Why so much death in Myanmar? An argument for government regulation!

Jarod

Jarod

Well-known member
Contributor
The Cyclone that hit Myramir was not anywhere as bad as many that have hit the United States, yet the death toll is likely to hit 100,000.

Not even Katrina caused anything like what they are dealing with.

This illistrates how building codes, flood planes and zoning can SAVE LIVES. Those calling for less government regulation need to realize the far reaching effects such deregulation could cause.

My father was an architect. Once we went to Mexico City years after they had a major earthquake. We saw LOTS and LOTS of damage, my father explained to me that in the United States MUCH of that damage would not have occured because of stricter regulation on building. We saw a skyscraper that was tilted to one side, its still standing in Mexico City. THat would never have happened in the United States because the government prevents such occurances.

Sure we could do away with building codes, then we would be dealing with quite a different problem in New Orleans!
 
Myanmar has a strict government. Arguing that they take over this too... Well, it doesn't free the Bhurmese now does it?
 
Damocles said:
Myanmar has a strict government. Arguing that they take over this too... Well, it doesn't free the Bhurmese now does it?
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I know they have a strict governemtn, but I am willing to bet everything on the fact that they do not have strict zoning on the buildings in the region where this cyclone hit. I bet they dont have a water management district that regulates the flood plain these people were living on! Sure they have strict social regulations, thats not what I would argue for, I want less of that. But we need strict restrictions on business that would otherwise build homes and residental buildings that would be deadly in a bad storm.
 
Jarod said:
I know they have a strict governemtn, but I am willing to bet everything on the fact that they do not have strict zoning on the buildings in the region where this cyclone hit. I bet they dont have a water management district that regulates the flood plain these people were living on! Sure they have strict social regulations, thats not what I would argue for, I want less of that. But we need strict restrictions on business that would otherwise build homes and residental buildings that would be deadly in a bad storm.
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It wouldn't be a less is more area. It would be "in addition to". The application of the law in Burma tends to make me wish they would take less interest in more things rather than suggest that they take more interest in anything.
 
Jarod said:
The Cyclone that hit Myramir was not anywhere as bad as many that have hit the United States, yet the death toll is likely to hit 100,000.

Not even Katrina caused anything like what they are dealing with.

This illistrates how building codes, flood planes and zoning can SAVE LIVES. Those calling for less government regulation need to realize the far reaching effects such deregulation could cause.

My father was an architect. Once we went to Mexico City years after they had a major earthquake. We saw LOTS and LOTS of damage, my father explained to me that in the United States MUCH of that damage would not have occured because of stricter regulation on building. We saw a skyscraper that was tilted to one side, its still standing in Mexico City. THat would never have happened in the United States because the government prevents such occurances.

Sure we could do away with building codes, then we would be dealing with quite a different problem in New Orleans!
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yeah... building codes... that must be what caused so much damage from the category 3 cyclone.

It must be a lack of regulations. Probably has nothing to do with the fact that about half their population lives on the coastal region. Probably little to do with the fact that they produce maybe 5% of our GDP per capita (meaning they are not wealthy enough to build to our standards). yeah... stricter building codes would have reduced it.

Seriously... how friggin elitist are you?
 
Superfreak said:
yeah... building codes... that must be what caused so much damage from the category 3 cyclone.

It must be a lack of regulations. Probably has nothing to do with the fact that about half their population lives on the coastal region. Probably little to do with the fact that they produce maybe 5% of our GDP per capita (meaning they are not wealthy enough to build to our standards). yeah... stricter building codes would have reduced it.

Seriously... how friggin elitist are you?
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We had a building here in West Palm Beach where they got special exemptions from building codes, because the developers had govt. officials in there pockets. It was severly damaged in the series of hurricanes we had three years ago. This building is the only one still so badly damaged it has yet to reopen.

Sure maybe Myramar is poor and could not build to our standards, but thank god we have the standards we have or New Orleans would have lost more than 100,000.
 
Jarod said:
We had a building here in West Palm Beach where they got special exemptions from building codes, because the developers had govt. officials in there pockets. It was severly damaged in the series of hurricanes we had three years ago. This building is the only one still so badly damaged it has yet to reopen.

