Asia earthquake, tsunami devostation!

[CAMAROBOY69]

By now I would have to assume most of you have heard about whats going on over there but did you realize how bad it is!!?
77,000 current deaths.
The international Red Cross warned that the toll could eventually surpass 100,000. The race was on to try to prevent an outbreak of diseases and to curb food shortages among millions of homeless _ which the U.N. health agency said could kill as many as the waves and quake.

[CAMAROBOY69]

Tsunami Death Toll Rockets to 114,000

[JohnUlaszek]

It's very easy to make a donation online via amazon.com, 100% of which goes to the red cross.
I served in Kenya during Operation Restore Hope, I hope the world doesn't drop the ball on this like we did then.

[Torbjorn]

Sadly the numbers are up to 144.000 today, but the UN expected it to go up to at least 150.000 soon.
Many Norwegians are celebrating christmas in Thailand, and a couple of days ago the governmet feared that as mutch as 500 people could have died, but today many missing person`s had reported that they where okay.

Torbjorn

[JohnUlaszek]

Not to get off topic, but this is as good a time as any to bring up that 937,000 people were murdered in Rwanda in 1994.
Yes, your read that right, 937,000 and most were killed in a 100 day span.

If you are curious do a google search for Rwanda and Genocide. Most Americans haven't the slightest clue that this happened. If I wasn't part of a USAF relief effort, I would have had no clue.

To quote Joseph Stalin, "100 deaths are a tragedy, a million are a statistic" (several version of this quote are floating around).

I am not downplaying the loss of life from the tsunami, but some people ,mainly the media, are acting like this is the biggest tragedy of our time. Both could have been prevented and if we remember our history, maybe we won't repeat it so many damn times.

[CAMAROBOY69]

John,
Not to argue but how could this Tsunami tradegy been avoided? The huge wave was caused by an earthquake in the middle of the ocean by mother nature. Just curious, mabey I missed something.
The Rwanda and Genocide incodent was totally different.

[Bill Howell]

I do not want to make this a political issue or thread, but I have wanted to say this since the thread was started.
John, I think the point I see you making is that disasters are horrible things whether they be natural or manmade. One thing I can not understand is that right now we are the bad guys for not writing a blank check to Thailand and at the same time we are the bad guys for being in Irak and helping those folks from the genoside they have endured for years. It is a fine line I believe to juggle money with all those that need help right now. I am glad to hear that private donations seem to be growing daily and that both political parties(Bush and Clinton) have joined forces to raise funds. I feel that we as a nation are doing as much or more than any other country with both money and actual help, however the media is so one sided and liberal that they don't tell the whole story, just what in their eyes makes us look uncaring.
I truly hate it when I see people suffering, whatever the cause.I hate more the though of my hard earned money being sent anywhere(even here) blindly and later hearing that some crooked politician has a new mansion and the people I thought I was helping are still starving.
This update off the news just now-The US has sent or pledged $350 million to the victims in Asia.
Just my .02

[JohnUlaszek]

The tsunami could obviously not have been prevented, but the loss of life could have been greatly reduced by the same early warning equipment we have in the States. There have been varying reports, but most say about 20 million dollars worth of equipment could have provided substantial warning.

I bring up Rwanda because the world has mobilised and made almost a contest out of the aid issue.
Almost a million people were killed in Rwanda and we ( I mean the human race) are in danger of letting the same be repeated in the Sudan. Tens of thousands of peole have been murdered and raped in the Sudan, but it has also only been a foot note in the news over the past year.
The UN had the assests in place to prevent the Genocide in Rwanda and by the accounts I have read knew what was coming but did not have the will to prevent it and pulled out.

It seems the tsunami has been front page because its sensational and the news seems to be in the business of 24 hour entertainment.

I am a Desert Storm veteran and proud to have served directly in a relief effort. As an American and member of the human race I am proud of what we are doing to help these people right now. What bothers me is the help only seems to go to those suffering sensational disasters.

[BlazerSpeed]

Maybe its simply that I've grown older and can recognize the news for what it is, but more and more its seems like pure sensationalism. I'm gonna say this now, I love this country and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, but like anyone with a mind of their own, I tend not to agree with everything placed in front of me. The news isn't necessarily politically biased on a regular basis, (granted during election times we are able to see what side one station will lean to more than the other). Remember its a television show like any other on TV, it needs to sell sponsership airtime, as well as keep ratings up to make money. Unfortunetly this means showing the most talked about story at the time whether or not its actually important and relevant news, simply what will get viewers to tune in. maybe its just here in chicago, since we're a bigger city, I dont know, I've lived here all my life, but I barely watch our local news any more. It is a tragedy, and I pray for this to end, but I consider the relief to be whats important for the disaster, not that Oprah's decorator survived, and to have a 20 min phone interview with him about it. (that was on our local ABC news here 2 days ago) I am glad we stepped it up from 35 to 350 million pledged, but as 46yroldkid said, im more concerned that my money actually goes to help these people, not the Nike Corp. whose Thailand factory was destroyed. in anycase im gonna stop ranting, lets just hope that the number cease to climb (155,000 and counting :( )
oh and if anyone is interested, I've found that Canadian news is suprisingly honest and unbiased, satalites are still good for something.

Derek

[OLDFLM]

John - I was on the first plane into Entebbe Uganda, one of the first 9 people on the ground in Rwanda in 1994, and was on the last plane out. I have to also agree with Derek and Bill... this is getting way more attention than many of the worlds past tradegies... Welcome to the new melenium... where MSNBC, CNN and Fox "shape" what's important to our culture. I've found that BBC is also a good partisan free news source... if you can get past the dry Brit humor. LOL

Factoid: During Gulf 1 we realized the war had started when we lost the CNN broadcast from Bagdad... Factoid: After the Blackhawk shoot down incident our Air Force personnel on the ground (pilots and flightline personnel) discovered that they'd actually shot down a "friendly" during "Top Gun"-like confirmed kill celebrations at the Officer/Enlisted Club from no other source but... CNN!

Although they may be politically biased at times I don't feel our news sources influence the globe to the extent that they, the media drove up the pledges to provide relief to Indonesia... the needs of the victims down there did.

John, I was assigned to the HHQ element at Entebbe for during the relief effort to "stop the dying" in Rwanda. Maybe we crossed paths? Were you part of the 3rd of the 325 out of Aviano, Italy?
We should compare notes and swap stories... not too many folks
have had the pleasure of sleeping on the concrete floor of the abondoned Entebbe Airport (hostage crisis 1976) hangar for weeks on end with no bathroom or shower facitities... or pulled dead bodies from Lake Kivu... drop me a line at [email protected]...

V/R,
Ty

[Bill Howell]

John and Ty,and everyone else here that has served,
Just so you hear it from me, Thanks for your service
Whether it was yesterday or yesteryear let us never forget those that served and fought for our freedom, even if modern news outlets give us a slanted take on the truth.

[JohnUlaszek]

Ty,
I will catch up with you via email.

[harshman]

To quote Joseph Stalin, "100 deaths are a tragedy, a million are a statistic" (several version of this quote are floating around).

He is totally correct. It seems our minds can't comprehend massive numbers. 10 deaths or 100 or 100,000 will inevitably get the same reaction when we are presented with the situation. I'm not sure as to why but it is true. Perhaps it is that our minds work more on single stories than general tragedy. We will remember a few well tolled tails but we will never relate to massive deaths. I also think that’s why Schindler’s List became so memorable. It showed massive death on one shot with a story behind it.