

There seems to be NO END to the depraved, heinous, wanton skills of the powers that be.  So depressing!



"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle

[ Parent ]
Yes tb3... (4.00 / 2)
...you stated this quite well.  There's no certainty here.  But I do know that the absolute coldness of our country in relation to the sufferings we cause is absolutely astounding.

We deserve blowback, karma, profound retribution.  Sooner or later, this will come.

Breathe in emptiness and luminosity.  Breathe out compassion.

[ Parent ]
This is the most confusng part of all -- (4.00 / 2)
how is it we continue to "get away" with these war criminal deeds?  This is the only reason I tend to think that there are other nations involved with ours in condoning or accepting our deeds.  I just dunno'.

Yes, I don't wish it, but I just can't see that we can go on endlessly in these misanthropic ways without some kind of efforts being made upon us.

Thank you, syd.

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle

[ Parent ]
Look at the record in the Assange matter - (4.00 / 1)
it seems to be coming out that Sweden has been complicit peripherally in our black ops in the past -

This is quite a surprise to me.  Everything is connected in the long run.  As well, we the people accept the government's deeds.  Kharma!

btw, basha - you didn't mention Al Gore is fat.  Shouldn't you add an update so as to keep your excellent reporting on a par with the MSM.

"Disappointment and bourbon are hard on the heart."  (Amanda McBroom, Errol Flynn)

[ Parent ]
Sweden -- (4.00 / 1)
black ops?  That truly is surprising, I mean, truly!!!!  Looks and appears that the International laws are ones of impotence now, eh?

Damn, I'm sorry, I forgot to mention how Al had put on all that weight, but I'm sure the MSM will take care of that for me, so I won't add it here!  ;)

But I did forget to mention that you should be "very afraid" -- the Muslims may be building a building in NYC, containing a mosque, not terribly for from the WTC's site and you know what that means!!!!

Oh, and as the wealthy politicians are screaming about possible tax increases (translation:  fear of losing the Bush tax cuts), they posture, plot and plan an attack on our Social Security and Medicare.  

And on and on it goes!

Thanks, Xanthe!


"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle

[ Parent ]
I don't know (4.00 / 4)
Certainly there's a lot of speculation about this stuff. Is it being used? If so, why?

Certainly I believe climate change could well account for much of the extreme weather so I don't think you have to use HAARP here. Still, if that technology exists (and it might) the parts of the security services would only be too happy to use it. There is no crime, no horror out of the works of the Marquis De Sade these people are not capable of. However, there is a significant part of the security elite that do not, essentially, serve pure evil but have some conscience so I think they would draw the line on that kind of manipulation.

I come down on it being caused by climate instability.

[ Parent ]
It's such a secret operation (4.00 / 2)
that we would never know anything one way or the other.  Why does it exist?  What's it for?  So, anything that is so secretive is always something to be a little frightened of, particulary, since it's an operation of the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy.  

That aside, scientists have been warning over and over that global warming was happening at a much faster pace than they had ever predicted.  BP's spill added to the atmospheric conditions with all the vapors and our "wars" cause huge pollution, so we're definitely contributing, big time, to the global warming, rather than seeking strong and tough measures to reduce it the world over.  

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle

[ Parent ]
Just received from The Nation, (4.00 / 3)
an article on the dire needs of Pakistan, as well as where donations may also be sent.

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle
Blessed be the hill top refugee (4.00 / 5)
no time to think
but to survive
and climb the highest hill

and ask the sky why?

Blessed be the hill top refugee

So, so, on the mark, bigsurtee! (4.00 / 3)
Yours, I assume!  How can we but not have tears in our hearts and in our eyes?  

Thank you!  

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle

[ Parent ]
Yep, mine--- About half the time I prefer free response. It often captures (4.00 / 4)
emotion a lot better than prose.
[ Parent ]
I totally agree! (4.00 / 2)
Reflection is great, but expressing the "moment" is the BEST, and you did it!

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle
[ Parent ]
Thanks! You're quite a master at it yourself. (4.00 / 3)
I appreciate all your contributions----------------
[ Parent ]
Thank you, bigsurtee! (4.00 / 3)
I admit I'm not given to much "poetic or prosaic" protocol* and I don't care.  I care about the truth, the emotions and the expressions thereof -- that is, to me, far more important -- in these circumstances!

I thank you so much!

*it isn't to say that I despair it, it's simply that I feel that we really haven't a moment for the "luxury" of it in these times, plus, I am limited and I simply don't have the time for it period, and I'm lucky to get up even a few thoughts!

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle

[ Parent ]
Thanks, budhy, (4.00 / 2)
for lifting me "higher."  

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle
Just received from (4.00 / 4)

PLEASE FORWARD AND POST

Dear Friend of the Campaign for Peace and Democracy,

    Below is a very important statement from friends in Pakistan who have been organizing flood relief efforts in their country. For background, see the CPD email of August 18  Urgent Pakistan Labor Appeal for Emergency Flood Support (and thanks to all of you who generously responded to this appeal.) The statement helps to put the catastrophe into a global political context, and urges a fundamental change of course by the international community and both the U.S. and Pakistani governments. The statement can also be found at http://progpak.wordpress.com/2...

In peace and solidarity,
Joanne                 Tom
Joanne Landy and Thomas Harrison
Co-Directors, Campaign for Peace and Democracy
www.cpdweb.org       cpd@igc.org



"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."--Aristotle
Disaster upon disaster . . . . . ! | 37 comments
 

Menu

- Create New Account
- Lost password
- Contact Us

Username:

Password:




- Mission Statement
- FAQ
- YouTube Posting
- HTML Help

Seek




Advanced Search

Contribute to Docudharma
 

 
     

 

Action
- Why Are Bank CEO's Seated on the New York Federal Reserve?
by: TheMomCat
- Stop CISPA: What You Need to Know
by: TheMomCat
- CISPA: Cybersecurity That Leaves Us All Unsecure
by: TheMomCat
- 'This is what co-optation looks like'
by: ek hornbeck

WikiLeaks Mirror Sites
 

Powered by: SoapBlox