Editorial:
The Tsunami Crisis:
Not Simply a Natural Disaster
The devastation caused by the tsunami that struck countries in South and East Asia and Africa on December 26, 2004 is now widely-known. Over 200 000 people have died. Five million have been displaced. The threat of disease in affected areas is severe. Countless homes, schools, hospitals and other institutions have been destroyed.
But it is a mistake to think of this as simply a “natural” disaster. For this is yet another “natural” disaster that mainly affects poor countries of the Global South. Many of the deaths and much of the damage could have been prevented. For example, tsunami detection technology exists but no such systems were in place in any of the countries hit. The US has its own tsunami warning system, which includes the ability to detect earthquakes under the ocean floor. With its resources, the US state could easily establish a global warning system. But this was simply not seen as a worthy project by those who rule the US – unlike the occupation of Iraq, on which the Bush government has spent $200 billion to occupy Iraq. The fact that neither it nor other Western governments were prepared to set up a global warning system for tsunamis is a reminder of the grossly misplaced priorities of Western states.
The extent of the devastation was not “natural.” According to scientists and residents of coastal fishing communities in the affected areas, natural defenses against tsunamis, such as mangrove forests, have been severely weakened by the kind of tourism and industrial development taking place in coastal areas. Often flouting environmental laws passed to protect coastal areas from ecological pillage, whole swathes of coastline have been cleared for industrial development or to create wider beaches and better views for tourists. Significantly, some of the worst-hit areas were those in which natural defenses had been weakened.
It should be clear, then, that this was not simply a “natural” disaster. Capitalist development and the priorities of capitalist states contributed to the devastation. These are the same forces behind the neoliberal policies of Western governments and banks that kill millions of people in the Global South every year. Unbearable debt burdens (Sub-Saharan Africa pays $US 28 000 per minute on servicing debt) and structural adjustment programs imposed by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Western states make it impossible for poor countries to develop capacities to meet people’s needs. Neoliberal policies are responsible for mass unemployment and increasing levels of poverty and hunger. They lead to death from diseases which are usually prevented or cured in rich countries like Canada. Despite the pledges of money for aid and reconstruction and the visits by Western dignitaries, the relationship between Western states and the countries of the South remains one of imperial domination that leads to a callous disregard for human life.
Yet amidst the horrors of the tsunami crisis, there is a glimmer of hope that’s important to appreciate: the outpouring of donations and the mobilization of solidarity and support by people around the world. This very strong surge of support from individuals, NGOs, unions and community organizations forced Western governments to alter their initial responses, most of which were reluctant to put forward anything approaching a meaningful aid package and showed an almost indifferent attitude to the suffering.
We should not forget that the Bush administration’s original aid package, announced three days after the tsunami, was a miserly $US 35 million, less than what it spends in one day in its occupation of Iraq. Meanwhile, Paul Martin – favorite leader of the corporate world’s favorite dissident, Bono of U2 – showed his priorities by remaining on vacation in the wake of the disaster. Finally returning home as public discontent grew, he initially offered a mere $35 million.
US, Canadian and other Western governments have since increased their aid packages in response to public pressure. While this is positive, what is being promised falls far short of what’s needed to rebuild the devastated areas and what Western governments can actually afford. Canada’s latest offer is $425 million, which is only $13.07 for every person in the population. In comparison, Canada now spends approximately $14 billion a year on the Department of Defense. The $425 million includes a moratorium on interest payments on the almost $1 billion debt that eight tsunami-hit countries owe to the Canadian government.
The sad facts are that, to date, the total aid promised from all countries is $US 5 billion but the total debt to the West of countries hit by the tsunami is $US 300 billion. Paying interest on those debts costs $US 32 billion per year.
In the aftermath of the tsunami, global justice calls for nothing less than the cancellation of the Third World debt and opening the doors to migrants. In the outpouring of sympathy and support for people affected by the tsunami, there is reason for hope. Now is the time for a revival of the movement for global justice and against neoliberalism, the face of capitalism today.