The first date we all know. The second date is the day the tsunami struck many places in Southest Asia causing incalculable damage and, at current count, almost 140,000 deaths. The magnitude of the destruction wrought by the tsunami dwarfs that of the World Trade Center attack. Therefore, some may ask, why are we so concerned about terrorism that we have embarked on the global war against terror and those states who support it when natural disasters of this scale can happen?
Here are what, in my opinion, are the differences between these two events and how we should respond to them.
September 11 was perpetrated by human beings (at least at the genetic level). If given the opportunity, these people would carry out an attack that would equal or exceed the devastation from the tsunami. This is something we can address directly and we are doing so. I won't go over the goal in detail as I've done so already as have many other bloggers. Suffice to say that we're attempting to induce fundamental change in the culture and attitudes of those who wish to attack us.
The tsunami was a natural disaster which was not caused by humans (much as some might think Bush was somehow behind it). Natural disasters like this cannot be prevented. The only thing that can be done is to mitigate their effects. In order to do this, a civil infrastructure must be put in place that provides warning of the impending event and provides evacuation, shelter, rescue, and medical services. In order to do this, the nations and societies involved must have a modicum of wealth. Many of the countries affected by the tsunami do not have this infrastructure in place which greatly contributed to the enormous loss of life. If they want to be able better to handle such events, they need to increase their own prosperity through progress. Simply giving them a bunch of money isn't the answer, although we can certainly provide assistance in the form of technology and support. As for how that increase in prosperity is to be facilitated, it shouldn't be hard to guess my opinion. Here's a hint: theocracy is not the answer, nor is communism/socialism.
In short, both types of events deserve our attention. How we should go about it, however, differs greatly between the two.
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