Walsingham Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 I was wondering what people thought and felt about the disaster in the Phillipines. My feelings are: - pride that my country is assisting survivors - awe at the strength of nature - mounting feeling of frustration I'm frustrated because it seems to me that a nation which experiences as many tropical storms as the Phillipines doesn't seem engaged with the notion of long term planning for the same. It seems perfectly logical to me that if our ancestors, 2000 years ago were capable of building gigantic stone walls to protect against invaders, that persons living in fear of high winds and storm surges should at least attempt something similar. "It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"." -Elwood Blues tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoonDing Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Nature's a bitch. The ending of the words is ALMSIVI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiro Protagonist Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Would've been a good idea to install some wind turbines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enoch Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 The Phillipines are one of the more hostile environments out there with regard to the construction and maintenance of infrastructure. Being made up of hundreds of islands, many of which are hilly or mountainous, with high rainfall (meaning high erosion) and rich volcanic soil (meaning abundant flora that can quickly reclaim cleared land) poses all kinds of challenges for communications, transportation, power, public health, sanitation, governance, etc., that most other places don't have to deal with. Determined and well-funded government efforts would have a shot at overcoming these obstacles and mitigating disasters like this, but the rule of law is shaky enough that long-term planning becomes a luxury that the folks in charge can't afford. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guard Dog Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 I just hope no one I know was affected. I spent a few months there in 1991. Enoch is right about the lay of the land there. The national government does not exist on many of the islands. But when you have a monster the size of that storm preparation really is moot. "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walsingham Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 Point taken, Enoch and GD. It's easy to conflate metropolitan Phillipines with the outlying islands. And if there isn't much stone to work with then... ~~ If I can segue slightly, without being disrespectful to the disaster, how does the weak government response resolve into your view on government, GD? "It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"." -Elwood Blues tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enoch Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Point taken, Enoch and GD. It's easy to conflate metropolitan Phillipines with the outlying islands. And if there isn't much stone to work with then... Well, I probably should have added that the somewhat-geographically-similar nations of Indonesia and Malaysia both invest a far higher portion of their GDP in infrastructure projects. I skipped that point, as I didn't have any data on relative disaster preparedness. There may be some studies related to that tsunami that hit Indonesia in 2004 (or perhaps that tsunami is *why* that country now spends more on infrastructure?), but I haven't looked into it. when you have a monster the size of that storm preparation really is moot. I'd argue that certain types of preparation-- such as having a decent number of ships and aircraft ready to help move food and clean water to affected areas afterwards-- would be making an appreciable difference right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guard Dog Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 If I can segue slightly, without being disrespectful to the disaster, how does the weak government response resolve into your view on government, GD? I still hold to Thomas Paine's maxim that government, even at it's best, is a necessary evil. At it's worst an intolerable one. Although it is evil, it is also necessary. You have never once heard (or read) me say that the complete absence of government is a good thing. Case in point would be the the PI. I was there as part of the clean up effort after Pinatubo erupted. It was handled with reasonable efficiency by the government, with a LOT of help from outside. If it had happened down the chain, like the Typhoon did, it would have been a bigger mess. Luzon & Mindanao are in pretty good shape comparatively speaking. "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walsingham Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 *nods* Understood. "It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"." -Elwood Blues tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiro Protagonist Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Interactive Before and After pictures. http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/typhoon-haiyan-photos-before-after/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walsingham Posted November 14, 2013 Author Share Posted November 14, 2013 Interactive Before and After pictures. http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/typhoon-haiyan-photos-before-after/ Very interesting. And interesting how the interactivity draws you in. "It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"." -Elwood Blues tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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