Burma's Cyclone, China's Earthquake, America's Katrina

Remember the old Sesame Street song, "which of these things is not like the other? Which of these things just doesn't belong?" Let's play that again, just for fun. Which of these governments is not like the others? Which of these governments just doesn't belong?

1. China, 2008, after earthquake, paranoid Communist government: "China expresses welcome and gratitude for the earthquake relief aid from the international society, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said here Tuesday at a regular press conference.... [China has] opened special channels for receiving foreign aid. China welcomes aid from international society and is willing to keep contacts with foreign nations and organizations, [an official] said." (Xinhua)

2. Myanmar (Burma), 2008, after cyclone, military dictatorship: "Burmese officials are still denying U.S. emergency help for hundreds of thousands of people in dire need of help in the wake of Cyclone Nargis.... Burma has allowed some Asian neighbours -- such as Thailand and India -- to help. But its ruling junta apparently fears other nations may take advantage of the situation for nefarious reasons." (CTV.ca)

3. Gulf Coast, United States of America, 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, Bush Administration: "In separate Washington press briefings, both the White House and State Department spokesmen this week downplayed the Cuban government's offer to send some 1,600 medics, field hospitals and 83 tons of medical supplies to ease the humanitarian disaster.... White House spokesman Scott McClellan scorned the Cuban proposal last Thursday when asked if the president would consider accepting the Cuban help." (NBC)

A paranoid and inept U.S. government resembling the oppressive Burmese military junta and actually making China's government look open by comparison: just one more reason for us all to get to the polls in November, regardless of how our candidates fared in the primaries.

Visit the author's blog, Vichydems

Comments

[ignorantwillyharper]

On number #3, that Bush would not accept Aid from Cuba, just shows everyone, Bush is a very sick person. He thinks God chose him to lead the country, he also thinks he was accepted by Harvard/Yale on His own intellect.
No, his Poppy, got him into Harvard/Yale, Poppy, bought him the oval office, got him out of the Viet Nam war, bailed him out of jail on his DWI, bailed him out of two bankruptcy,. Poppy got his friends to (GIVE) loan W. six hundred thousand to buy about 1% of the Texas Rangers, which three year later was sold and his part was from between fifteen and eighteen million dollars.
He runs and gets elected to Governorship of Texas, Bob Bullock (just like Karl Rove) tells him don't said a word, with out me telling you what to say. He does as told and now we end up with a complete idiot in the WHITEHOUSE FOR EIGHT YEARS!!!
W. proves, it's not about intelligence, it about NAME and MONEY.
Come 01-20-09, W. couldn't find his way back to Crawford, Texas without AIR-FORCE-ONE and his wife Laura...what a shame.

[susaw]

Thanks for making the comparison. China does indeed look positively transparent compared with out own response to Katrina. Not only did we refuse outside help, we did little ourselves to alleviate a really bad situation. I do, however, vividly remember seeing Mexican soldiers marching into New Orleans to help out; they must have sneaked in under the radar! New Orleans still isn't even close to being repaired and many of its longtime residents will never be able to return. What a world!