Asian Disaster

I think that one of the things that shines out from this terrible situation is the kindness being shown to survivors, regardless of their race or religion. And heroes, the people who have put their own lives in peril to save others. I also think about the aid workers who are having the awful task of cataloging the fatalities and collecting DNA samples, and my heart goes out to those who have the task of contacting relatives with bad news.
 
What a truly HORRIFIC disaster...............

Words seem silly right now. Like so many others, wish we could do more than just donate money.

A-b did not see the news about Indian goverment, but sounds right. Can anyone else remember reports about The indian goverment testing Nuclear Bombs DEEP in the indian ocean a while ago. For every Action there is an equal Reaction :(

My thoughts and prayers are with ALL touched by this disaster.
 
simon said:
Can anyone else remember reports about The indian goverment testing Nuclear Bombs DEEP in the indian ocean a while ago. For every Action there is an equal Reaction
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I remember that. There's an answer for the people who called it an act of God and blame God for treating humanity so cruelly.

We can't expect to treat the earth the way we do and for it not to have consequences. Unfortunately innocent people suffer.

Thanks for the link A-b. I was reading an AOL blog yesterday written by someone close to the rescue areas etc. I should have made a note of it.
 
I shall donate nothing, other than offer a few observations:

1) Numerous institutions had predicted an earthquake/tsunami in this region; while the science is such that it's timing cannot have been calculated, recomendations were made for early warning and alarm systems. These would have been relatively inexpensive. What happened? Nothing.

2) There are alot of odd figures being bandied about. The Swedish government, for instance, is saying that about 3,500 of it's nationals are missing; the British government is saying a couple of hundred. Why the discrepency, given the fact that that there would have been far more Brits out there than Swedes? Are we better swimmers than the Swedes, or just less docile? Can anyone explain this discreprency?

3) Why are governments now involved in a bidding war, each trying to outdo the other in the amount of taxpayers money they are going to give in "aid"? Most of these funds will invariably end up in bureaucrats' pockets or alternatively supporting the charity industry. Well, there's not much I can do about my taxes ending up this way, but please don't stick the collecting pot in front of me.

4) Some years ago, about 1 million people were killed in Rwanda (thats in Africa for those of you that don't know), in an act of systematic genocide, over a period of 3 months. What was the response from the West? Buggar all until it was all over, and then a couple of paragraphs in the papers and the odd item on t'telly. Why this discreprency?

5) Anyway, we'll all be back at work next week and the TV schedules get back to normal...I wonder what the disaster next Christmas will be ..2003 was the Iraq eartquake, 2004 SE Asia, 2005.....Canary Islands Tsumami?
 
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I read the Independent this morning and they had an interesting little table showing which countries had contributed what amount to the relief effort. One would imagine that since most of the countries affected are either wholly muslim or have sizeable muslim populations that the oil rich middle eastern states would top the list of doners, wouldn't you.

Quatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Turkey have managed to scrape together between them a total of £13,052,400. While the Great Satan and it's lickspittle, Great Britain, have so far managed £233,000,000 (not taking in to account public donations). Funny, that!
 
It's getting worse, is'nt it? Now we find the government has organised 3 minutes silence on wednesday. Why 3 minutes for 150,000, few of whom are UK Nationals, when Rememberance Day is 2 minutes for 1.5million? I for one will not be observing 3 minutes silence, nor 2 minutes, nor 1 minute; I shall observe nowt.

This is getting as bad as that one week of madness we had when that woman Di and her mates paid the price for breaking the speed limit in Paris a few years back. Mind you, I suppose the scousers will be having their 3 minutes of silence. Thats all that lot seem to do these days.
 
We had two minutes silence in Church on Sunday. I think it's a valid sign of respect, maybe even of gratitude for our own safety at present. Goodness knows why three minutes on Wednesday.
 
While I think you are entitled to your opinion Tealeaf.....I agree with Willow that it is a sign of respect for all the people who lost their lives in this tragedy.......what is 3 minutes out of a life time?
 
My own opinion,ignore it if you wish;disasters like this show the fragility of our planet and the everyday lives we take for granted.This has helped me to put my own petty little issues into perspective and hopefully I will be able to live every day to the full and appreciate what I have got instead of moaning about what I want.

My sympathies to those who have lost loved ones in this tragedy.
 
You are right on the button there......it makes any problems that I have, pale into insignificance......and it just goes to show how fleeting our existence can be.....and makes me more determined to make sure I leave something good behind me.
I only hope that those who lost their lives experienced a happy time before they were taken.
 
The people of asia must be going through hell now and i want to be the first one to thank the driver of the stanley ultras coach for donationg the money collected in the whip around for him

It is the little thing like that which show a persons true colours
 
DEATHS ON THE ROADS IN THE UK 2004 = 3,500 Estimate.

Right then, lets have 3 minutes of silence for them. Starting with all you lot above.
 
You idiot, Simon. The Yanks did nuclear tests in the Pacific.......errrrr, I think this earthquake was in the Indian Ocean. As far as I'm aware, the last tests the Yanks conducted were severa years ago. However, our Muslim & Hindu friends on the Asian subcontinent have been as busy as buggary conducting their own nuclear tests in the last few years....where, I wonder? I would like to think that our Indian friends would now possibly be suspending spending on their nuclear programn to put some dosh in the way of their coastal defences.
 
Gobsmacked said:
I can't believe that people are arguing about this. I am totally dumbfounded by such a callous attitude.
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I think everybody has the right to their opininions...even if you or I don't agree with them.

Callousness isn't the only issue, there are far too many leaders / governments etc. who are equally far more callous, and worse still, pretend to care.

Does the UK care more because we have donated 'n' millions?

Does Saudi Arabia care less because they have donated only 10 million, and raised 155 million for the families of suicide bombers who daily kill innocent people?

To put things into some sort of perspective;
There have been, and will be, more severe natural disasters, but to an individual, the loss of a loved one is more harrowing. It is the scale of the thing that astounds us...and the fact that the media are grinding out each and every heart rendering story to the last drop perpetuates the disaster to the last penny!

Indonesia is a large oil exporter.
India spends countless amounts of money on nuclear weapons.
Sri Lanka has a long time civil war, and spend most of its annual income on arms.
Thailand exisits off drugs, and the sex trade, and nobody knows what they do with their national income, corruption being the "norm".

But none of the above will bring back those who have died in the disaster, nor will things really change in these countries in the near future!

But that is my perspective!
 
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