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The world’s media takes stock

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U.S.’s radical shift

In pledging long-term assistance to the tsunami disaster zone, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has explicitly acknowledged the role of poverty, disease and hopelessness in fostering extremism. Powell’s comments recognize that Indonesia’s Aceh province and Sri Lanka are not only the areas hardest hit by the tsunami but fertile breeding grounds for radicalism and its terrorism offshoots. Powell rightly says that much can be achieved by supporting the tsunami zones. Terrorist leaders… find willing recruits within communities that no longer believe in their government’s ability to improve their lives. Asia offers the U.S. better opportunities than Iraq to counter extremism, and nowhere is the opportunity greater than in the world’s largest Muslim nation, Indonesia.
The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

Drowned in delirium

In a hasty move of admirable public virtues, governments across the globe called on citizens to cancel all forms of parties on New Year’s Eve. Even many far-flung nations not affected directly by the catastrophe responded in a noble manner to the call to cancel parties. It was shocking then [to] have surveyed the sights in Jakarta. There was no sense of mourning, and what took place was the delirium of dancing, noise, fireworks and all forms of raucous disregard. All were drowned in the delirium of festive New Year programs. We have lost even our public decorum to express condolences.
The Jakarta Post, Indonesia

Suspicion and mistrust

Money and complacency are two reasons why no tsunami warning system exists for the Indian Ocean. But the region also suffers from a political fear of cooperation. Suspicion and mistrust between many of the countries bordering the ocean and between those in the seismically turbulent region beyond in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and elsewhere mean that habits of cross-border cooperation are weak. In 1999, when Greece and Turkey both suffered earthquakes in rapid succession, the urge to assist each other led to a considerable thaw in long-frosty relations. To build a warning system would not be an expensive operation. Nor would it prevent natural disasters in the future… but it could be a useful, non-controversial contribution to the easing of old political tensions – and to saving some lives.
The Economist, London, England

It’s not about us

The world’s generosity has indeed been amazing, but sometimes we use our compassion as a self-enveloping fog to obscure our view of the abyss. Somehow it’s wrong to turn this event into a good-news story so we can all feel warm this holiday season. It’s wrong to turn it into a story about us, who gave, rather than about them, whose lives were ruined. It’s certainly wrong to turn this into yet another petty political spat, as many tried, disgustingly, to do. This is a moment to feel deeply bad, for the dead and for those of us who have no explanation.
The New York Times

Politicizing relief

India’s refusal of aid from other countries for the tsunami disaster has been both polite and reasonable. It undoubtedly gives a shine to India’s image. Its confidence and quick-off-the-mark activity is an indirect assertion of its vision of itself as a regional power, one that can take on a massive natural disaster while accepting responsibility to ease some of the pain of its neighbours. Such an image is important for an aspirant to a seat in the United Nations Security Council.
The Telegraph, Calcutta, India

UN relevant – again

That the catastrophe was of this scale and that generous contributions have come from countries around the world will provide the UN – which has in the past had difficulty raising funds for emergency relief operations to alleviate the effects of man-made disasters – the opportunity to prove itself capable of making a real difference in improving people’s lives and livelihoods, and thereby to demonstrate its unique position and continued relevance on the world stage. The Nation, Bangkok,Thailand

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