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Asian Tidal Waves kill thousands


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Well...I guess that's it...some people just refuse to get off their soap boxes. :bor:

 

This thread is now soiled...and needs to be moved over to that lunatic forum...Craig?

 

Boy...

 

...maybe everyone should present their W2's from last year...and then based on those numbers...

...calculate what is the minimal donation each person HAS to make just to please the "preachers" around here... :rolleyes:

miroslav - miroslavmusic.com

 

"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."

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Originally posted by Prague:

Originally posted by bearded yeti:

Why don't you respond to my point that the US is nowhere near the most giving country per capita?

Read the friggin posts. The US Government is not the one and only avenue for charity in the US. Private organizations and churches are not included in those figures and give enormous sums of money, time, effort, food, and actual feet on the ground. You also missed the 300 Marines.

 

Not everything has the dollar sign that you embrace.

 

Again, if you don't want any of it, just say so.

Read the friggin posts. Not only that, among the world's leading nations, the US is at the very bottom of the pack in giving, donating much less than a 1/5 of a percent of its GDP (only .14% -- that's 14 cents for every $100 of GDP.
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Originally posted by Jeff Da Weasel:

Originally posted by Dan South:

What a bunch of shitheads!

Well, Dan-o, if each time you mentioned war casualties, I did a comparison to numbers of people who die of starvation, or heart disease... that'd make me a shithead.

 

See what I'm saying, chum? Sometimes it's better to look at things on their own merit and not do comparisons to prove a point that's important to you.

 

Back to topic: death toll from direct and indirect (disease, etc.) is going to easily exceed 100,000 when this is said and done, making it one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history. Terrible, terrible stuff.

 

- Jeff

Human suffering is human suffering. It's not something that I can categorize into "what I focus on today" and "what I'll think about some other time." If you have four fires on your stovetop, putting only one out doesn't keep your house from burning down. They all have to be addressed, not just the latest one.

The Black Knight always triumphs!

 

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Originally posted by bearded yeti:

Not only that, among the world's leading nations, the US is at the very bottom of the pack in giving, donating much less than a 1/5 of a percent of its GDP (only .14% -- that's 14 cents for every $100 of GDP.

That's only government money, not private.

 

But, think as you like. You are obviously more committed to hating Americans than helping people (unless your wallet is already empty).

 

How much did you give and to what organizations?

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Originally posted by The Sharster Of Crimbo Yet To Come:

I have been reading this with intrest and one thing thats really got me fuming about some of the comments is how dam political it really has got on here.

This isn't about Iraq, War or 9/11 and we must NEVER forget how many innocent people died (as in the above)this weekend and how many will die if we dont move on getting aide out there.

For real!

 

This isn't a contest for crying out loud. First, figure out what YOU personally can give, and give it.

 

Then, if you are unhappy with the amount of aid that your government is offering, contact your government representative.

 

If you think your place of employment, businesses that you support, religious institution or whatever could be doing more to help, contact them. Ask what they are doing to help the relief effort, and ask what you can do to get the ball rolling.

 

Please don't waste your good energy asking what somebody ELSE (or their government or whoever) has done if you have no power to change that. You probably DO have more power than you know if you would only point it in the right direction. Bitching about who "should" be doing what is not going to save any lives, and neither is bragging about what you've done or what your country has done. Just find out what YOU or those organizations where you have influence CAN do that will actually save lives, and do it. Please.

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Originally posted by djwayne:

[/qb][/quote [b]]...they getting any from anyone other than the U.S Government ?? Nope. You think the U.S. has some moral obligation to give and give and give, everytime there's a problem in the world ?? And if we don't give enough by YOUR standards, we deserve to get bombed ?? (9/11) ?? How many countries sent checks when 9/11 occurred ??[/[/b] QB]

Uh? well of course the u.s. has a moral obligation to help.

You aren't being attacked. this is a human disaster.

 

Originally posted by djwayne:

.[/qb]

Trust me on this, the U.S. Government could find many other uses for $35 million dollars right here at home, if they so choose to. We've got millions of homeless people, old folks who can't afford medicine, school systems, road repairs, that are all clamering for money. Yet we are able to pledge $35 million almost overnight, ask yourself this....how much has Osama Bin Lauden pledged ?? or Saddam Hussien's followers ?? [/QB]

 

I don't think ossama bin laden ha anything to do with this one.

