Japan: a couple of discomforts amidst the horror

The numbers of death and the level of destruction in Japan is hard to get your head around. Two minor pieces of news I heard today made me uncomfortable at the world we live in today.

First, Japan's stock market suffered an historic crash. This is unsurprising - those who exist in the markets do not make moral decisions, nor worry about how their actions effect millions of people. Nothing new there.

However the Bank of Japan this week has pumped $300 billion into the markets since Monday, dwarfing the generous donations given to the Red Cross and other NGOs who hope to help the hundreds of thousands of victims of this tragic situation. Our priorities do seem skewed.

Second, the UK rescue team who travelled to Japan to help with the crisis management only to be turned away because of paperwork.

The British Embassy refused to sign their documents for fear that they would then be legally responsible for their actions whilst in the country. Since when has legal responsibility outweighed moral responsibility? Probably always, but it doesn't get any better.