Sure maybe Myramar is poor and could not build to our standards, but thank god we have the standards we have or New Orleans would have lost more than 100,000.
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Yeah, lets build really strong buildings that are once again below sea level. Great plan Charlie Brown.... don't worry... Lucy will really really really hold the football for you this time.
 
Superfreak said:
Yeah, lets build really strong buildings that are once again below sea level. Great plan Charlie Brown.... don't worry... Lucy will really really really hold the football for you this time.
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Have you ever heard of Amsterdam?

With proper flood control it is as safe as anyother place in the world. It just has to be managed correctly.
 
Jarod said:
Have you ever heard of Amsterdam?

With proper flood control it is as safe as anyother place in the world. It just has to be managed correctly.
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The complete arrogance of people like you makes me laugh. Thinking you can contain mother nature and control it. You ever notice that 99.99% of mans attempts to control nature end up fucking up nature?
 
Superfreak said:
The complete arrogance of people like you makes me laugh. Thinking you can contain mother nature and control it. You ever notice that 99.99% of mans attempts to control nature end up fucking up nature?
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It can be controled to an extent and temporarily.
 
They already have VERY strict government in Burma (Myanmar or whatever they are calling it now).

What they don't have, is time, resources, or money to build drainage canals, levees, landfills to raise their floodplains above sea level, good paved roads to bring in building materials or evacuate people, trucks and aircraft to bring in emergency supplies to devastated areas, etc.

The government had two days' warning that a huge cyclone was coming. They could do NOTHING. Because th country was far to poor to have the resources to do anything besides constantly scrabble for food, rudimentary shelter, etc.

And how much do you want to bet that the reason they didn't have these things, was because of.... strict government? Government that taxes what little the people have and so prevents them from improving their lot? Government that demands bribes etc. to let people run businesses, build buildings and roads, etc.?

If we check (something that government won't let anyone do), I'll bet we'll find that, as usual, government isn' the solution to the problem. Government IS the problem.
 
Jarod said:
The Cyclone that hit Myramir was not anywhere as bad as many that have hit the United States, yet the death toll is likely to hit 100,000.

Not even Katrina caused anything like what they are dealing with.

This illistrates how building codes, flood planes and zoning can SAVE LIVES. Those calling for less government regulation need to realize the far reaching effects such deregulation could cause.

My father was an architect. Once we went to Mexico City years after they had a major earthquake. We saw LOTS and LOTS of damage, my father explained to me that in the United States MUCH of that damage would not have occured because of stricter regulation on building. We saw a skyscraper that was tilted to one side, its still standing in Mexico City. THat would never have happened in the United States because the government prevents such occurances.

Sure we could do away with building codes, then we would be dealing with quite a different problem in New Orleans!
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I don't think you understand their situation enough. The poor live near the coasts in Burma. They have cheap buildings because they can't afford to pay higher prices for good solid homes. You start building stronger, more expensive homes, these people have no place to live. A cyclone comes through and they have nothing to protect them.
 
Jarod said:
The Cyclone that hit Myramir was not anywhere as bad as many that have hit the United States, yet the death toll is likely to hit 100,000.

Not even Katrina caused anything like what they are dealing with.

This illistrates how building codes, flood planes and zoning can SAVE LIVES. Those calling for less government regulation need to realize the far reaching effects such deregulation could cause.

My father was an architect. Once we went to Mexico City years after they had a major earthquake. We saw LOTS and LOTS of damage, my father explained to me that in the United States MUCH of that damage would not have occured because of stricter regulation on building. We saw a skyscraper that was tilted to one side, its still standing in Mexico City. THat would never have happened in the United States because the government prevents such occurances.

Sure we could do away with building codes, then we would be dealing with quite a different problem in New Orleans!
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I'm not sure that you can be more regulated than living under a military junta.
 
Thorn said:
That's social regulation, though, not regs related to physical infrastructure.
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True. But as was pointed out to Jarod, they have to have the necessary capital to build up to the standards of the US. His suggesting that better building codes would have helped is nothing more than a joke. :)
 
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