Invade the country - shoot the generals - feed the people...

Wise words from Samizdata:

What is definitely true is that if, during a natural disaster, a government treats its own people as hostages rather than anyone they are supposed to help, then helping those people means shoving the government aside, at least for the duration of the disaster. Trouble is, smashing up a government does not, to put it mildly, necessarily mean helping its people. It's one of those necessary-but-insufficient situations. I actually think that if these generals did fear an old-fashioned invasion, a bit more than they do now, they might tolerate an NGO invasion instead. Surely, a threatened invasion, a real one, might accomplish something here. Trouble is, if you threaten something, it is better to mean it.

Tags: Burma cyclone foreign aid

Disaster Response.

The US National Terror Alert has a Family Disaster Plan with excellent tips. "Families can—and do—cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working together as a team. Follow the steps listed in this brochure to create your family’s disaster plan. Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility."

global war on terror Disaster Response terrorism