Can't Blame The U.S. This Time: The Junta's At Fault

I'm actually starting to like the First Lady, Laura Bush, more than the President himself over the last few years. Personally, I still don't believe America is fully ready for a female president, but I don't think she would be half bad in the position. The current situation in Myanmar is an example.

At first reports, the death toll was under 5,000 dead but believed may surpass the 10,000 figure. As of current reports, that number has well exceeded 22,000 deaths due to the devastating cyclone dubbed "Nargis" that struck the region. Since very early yesterday, (May 6th,) Mrs. Bush was on the press platform deriding the military government known as the Junta, on several issues.

She noted that the government there is "very inept," and mentioned their poor record of human rights. She pounced the junta for pressing forward with a sham of a constitutional referendum to be held on May 10th, and for refusing to alert the populace of the oncoming storm. Which I doubt is just a coincidence on their part.

How do you think an incident like that would go over here in America? If the National Weather Service just decided to NOT warn coastal Americans that another Katrina was inbound? Wouldn't be a pretty site, would it?

Yet Mrs. Bush, while not specifying how much assistance was available, made it perfectly clear that substantial aide was being offered, and that all the Myanmar government had to do was accept it. Sounds simple enough. As of this writing, the Junta has still denied U.S. Disaster Response Teams entry into Myanmar.

Their failure, not ours.

Mrs. Bush later said, "I'm worried that they won't even accept U.S. aid, and I urge the government to accept aid from the United States and from the entire international community right now while the needs of their people are so critical." The European Union has already pledged $3 million in assistance. But so far, all aide is slow, as the Junta is hampering entry.

So far, there are only eight agencies in-country assisting with what they can, with the resources available. But I'm doubting it will be enough to prevent the larger impending disaster which is the aftermath of such a catastrophic event. Disease, starvation, etc.

But America gets a free pass on this one, as we immediately hoped on the "aide-train," but no one accepted. Oh, I'm sure there will be a batch of Lib-tards out there that will try to blame it on "Bush's failed foreign policy," or some such nonsense. But the fact remains, foreign policy is outweighed by humanitarian need. And much need is needed now in Myanmar.

I wonder how many more thousands will die there before U.S. aide is allowed to assist?

For more info, read HERE and HERE.