Laura Bush and Disaster Capitalism in Myanmar

[Joanne98]

I was listening to the First Stepford Wife’s press conference yesterday, she was scolding the Myanmar government for not accepting an offer of US government “aid” for relief of the terrible cyclone that struck the coastal lowlands of that country.

Here are her most choice statements:

“Although they were aware of the threat, Burma’s state-run media failed to issue a timely warning to citizens in the storm’s path.”

“The response to the cyclone is just the most recent example of the junta’s failure to meet its people’s basic needs.”

“If they don’t accept aid from the United States and from all the rest of the international community that want to help the people of Burma, it’s just another way that the military regime looks so cut off and so unaware of what the real needs of their people are.”

Well…now that you’ve picked up your jaw from the floor…let’s temporarily leave aside the sheer effrontery of this vapid woman criticizing ANYONE OTHER COUNTRY ON EARTH for mismanagement of evacuation and relief in the face of a hurricane. Let’s also leave aside the gall of this woman chastising ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT ON EARTH for failing to “meet its people’s basic needs.”

When I was listening to this vapid woman’s unbelievably tactless insults to a government whose country was in the throes of a catastrophe, naturally I couldn’t help but think of what the First Stepford Wife called “Hurricane Corina.” For one thing, who would head up the “disaster relief team” that the Bushies want to send - Heckofajob Brownie?

Another uncharitable thought I had was, how come the Most Unpopular President in US History was nowhere to be seen - why was he hiding behind his wife’s skirt at this press conference?

My theory on why the leaders of Myanmar spurned our “offer” of “aid” might be because they read one of the most important books of this century, The Shock Doctrine - The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein, an absolutely stunning and must-read work.

One of the iron doctrines of contemporary capitalism is that no society would accept “free market” capitalism unless it is imposed on them, and that society is dragged kicking and screaming into accepting it. And no society can be dragged kicking and screaming into free-market capitalism unless first there is a human catastrophe or massive crisis of some kind, which to the capitalists is an “opportunity” to impose their radical doctrines on the captive population. These doctrines are so repellent and so impoverishing to the majority of people that they would NEVER be freely adopted by any people.

Sounds a lot like a rightwing version of the Khmer Rouge, doesn’t it?

Hurricane Katrina was a human catastrophe, of course, but for the Milton Friedman “Chicago School” of radical conservative economists, it was an opportunity to end public housing, end public electricity, end public education, and empty out the Ninth Ward, which was filled with so many of those awful poor people.

The Myanmar Junta may not be a nice bunch of guys, and I’m not trying to argue that they are. But for all their faults, they probably know what the Bush Junta would have in store for their country. The kind of “aid” that the Bush Regime offers has chains attached, and the Myanmar Regime wants no part of it.
http://philduert.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/laura-bush-and-disaster-capitalism-in-myanmar/

[Olney Blue]

1. Interesting article... thanks for posting.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch..... "let them eat cake."

[Joanne98]

2. And a picture to go with it....

[madrchsod]

3. we will have the beginning of the restoration of america

starting nov 5 2008....if we work our asses off to secure our election

the world awaits our decision

[Joanne98]

4. It can't come fast enough for me.

:hi:

[Merlot]

5. Her statements remind me of Katrina

“Although they were aware of the threat, Burma’s state-run media failed to issue a timely warning to citizens in the storm’s path.”

“The response to the cyclone is just the most recent example of the junta’s failure to meet its people’s basic needs.”

“If they don’t accept aid from the United States and from all the rest of the international community that want to help the people of Burma, it’s just another way that the military regime looks so cut off and so unaware of what the real needs of their people are.”

Did the people in NO get instructions on how to leave and where to go? Did they have enough time and resources?

Did the bushco administration meet the peoples basic needs of food and water?

Did the United States accept aid from other countries that wanted to help? I seem to remember that some want to help and it was refused while the people languished.

[tbyg52]

7. Remind? They're an exact description.

But she probably doesn't even remember Katrina, much less spare a thought for New Orleans as it is now.

[Joanne98]

6. kick

[Uncle Joe]

8. I believe Bush was hiding behind Laura's skirt because of Katrina, it's a big skirt

because Cheney was hiding back there as well. They lost their moral authority to lecture any nation on it's treatment of their citizens following a natural catastrophe after they abandoned the victims of Katrina.

I believe this is why they had Laura Bush do the press conference instead of the pResident or the Vice in Chief, even this White House recognized the potential of the backlash from too much global revulsion at this supreme irony.

[Zynx]

9. With all due respect, I would stand with Bush before I would stand with the Myanmar Junta.

Thankfully, it doesn't come down to that. There are things worse than Bush out there and Myanmar has them.