The people in Myanmar won't think this post is funny. And of course I don't think there's anything funny about a cyclone that has so far accounted for upwards of 22,000 deaths in a country with no real emergency notification system. Myanmar is one of the least developed countries on earth. Because of that it is home to oodles of natural resources, like precious woods and stones, that haven't yet been harvested merely because they lack the infrastructure and the means to do it, and the military junta that holds the country in a steely grip is pretty good insurance that progress isn't forthcoming.
Anyway, Myanmar is the most recent example of the World's Blender in action. Just take low-lying land, protected by aging, breaking dikes, or by nothing at all, then add tidal waves, press the cyclone button and boom! Disaster Smoothie!!
How will this mess be cleaned up so that the wounded and missing can be found and aided? Well, we're certainly not going to be helping much. The U.S. has promised a paltry $250k in aid. I'm sorry, but that's pathetic. The European Commission is kicking down 3 million. China is supposed to be on the way with another million. Thailand's kicking down too.
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