LOVE THE TSUNAMI

Imagine the crocodile tears shed by the ruling classes of the nations hardest hit. Let's take Indonesia. It doesn't get any better than this. Instead of a couple millions per year to monitor the surrounding oceans, the gross negligence of government there will result in a windfall to the ruling elites. After losing ~ 230,000 subjects killed and missing in a cataclysm, the effects of which were largely avoidable just in case tidal monitors were deployed, the opportunities for baksheesh are mindboggling. So far pledges of $1,700,000,000 have been made for the first year. The Indonesian government has made assurances that this fortune will be monitored to prevent corruption. More likely any monitoring will have the goal of making sure the skim makes it back to the relevant players. A conservative baksheesh level of 15% yields a quarter of a billion in skim the first year! Indonesian corruption suggests that conservative levels of baksheesh will be breached. And yet this is only a headline number. The windfall has multiple facets, eg, kickbacks from resort developers who will construct concrete playgrounds on the beaches once littered with indigenious losers.

The fires still burn in Indonesia that result from escalating swidden farming of the interior. Remember the smog covering the whole of SE Asia in 1997?

There is no cost to the ruling elites for gross negligence. Instead of jail for failing in the first responsibility of government these folks will prosper like never before.

And how.