And not just the petty crooks that these kinds of disasters seem to attract. I'm talking about the big chiselers at the United Nations. I mentioned yesterday that all the UN brings to the table is other people's money. Diplomad provides Things That Make You Say 'Blah!' The UN Response to the Tsunami:
We've been working some very long days since the tsunami hit this region: today was another 18-hour day, on the heels of a sleepless night answering phones, writing messages back to Washington, coordinating with Pacific Command in Honolulu, and trying to nail down a thousand and one details big and small. There will be no New Year's holiday for any of us.Follow the link for more. The kleptocrats don't have a clue except how to attach themselves to cash and organize conferences at world resort spots. I guess the Indian Ocean is off the list for a while.
Our regular readers know that this blog is very critical of the Foreign Service and the State Department. But to be fair, I think Americans would be proud of the dedication shown and of the work being done by their Foreign Service, some incredibly competent and energetic USAID workers, and, of course, the US military.
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In stark contrast, the much-vaunted UN humanitarian effort is a disgrace.
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Believe me, there is no massive UN effort underway. There is a lot of UN blah-blah, but that's it.
Notice in citation #2 above that when Egeland talks about "an enormous relief effort is on its way" he really means the UN has begun to send bureaucrats out to affected areas to file reports. Also note citation #3: children are dying all over the place and where does UNICEF want to spend its, I mean, your money? On psycho-babble training of teachers -- teachers who probably are knee-deep in mud and water right now.
Ironically the UN effort is best summed up by the "outspoken" Mr. Egeland, who in an unguarded moment in New York revealed the truth: "We are doing very little at the moment."
