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I keep waiting to hear the term genocide re the
Burmese Junta. A few thousand less people for this nasty govt. to think about, the better for them. My mom used to say these natural disasters were a form of population control.

First, Burma, as the US & UK gov'ts refer to the country, rather than this Tatmadaw's (current junta) "Myanmar".

When the Khmer Rouge took took power in 1975-79, did you say 'Kampuchia' or 'Cambodia'?

Say "Burma".

Make no mistake this regime is nothing short of a criminal organization. They are gangsters. I spent 2 weeks there in November and experienced it firsthand.

All this said, when we Americans travel abroad, others distinguish between us and our government. We ought to do the same.

The people of Burma are suffering, and the regime will get their hands and plunder some of the aid one way or the other. That dosen't mean you don't send it there, or go there...

Regarding the Burmese Junta denying foreign aid, perhaps they've taken some notes from Naomi Klein's new book "The Shock Doctrine." As Milton Friedman so famously said, "[O]nly a crisis actual or perceived creates real change." This is not unlike the Chinese government's historical denial of damage from massive-scale natural disasters. If there is no crisis, there is no room for intervention [or political maneuvering].

As I recall, Saddam Hussein offered relif to NYC after 9/11 and we passed.

I have no problem with strings being attached to aid. A country is not a person. Perhaps people should give selflessly, but a nation has a primary purpose of fighting for the interests of its own people. I think our citizens would be rightly upset if we gave foreign aid to a country and then watched that country, after its recovery, act contrary to our most basic interests. If individuals want to give money to non-profit aid organizations which are purely humanitarian, they can do that, but I don't think our government should pretend to be a humanitarian organization.

Most of the conversation thus far has centered on the ethics of aid from national governments, but how do those ethical considerations play out when it is NGOs or, say, the Gates Foundation who is providing aid and assistance? Aren't these the types of organizations are involved in post-disaster reconstruction as well?

The Comparison to Katrina is complete BS.
Everyone was warned years in advance that the leveyys would fail if the conditions were right.. Most people fled as was suggested and the Mayor failed to take action to evacuate the rest.
Cuba's offer to help was just grandstanding.
Furthermore the Hurricane effected the whole region not just Louisiana.
The Feds were slow to take action but what is new?
Do not Depend on the Government to save you.
You will be disappointed.

Let's look at it this way. If your neighbor's house burned down and he needed help: housing, financial aid, etc. Should we help him? Of course. Now what if he also happened to beat his wife and children. Should we just offer him our money and aid, no questions asked? Isn't it our obligation to include moral intervention within the auspices of our financial aid?

I find it hard to believe that we would even be concerned about stepping on the toes of despots and military juntas. I think we're taking this objective thing a little too far!

Build a man a fire, warm him for a night. Light a man on fire, warm him for the rest of his life.

There is no point in giving aid without creating an environment that prevents the same tragedy from recurring. To feed a child to live today but die tomorrow is no solution at all. This is the best form of intervention there is.

I BLAME BIG GONGLOMREATE MEDIA FOR NOT HAVING THE GUTS TO REPORT SOLDIERS DEATHS EVEN THOUGH THE BUSCHS DONT WANT IT TO BE KNOWN

India -- one of the winners in the modern economy and one of the world's biggest countries -- borders both Burma and China (sites of the 2 biggest natural/manmade disasters of recent memory, both this month). What is that country's challenge in taking the lead -- or at least stepping forward -- to help their neighbors? They have the money, the people and the political ability, uniquely.