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Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark
ns_kid, thanks for posting the link but unfortunately it's behind a paywall. I don't want to sign up for it at the moment, but it sounds interesting.
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Thanks, Mark. Yes, the Post has a very efficient paywall; however, they generally allow one free view so clearing your browser history may allow you to access it.
In his article, Bacon reviews the well-known history of course, making the observation that, "The Halifax government coordinated one of the most miraculous rescue and relief efforts ever conducted, while Beirut's fails to provide reliable garbage pick-up, electricity or potable water."
But he compares the international response to Beirut with the aid that flowed to Halifax after the Explosion, noting that this has the power to break down old barriers. (Even Israel offered humanitarian assistance despite recent cross-border attacks; Tel Aviv illuminated its municipal building in the colours of the Lebanese flag.)
He concludes that "the generosity that flowed into Halifax showed human kindness could not be erased by even the greatest man-made explosion the world had ever seen. Of the many lessons Canada's disaster holds for Beirut -- and a watching world eager to help -- that might prove to be the most lasting."
MacDonald made a similar observation in her book contrasting the Explosion and 9/11. Of course the Bush administration later squandered that international goodwill with its ill-advised war on Iraq.