Not my words, but someting penned by Frederick Forsyth a wee while ago.
AS THE wall-to-wall coverage of the horror in Haiti ebbed from the headlines, a thought occurred to me. When these nature-based disasters occur, whether volcano, forest fire, devastating floods, tsunami or earthquake, is it the world, the global village, that rushes to help? Actually no, it is the constantly criticised and screamed-at West that drops everything, digs deep into the pockets of millions and tries to bring succour.
From the UK it is always the Red Cross, Save The Children, CAFOD, Oxfam. From France, Medecins Sans Frontieres. It is always the British who, head for head, dig deepest and donate more.
Over the horizon come the nearest US Navy ships with their fresh-water generating desalination plants, buzzing helicopters and on-board surgical teams. The French and Royal Navy get there if they have a vessel in the vicinity.
Where do the teams of volunteers come from to dig in the rubble, hammer out rough landing grounds, set up field hospitals and distribute food and liquid? Frankly, it is always the Christian West and, with Israeli medics, the Jews.
It does not matter whether the victims are white, brown or black, or of any religion. The Boxing Day tsunami shattered communities in Western Sumatra (Muslim), Burma and Thailand (Buddhist), Sri Lanka (Hindu) and the Maldives (Muslim again).
It mattered not; wherever people were suffering, the agencies of the West went to help. Even when earthquake devastated the upland valleys of Pakistan it was not Islam that lifted a finger but the Christian West.
Years ago one might plead that the world east of Suez had no money and could do nothing. Not any more. China is an economic superpower; why do we never see the red banner of China? Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Brunei are creaking with oil wealth; why do we never see the crescent of Islam? India has a space programme, atom bombs, nuclear submarines and an aircraft carrier, apart from Jaguar cars; why do we never see the spinning wheel of Delhi when disaster strikes?
Ah, you may say, but they all contribute through the United Nations. Er, actually, no. We in the West do that too. I am not saying we shouldn’t but a “thank you” now and again would be nice.
In all the demagoguery screaming against the “imperialist” West those two words seem in short supply – unlike our generosity.
DT_Xtremez_42:
