Incompetence the real killer<\/p>\n
With Indonesia bearing the brunt of the death and destruction
\nwrought by the Indian Ocean tsunami, it is instructive to ask
\nwhether this was entirely because of its proximity to the
\nearthquake's epicenter. The answer, it seems, is a resounding
\n"no".<\/p>\n
According to an Australian tsunami expert, Ted Bryant, not one
\nlife would have been lost if there had been a warning system.
\nMany will retort that tsunamis in the Indian Ocean are uncommon,
\nwave stations are expensive, and that Indonesia has better use
\nfor its limited resources.<\/p>\n
Yet the excuse of non-availability of expensive technology
\nrings hollow if one looks at how and why so many survived the
\ntsunami on the Sumatran island of Simeuleu. The people there have
\netched into their consciousness the thousands of deaths caused by
\na tsunami in 1907, and they survived by fleeing to high
\nground on experiencing the recent strong quake.<\/p>\n
Dr. Kerry Sieh, an American seismologist, predicted the quake
\nat a conference just weeks before it struck. Such was his concern
\nthat he distributed posters on Sumatra itself and briefed local
\nofficials. His warning, unfortunately, was not heeded.<\/p>\n
As Bjorn Lomborg of the Copenhagen Consensus points out, it is
\npoor countries that suffer most from natural disasters, while the
\nrich ones are better prepared with contingencies. In view of the
\nfrequency of quakes along the western coast of Sumatra, how much
\nwould it have cost to educate coastal people to flee to higher
\nground on experiencing an earthquake, and to have arranged for
\nsirens, telephone text messages, radio and television stations to
\nwarn the people of possible impending danger? Like technology,
\nthe cost is really no excuse when even the simplest precautions
\nwere not taken.<\/p>\n
If it was not the absence of money or technology that resulted
\nin the staggering death toll, then what did cause it? It can
\nonly be one thing, and that is competency. The people of
\nIndonesia are not poor because the country lacks resources. Not
\nat all. They are poor because the country has a culture of
\ncorruption and cronyism rather than culture of competence. Too
\nmany officials are in their jobs, not because of their
\neffectiveness, but because of whom they have curried favor with.
\nThis, in turn, permits them to put their own interests first in
\nthe allocation of scarce resources. They are not made accountable
\nfor their incompetence anymore than well-placed Indonesian
\ncriminals are brought to account for perpetrating crimes against
\nthe innocent and well intentioned, but poorly connected.<\/p>\n
FRANK RICHARDSON, Norwich, UK<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/incompetence-the-real-killer-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }