Thank you.
I can't agree more with this cartoon. John Howard is such a greasy dickhead that He has to turn a terrible tragedy into his own feel good publicity session. And while I'm on it can the australian media stop toting Australia as the only people in the world helping out with this disaster? Eveyone in the world has compassion for these countries and is doing their utmost to help out. Also It is only the media of Australia that constantly calls us "the lucky country", "the clever country", "god's own backyard" I have never ever heard someone from another country refer to it as such and I have lived everywhere. Every country is gorgeous in it's own way. Every people is generous in their own way. Give me a break. It makes me embarrassed to be an aussie.

Huh, maybe East Timor could pray for an earthquake or two, then maybe the Australian government would give some of its newfound generosity towards a more equitable Timor oil policy.

You both have valid points, specially to the cynical minded :)
John Howard is a mixture of the consumate politician and the genuine caring guy. I think we just choose to see which side of him is at work in any given situation. Is it just POSSIBLE that there is no other way he could be viewed ? If he had a 100% pure heart on the giving, it would still have the public reality of raising his profile and status. If he had a sneaky cynical opportunistic approach.. the result would still be the same, except that he might not sleep too well at night after doing that.
I think we should be fair to his political side also. Labor or others would do the same.
Speaking politically, Howard has probably trounced the ALP into borderline oblivion with this Tsunami thing. One their MAJOR criticisms of him was his NEGLECT OF ASIA and CLOSENESS to the USA.
Now, he has gone from 'zero' to 'HERO' in the Indonesians eyes as well as many back home.

Dont let blind partisan hatred deny you of a bit of enjoyment in this rather blessed land.