UPODATED 14.30.GMT…Predictable response to cyclone by Socialist Junta lording it over a wretchedly oppressed people

Why, apart from the tragic lottery of geography and weather patterns, does this sort of disastrous aftermath never happen in capitalist countries?

David Davis

The Daily Telegraph’s report here today has some breathtakingly direct quoting of aid workers’ responses, plus a grand piece of litotic understatement by the “secretary-general” (whatever that is) of the UN (whatever that may be.)

How’s this for a suggestion?

He said that it might be “prudent to focus instead on mobilising all available resources and capacity for the emergency response efforts”.

Yeah, right. And this…

The US air force was earlier reported by Thai mediators to have been granted permission to deliver aid. However, hopes of a breakthrough were quickly crushed as the permission was either withdrawn or announced prematurely.

Words fail me, and I’m a blogger-and-all.

I suppose that it’s the fault of the poor Burmese people. If, on encountering “aid workers” and “aid” (which may contain capitalist stuff, in, er coloured packing, and which may be useful) the people start to see through the wall of tyranny surrounding them, then they will have fialed their “dear leaders”, and will have to be dissolved and re-elected. I’d have air-dropped the stuff anyway. Burmese soldiers can’t confiscate, use or sell more loot than they can physically drive off with anyway, and we can just drop some more.

Perhaps the first drops should be neat bourbon. Then the real stuff can follow after the entire army is dead drunk (or dead.)

And now we have this: the stalinists in power in Burma have “seized” the first two planeloads of food. I wonder why?