Power-hungry militarists must not squander China's wealth

The second anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake [on May 12] reminded us that more than 80,000 people died, many of them children in shabbily constructed schools.

The state-controlled media routinely focuses on the heroic rescue efforts following these 'unpredictable'' disasters. But this not the case with earthquakes in China.

In fact, we can safely predict that there will be many such tragedies within the next few years, given the seismic forces active in the central part of the country and the shoddy state of many buildings.

A well-known proverb says, 'To govern is to foresee'.

Since governments exist to promote the security of citizens, China's rulers must prepare for recurring earthquakes by funding advanced seismic research, by improving prediction methods and by building safer homes and schools.

Of course, this costs money and politicians prefer to spend revenue on grandiose projects like world expos, Olympic self-glorification, aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, ballistic missiles, space travel, expanded armies and navies and similar outdated extravaganzas.