"Let the locals sort things out for themselves. People who, rightly, object to the King of Tonga’s financial activities and their own lack of advancement, but who burn down 80% of the businesses district in rage, are not ready for the modern world. There is little point wasting money and risking Australian lives to help savages."

You're right let the locals sort things out, and they had been left to sort things out, some stupid people did stupid things, how do you stop that ? It's like saying the Cronulla riots could have been prevented.

I am speechless as to your reference of islanders as being "savages". You have taken the actions of a handful of people some of which mind you were probably the product of failed US criminal system and labeled an entire race.

As for the risk of Australian lives.. you really have no idea of the reality of the islands or you wouldn't have bothered, the only threat would have been boredom on Sundays when everything is closed for church, blindness due to the camera flash of all the locals wanting their pic taken with them and to their waistlines from people trying to feed them 6 times a day.

Whilst I realize you're trying to make a point perhaps you should consider context and not the assumptions that all countries have an abundance of uranium, copper and acres of land to reap the wealth of farming (when there's no drought) .. just some coconut trees, alot of sand and a few whales to keep the white people happy, there biggest export? the savages who take their 99% literacy rate and work their butts off in countries like Australia and the NZ to help the savages back home.