BURMESE HURRICANE DEATH TOLL HITS 10,000

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CYCLONE NARGIS DEVASTATES MYANMAR

U.S. DOES NOTHING

You Can Help Now: Donate Online & Contact Your Representatives In Congress

Bush will do little or nothing until it is too late. Why don't YOU do something now? Disaster-relief donations online, linked below.

VIDEO:
Cyclone Devastates Myanmar


"Myanmar believes cyclone killed at least 10,000: diplomat"

"By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's military junta believes at least 10,000 people died in a cyclone that ripped through the Irrawaddy delta, triggering a massive international aid response for the pariah southeast Asian nation.

'The basic message was that they believe the provisional death toll was about 10,000 with 3,000 missing,' a Yangon-based diplomat told Reuters in Bangkok, summarizing a briefing from Foreign Minister Nyan Win. 'It's a very serious toll.'

The scale of the disaster from Saturday's devastating cyclone drew a rare acceptance of outside help from the diplomatically isolated generals, who spurned such approaches in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

The secretive military, which has ruled the former Burma for 46 years, has moved even further into the shadows in the last six months due to the widespread outrage at its bloody crackdown on protests led by Buddhist monks in September.

The official toll on state media stands at 3,394 dead and 2,879 missing, although those figures only cover two of the five declared disaster zones, where U.N. officials say hundreds of thousands are without shelter or drinking water.

The casualty count has been rising quickly as authorities reach hard-hit islands and villages in the Irrawaddy delta, the former 'rice bowl of Asia' which bore the brunt of Cyclone Nargis's 190 km (120 miles) per hour winds."

"States, aid agencies offer to help storm-hit Myanmar"

"WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN SCOTT STANZEL

'We are concerned about the reports coming out of Burma and mourn the loss of life. The U.S. embassy is in touch with Burmese authorities. The ambassador there has released some assistance funds under her authority and that money will go through the World Food Program and other aid entities. It doesn't necessarily go directly to the government. But we're in the process of assessing what more we can do.' "

Meanwhile, U.S. President George W. Bush excoriates Asians for eating too much, driving up the price of ethanol.

FUEL FOR THOUGHT: 'LET THEM EAT ETHANOL,' DUBYA


DISASTER RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS
donate online:

"RED CROSS RED CRESCENT"

"WORLD VISION"

"CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS"

"Relief Web"

"CARE INTERNATIONAL"

"OXFAM UK & IRELAND"

"UNICEF"

"OXFAM CANADA"

"MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES"

"SAVE THE CHILDREN"

"MERCY CORPS"


POLITICAL ACTION:

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FUEL FOR THOUGHT: 'LET THEM EAT ETHANOL,' DUBYA

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DUBYA: "PROBLEM IS, THEY'RE NOT STARVIN' IN INDIA"

ADMISSION AGAINST INTERESTS: INDIA SAYS, "YEAH, WE ARE"

U.S. "Family Values" Party Leader Tries To Blame Food Shortages On Hungry Asian Families

Another sterling example of your tax dollars at work: U.S. President George "Dubya" Bush has gone out of his way to infuriate and insult two billion people in China and India, in your name. It's not the voracious appetite for fuel, including biofuel, or the rapid globalization and corporatization of agriculture that is causing shortages, skyrocketing prices and food riots around the world. It's those pesky hungry people out there. Thank Gawd we all had Mr. Bush to represent our interests on this.

Here at home, the Republicans have kept wages down for forty years, while prices continue to rise. Many people cannot afford to live in the towns where they grew up, and some working people cannot even afford to feed their families on Republican wages. But we can lecture India. Gawd bless America!


Cowboys & Indians:
The Hindu, India's National Newspaper - Sunday, 4 MAY 2008

'NEW DELHI: Right across the political spectrum, parties were one in criticising the remarks attributed to U.S. President George W. Bush who suggested that prosperity in India had led to demand for more food and hence the rise in global food prices and shortages.'

'Mr. Javadekar said perhaps Mr. Bush had his eye on his domestic constituents in an election year and a time when the U.S. economy had slowed down. While BJP leader M.A. Naqvi said the remarks were “unwarranted” since the majority of Indians needed more nutrition not less, V.K. Malhotra described them as “laughable.”'
"Parties criticise Bush’s remarks"

Meanwhile, Back in the States . . .
KRNV NBC News Reno Nevada Thursday 1 MAY 2008

"From weather to world markets, gas prices are having an impact on everything you pay for. Since last March, pasta, beans and bread are up 12-17%. Milk is up nearly 20% and flour and eggs, up nearly 30%."

"More and more Northern Nevadans are asking for help. Ordinary Americans are heading to food pantries in large numbers and shelves are going bare."

"'There's a lot of us that come here and sometimes it's not enough for everybody,' Jessica Pina said.

Pina is a single mother who works full time. However, her minimum wage job doesn't offer her enough money to make ends meet.

'When I don't have anything,' Pina said. 'I come here on Mondays, they have milk sometimes and other things that help me.'"
"Supplies dwindle at area food banks"

It's the planet, man.
ReliefWeb Thursday 1 MAY 2008

"Approximately 1 billion people—or one sixth of the world’s population—subsist on less than $1 per day. Of this population, 162 million survive on less than $0.50 per day. At the household level, increasing food prices have the greatest effect on poor and food-insecure populations, who spend 50 or 60 percent or more of their income on food, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Overall, increased food prices particularly affect developing countries, and the poorest people within those countries, where populations spend a larger proportional share of income on basic food commodities."
"Global food insecurity and price increase: Situation report #1, FY 2008"

Koyanasqaatsi, anyone?
Toledo Blade Toledo, Ohio Friday 2 May 2008

"Something is seriously out of whack when one of America's major ongoing health problems is obesity while for much of the rest of the world it's malnutrition."
"The farm bill: Unseen costs"

Corn as high as an elephant's eye!
NewsBlaze.com Folsom, California Friday 2 MAY 2008

"During the same press briefing, Fratto rejected the notion that so-called ecological fuel played an important part in the current world food crisis. However, one factor being blamed for the price hikes is the use of government subsidies to promote the use of corn for ethanol production. An estimated 30% of America's corn crop now goes to fuel, not food. 'It takes around 400 pounds of corn to make 25 gallons of ethanol.'"
"Is Corn Ethanol Production to Blame for Food Crisis in America?"

Let the hoarding begin!
TradingMarkets.com Friday 2 MAY 2008

"Food price inflation, at its highest rate in the United States since 1990, presents an easy investment opportunity that almost can't go wrong

Only the weak whine and buckle during inflationary times. Smart consumers see inflation as opportunity, just as sage investors view a turbulent stock market as a time to sell high and buy back low. To the wise consumer, tomorrow's $15 peanut butter is today's $7 investment opportunity, to be stored on a pantry shelf."
"EDITORIAL: Stock up at today's price to use later"

PS
"BURMESE HURRICANE DEATH TOLL HITS 10,000"
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SUPPORT OUR TROOPS: BRING THEM ALL HOME ALIVE, NOW!