400,000! At what number will Bush leave the ranch?

[Stephanie]

I'm speechless. Can this be accurate? From LBN.

_____________________

Indonesia Needs Help, Death Toll Expected To Exceed 400,000
December 30, 2004 22:50 PM


KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 (Bernama) -- The death toll in Acheh, the region worst hit by last Sunday's tsunami, may exceed 400,000 as many affected areas could still not be reached for search and rescue operations, Indonesia's Ambassador to Malaysia Drs H. Rusdihardjo said Thursday.

He said the estimate was based on air surveillance by Indonesian authorities who found no signs of life in places like Meulaboh, Pulau Simeulue and Tapak Tuan while several islands off the west coast of Sumatera had "disappeared".

He said the latest death toll of more than 40,000 in Acheh and northern Sumatera did not take into account the figures from the other areas, especially in the west of the region.

"Aerial surveillance found the town of Meulaboh completely destroyed with only one buiding standing. The building, which belonged to the military, happens to be on a hill," he told reporters after receiving RM1 million in aid for Indonesia's Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund here Thursday.

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=111574

_________________________

[Stephanie]

1. They are asking for help

Where is the leader of the free world? Bicycling?

_______________________

"Looking at the scale of destruction, it's difficult to say when the search and rescue operations can be mounted in all affected areas," he said.

He said rescue efforts were hampered by transportation difficulties and lack of fuel.

Rusdihardjo said that at this time international help, especially in the form of medicines, clean water, food and clothing, were desperately needed by Indonesia to aid survivors in Acheh.

_______________________

[NE1469]

18. Kick!

[InvisibleBallots]

25. I hope he never leaves the ranch

When he leaves the ranch all he does is cause trouble

[donheld]

29. Welcome to DU NE1469

:hi:

[Stephanie]

30. don't bother

already tombstoned

posted a big rant that he was a freeper and freepers are rampant at DU. post lasted a few seconds and then vanished.

[donheld]

31. Well i tried

I guess you never know.

[Delphinus]

26. On C-Span,

they had a UN briefing on. There was a CNN reporter, followed by a Fox reporter, both asking Kofi Annan why he stayed in Wyoming and didn't come back until today.

I wonder if they're going to try and use what Kofi Annan did as an excuse for *.

[Stephanie]

28. I'm pretty surprised at that - Kofi Anan did not come back until today?

And yet Bush remains on the pig farm. WHY? Someone just tell me why.

[itzamirakul]

45. He will leave when the water comes

up to his doorstep at the ranch.

Didn't his response after 911 teach us ANYTHING? Why are we EXPECTING any more from this man? He has NO MORE TO GIVE! He is totally devoid of soul or feelings for humanity.

[Be Brave]

2. Elections are over. Why should he leave his ranch?

:puke: For dead people at the other side of the world? I don't think so. :mad:

[Dulcinea]

19. He won't.

Leave Southfork Ranch, that is.

Doesn't this whole family remind you of the Ewings of "Dallas?"

[Jo March]

3. I can't even imagine.

Whole villages wiped off of the face of the earth. How horrifying to everyone else in the world except for *.

[Stephanie]

5. Whole islands disappeared

They are saying in aerial surveillance these islands are just gone.

[Jo March]

10. I can't even wrap my mind around that

I try and just...can't.

I am praying extra hard for those families. I can't believe how horrible this all is.

And still Smirky clears the brush from his ranch.

[katinmn]

4. Sounds like our National Guard could have helped with this

Oops. They are otherwise occupied.

[Stephanie]

6. rescue efforts hampered by transp difficulties and lack of fuel

they should not have these difficulties - we should be taking care of this for them. I'm just stunned. Every day it gets worse.

[Walt Starr]

7. That's one in ten people who live in the entire proivince!

Damn

[Stephanie]

16. It's unimaginable.

And why would it take so long to survey the islands by air? And aren't there thousands of islands in Indonesia? This is just too much to comprehend.

[DoYouEverWonder]

39. The plans that are available

are probably too busy ferrying supplies like water and medicine.

[Amaya]

8. He doesn't give a shit

He's got more important things to do, doncha know?

:grr:

[Dr.Phool]

9. Just a thought

Yesterday morning, I was watching Amy Goodman on Democracy Now, and some were wondering if the Indonesian army was going to use the tsunami as cover to resume it's genocide operations in Aceh.

They reportedly refused to allow entry to a plane-load of doctors from Japan who came to help.

[quaoar]

11. CNN has been showing the video of aerial footage

over some of these towns and it looks like the places were nuked.

The guy who took the video said that in some villages you wouldn't know by flying over it that there was ever a village there if you hadn't flown over it before because all you could make out were the outlines of where roads used to be.

[Mutley]

12. he literally makes me sick to my stomach

literally... as in i am going to vomit right now.

[Donna Zen]

13. Two thoughts:

• Timing is everything_the need is urgent if we are to save/help those who are left. There are things that the US can do now about coordinating logistics. We have airforce units trained for exactly these emergencies.

• I am getting the impression that this fucking bullshit junta that tries to pass itself off as a legitimate government, is more interested in using this tragedy to promote their fuckquade resolute leader of the "Core Group" and bash the UN, than they are concerned with getting the job done.

There is no depth of hell deep enough or hot enough.

[Stephanie]

14. Yesterday they were more concerned about bashing Clinton

They are sick, sick, sick. Nearly HALF A MILLION dead and he can't leave the fucking ranch???

I miss you Donna - how are you?

[Donna Zen]

15. Clinton and Kofi bashers

I love ya Stephanie! I'm great...

