Having observed what seems to be a disturbing lack of empathy by the administration toward the tsunami victims, I assumed it was limited to non-Americans involved in the disaster. But no. Our government has been no more helpful to Americans, at least based on anecdotal evidence. In
this article, an American who was diving at the time of the disaster describes her experiences.
In brief:
At the airport in Bangkok, other governments had set up booths to greet nationals who had been affected and to help repatriate them, she said.
That was not the case with the U.S. government .... It took the couple three hours, she said, to find the officials from the American consulate, who were in the VIP lounge.
More from this infuriating article, and a few thoughts, below.
The tsunami disaster is providing a useful outlet for a lot of anger toward Bush I've stored up. The image of him sitting on his damned ranch, sipping whatever he sips, while the rest of the world rushes to the aid of South and Southeast Asia is simply infuriating. And the fact that he's augmented the initial response only after ceaseless calls to do so doesn't help matters. The man wouldn't even make a public statement until the world effectively demanded it.
I guess what gets me is that it seems to be yet another emblem of American cocksureness. How fitting is it that consular officials serving at the pleasure of Bush were in the VIP lounge while American citizens in need of assistance were desperately trying to find them?
Anyway, here's more:
Faye Wachs said she was impressed by the efforts of the Thai government and the International Committee for the Red Cross, but "she was appalled at the treatment they got" from the U.S. government, her mother said.
...
Because they had lost all their possessions, including their documentation, they had to have new passports issued.
But the U.S. officials demanded payment to take the passport pictures, Helen Wachs said.
The couple had managed to hold on to their ATM card, so they paid for the photos and helped other Americans who did not have any money get their pictures taken and buy food, Helen Wachs said.
"She was really very surprised" that the government did so little to ease their ordeal, she said.
In an e-mailed response from the State Department, the chief of American Citizen Services said the embassy usually meets and greets every flight personally, but acknowledged there had been confusion the first night in setting up the operation.
Still, "anyone needing assistance is guided to our office in the VIP hall, which is the space allocated to us by the airport authority," the e-mail said.
Typically, anyone needing a passport is directed to go to the embassy, it added.
"If people have no funds to get to the embassy, they are offered a $100 emergency loan on the spot," the e-mail said.
Because of the emergency, the embassy has been issuing no-fee emergency passports since the tsunami hit, it said.
But the photo printer was working only sporadically on the day in question, so its use was reserved for those truly in need; others were asked to walk a building away to get their pictures taken, it said.
"Basically, if you had a decent supply of cash, you were asked to go get photos made so we could try to save the camera for desperate cases."
Now, I know that it was a confusing situation, and inefficiency is to be expected. But other countries seemed to be able to be much more responsive to their citizens' needs. What galls me is the symbolic significance of the callousness this woman experienced.
What an inconvenience the tsunami has turned out to be. I sure hope it doesn't bite into Bush's coronation festivities.