Sadly, as the Chilean people struggle to survive in the aftermath of one the most powerful earthquakes in recorded history, an axis-tilting armaggeddon 500 times more powerful than the quake that reduced Haiti to unimaginable misery, the Chilean military's response seems to mirror the United States' "boots on the ground" lockdown in Port-au-Prince and other afflicted Haitian cities. NPR reported this morning that although some residents of Concepcion' and other totally ravaged Chilean shore-line communities rejoiced at the military's arrival, they brought only the promise of security without precious foodstuffs or any other type of assistance. There were the usual promises of swift action to arrest "looters" and criminal gangs taking deadly advantage of the absence of authority, but pray tell, what is the difference between a completely traumatized people suddenly bereft of the basic necessities of life breaking into grocery stores and other businesses in order to feed themselves and their families and base evildoers intent on profiting from anarchy and who makes the call?

Initially Chilean President Michele Bachelet was hesitant to request aid from neighboring countries and first-tier nations, mistakenly asserting that Chile could cope with the monster quake's widespread devastation, a stance she has since recanted. Perhaps her caution in requesting help reveals an all-too- knowing comprehension of the price to be paid. Chile is not that far removed from its' woeful designation as a neoliberal labratory for "structural adjustment" which decimated its' economy and caused untold suffering and death. Even now one might envision the IMF, World Bank, and a host of multinational corporations voraciously awaiting new opportunities for "re-investment" in what will be a $25 billion recovery effort that could entail draconian realignment of Chileans' economic lives. I'm sure both Milton Friedman and Naomi Klein could attest to the potential validity of this assessment. After all, it's the way the world works.