Doncha wish we had the "A" Team handling this: Clinton-Holbrooke-Clark? ooops almost forgot Jamie Rubin.

I'm telling ya' I watched Novak and some other knuckle-drag slime yesterday. Same spin...the UN doesn't help the US with the big problems: Iraq.

I hope people are donating to International groups. Afterall, the money is all going to the same place.

[grasswire]

34. it's hard, Donna...

....not to remember that the Bushes have long been enthralled with eugenics and the depopulation of "lesser" groups of people. For generations. I seriously believe they don't think it's too bad a thing when a lot of people are wiped away.

[Stephanie]

36. That is a truly frightening thought

And likely true.

[Tracer]

17. Perhaps he believes in the old Stalin quote ...

... "One death is a tragedy, a million deaths are a statistic."

[Stephanie]

20. He has no beliefs

I'm just astonished that his handlers don't rectify this. It's astonishing that he would remain on vacation.

[w4rma]

27. He believes in power. (nt)

[robbedvoter]

22. One death a tragedy? "Please don't kill me" Karla Fay Tucker

he gets off on killing. This stuff must be boring cuz it;s not about him.

[grace0418]

21. Just as we all suspected,

and we shouldn't be at all surprised (even if we are disgusted beyond description), Bush doesn't even have to PRETEND to give a fuck about anyone now that he's stolen another term. He's going to be even more blatant about his real interests than he ever was before: money, power, doing as little as possible, flying around in Air Force One, dressing up in macho costumes and preening in front of the camera, having his minions stroke his ego, thumping his chest...

You'll notice that his interests DO NOT include the following: fighting for liberty and justice, cleaning up the messes he creates, fighting poverty/disease/bigotry, leaving a legacy about which America can be proud, cleaning up the environment, making sure all Americans have access to education and health care, fixing social security, and perhaps most relevant to this story...giving a flying fuck about 400,000 mostly non-white, mostly non-Christian people who have died in countries that don't have oil to offer.

[PopSixSquish]

23. Had this Happened Before the Election....

Bush would have been off that ranch faster than you can say "fucking moran".

There would have been tons of stories and photo ops showing W as the courageous and generous leader of the Free World.

Now...pppffffftttt!

Asshat!

[Broadslidin]

24. No Need To Fret, The Corporations Are Sending Over Jeb Bush........

their next appointed U.S. president,
wisely using death and misery as a terrific back drop to a
compassionate conservative photo op.

[hatrack]

32. I hope he stays another week

Let the death toll rise to 100 times the loss of life in 9/11, and let Bush sit on his dumb ass and issue occasional stammering squawks about the MILLIONS of dollars we're prepared to loan the Indian Ocean nations.

We know he doesn't give a shit. But now it's time for him to prove to the entire world, and especially to his supporters, that he really and truly doesn't give a shit. It won't affect the Thumpers, but if a few million more of his marginally less brainwashed fans can be peeled away by his callous performance, I'll take it.

And of course, all of this is a sideshow to the main event - the possibility that we may be looking at 300,000 or 400,000 dead, with millions and millions more in imminent danger of death and starvation. In the long run, THAT'S that big picture.

[senaca]

35. disease death toll

What I have a hard time getting my mind wrapped around is the possible death toll due to disease. Do nations of the world have a plan for this? Not only for people who live in the regions effected, but for the spread due to tourists traveling home to their native lands. Could any of the diseases or virus's reach epidemic proportions? Do we have the enough med's necessary to treat the people who are effected by it? I think about the disaster of the flu vaccine this year and I can't help wondering if the U.S. will be least prepared. If the Adm. were at all forward thinking they would realize the cost of life of not providing the funds necessary increase with each day of penny pinching. If anyone has discussed this on a thread already, I would be interested to read about possibilities of spread of disease throughout the world. Thanks

[Stephanie]

38. Howard spoke about it - urging Australians to return immediately

before disease hit, and if it hit soon, he would institute screening on re-entering the country.

[Obviousman]

33. I hope this isn't true,

But the numbers on the net are more accurate than the ones the news agencies are reporting. The internet numbers are a step ahead of everything else.

[Stephanie]

37. Well this is from the Malaysian National News Agency

But I do believe it, after watching the news last night. Many areas still inaccessible. 80,000 dead in one province. Still, not enough to get GWB out of Crawford.

[FormerDittoHead]

40. JUST HOW MUCH *OIL* IS IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD???

[Kahuna]

41. If the SOB didn't leave the ranch upon getting the 8/6/01 PDB,..

saying that OBL was determined to strike in the USA, I hardly think that a catatrophe in another country will make him give up his vacation.

[JNelson6563]

42. Bush does not care

and neither do any of his misAdministration. They are all too busy planning the coronation, where they will spend more $ than on the disaster aid.

Julie

[osaMABUSh]

43. I saw the 400,000 ticker on Fox or CNN but he official count

is at 130,000 now.

Bush is totally clueless. A lemming has more leadership skills than he does.

[nascarblue]

44. Him and Cheny caused this quake. He's too busy reading Pet Goat 2!

Coincidence! Major quake exactly 1 year ago to the hour!


On Dec. 26, 2003, a 6.6 quake hit the ancient city of Bam in Iran. While the quake was much smaller than the one that struck near the island of Sumatra Sunday, its epicenter was directly under the city.

On Dec. 26, 2004, the 9.0 quake struck in South Asia. While the death toll will be much higher, most of the destructiveness was the result of the giant waves triggered by the earth's movement under the India Ocean.

The 2003 quake hit at 01:56:52 UTC, while the 2004 quake struck at 00:58:55 UTC – exactly one year, 58 minutes apart