In its wake

As the tsunami retreated, it left a residue in its wake: the sticky question of money. Despite generous international aid for the homeless survivors, the people of south Asia were already drowning in the tsunami of economic globalism. Danielle Adams, a Seattle resident who traveled to Thailand one year ago, recalls the beauty of the country and the poverty of the people: “Everywhere I went, people were pleading for money, as many as 20 at once.”

This natural disaster is tragic in lives taken, assuaging any doubts about the powerful physics and cycles of the earth. Also tragic is the resistance to true humanitarianism: even as aid is allocated, the stories of survivors are buried in the international chest-thumping. Unfortunately, any façade of benevolence is easily thwarted by the concurrent US military operations in Iraq—surely US gifts (aids, loans, contracts) will be met with reasonable suspicion of power-hungry intentions.

As an American who is updated daily by my color-coded homeland security threat, I feel frustrated by the lack of alert systems that led to the demise of so many people. The people of third world countries like the ones that were hit by the tsunami work so hard to provide goods to the first world, yet lived in conditions more oppressive than most in the northern hemisphere could imagine.

Humans are over 70% water, as is the earth. Let us give new reverence to the power of water, shown by the tsunami as well as with every drink of clean water that nourishes and replenishes our bodies. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the winter season is associated with the element of water and the kidney organs. Winter is a time of darkness and inward reflection, clearing the debris to make way for new life. As individuals, how do we relate with others? Is our worldview compassionate and cooperative or do we draw boundaries and make enemies? Are we attempting to remedy disparities among humans (I flush my toilet with cleaner water than some people have drink on a regular basis)?

In a global sense, humans are restraining the natural forces of the earth that maintain the environmental balance. Timber harvest exceeds forest regeneration; the regularity of oil spills permit the oceans no time to cleanse themselves; dams provide energy, but lead to extinction of species. If there is one thing we learn from the tsunami, let it be the awesome cycles of nature that seek balance. May we open our eyes to the preventable tragedies that are so often dismissed but stem from inequity: war, starvation, lack of education, economic servitude, global warming, etc. Yes, we must be empathetic towards the tsunami victims, but such relief will be another empty promise if the roots of inequality are not brought into the reconstruction conversations.