 

The U.S has given the most money to this cause, you should be proud!

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On of the lucky ones (from www.smh.com.au):

 

Her baby or son: this choice almost tore them apart

 

By Natasha Granath

December 30, 2004

 

Jillian Searle was forced into an unimaginable decision: to let go of her son Lachie so she could cling to her 20-month-old baby as the tsunami crashed through their Phuket hotel.

 

For Lachie, only five and unable to swim, it was the beginning of a near-fatal nightmare that he survived by clinging to a pole in the hotel lobby, waiting for the raging waters to subside. All the while, Mrs Searle and her husband, Bradley, believed he was dead.

 

As the Perth mother and her two sons were swept up by the water, she feared that if she tried to hold both Lachie and her baby, Blake, they would all be lost.

 

She clung to her older boy for as long as she could, but as her strength waned she appealed to a young girl nearby to grab him. Mrs Searle, fearing she would never see her son again, screamed to the girl not to let go.

 

Later, after the immediate danger had passed, she found the girl again - and learned she had lost hold of Lachie.

 

Mr Searle had watched the scene unfold from a balcony, unable to reach his family and convinced the wave would kill everyone in its path.

 

"The water had gone out and just rushed back in again and it was so horrific that when I got out of the front of the hotel I thought they were all dead for sure," he said.

 

He found his wife and youngest son just as a second giant wave swept through. They climbed on top of play equipment in the hotel grounds.

 

When the water subsided the couple began a frantic search of the hotel, in darkness, wading through wreckage. They were convinced their son was dead.

 

They had almost given up hope when they found him with a security guard and grabbed him from the man's arms. He told them he had held onto the pole for nearly two hours with his head just above water.

 

"I cried for Mum for a long time and then I was quiet," he told his father, adding: "My hands are all dirty and I need to wash my clothes."

 

His father wept; his mother said she had already started to grieve. "I was just so frantic for hours and the relief was just so strong," she said. "I couldn't believe it and I still can't believe he's here."

 

The family returned to Perth yesterday, still astounded they had survived.

 

"We are just so lucky to walk away with the small children I've got, one of whom can't even swim and is petrified of water - even the pool at home - and one who is a little baby," Mrs Searle said. "I just can't believe they are still here."

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This says it all for me ;) It's all happening.

 

Bangladesh undertakes rescue operation in tsunami-hit countries

 

www.chinaview.cn 2004-12-29 23:55:53

 

DHAKA, Dec. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Bangladesh will send two armed forces teams Thursday to take part in the rescue and relief operations in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, two tsunami-hit member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation as requested.

 

The teams are being sent to carry on rescue operations in the unprecedented natural disaster in the two friendly countries as per government's decision, an official press release said Wednesday.

 

A 96-member armed force team will go to Sri Lanka and a 61-member team to the Maldives by two C-130 air force planes with necessary rescue, relief and medical supplies. The two teams will be composed of Army medical and Engineering corps and members of the Navy and Air Force.

 

The relief materials include water purification plant, tube wells, rescue boats, tents, medicine and clothes.

 

Bangladesh Navy will send one offshore patrol vessel to Sri Lanka and the Maldives each for logistic support as part of the rescue and relief operations. Two helicopters of Bangladesh Air Force Bell-212 will also take part in the relief operations, the press release said. Enditem

 

 

SOURCE

 

Australia is doing the same.

 

Incidently - conservative estimates puts Indonesia's death toll over 60,000.

 

cheers

john

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Maybe along with the relief effort and contributions, modern countries can help these Asian countries develop and implement a warning system.

 

I've always been amazed how alot of population centers are built around areas of known natural disaster catastrophes.

 

I mean, was it really a good idea to REBUILD San Fransisco? No offense to anyone that lives there.

Amateur Hack
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This should have nothing to do with politics. We don't know yet who will have contributed what when this is over. We're just seeing the first wave of help. People will be helping out this area for YEARS to come.

 

Where I live still hasn't recovered from the twin hurricanes, and we didn't have unimaginable deaths and destruction. It's important to remember that we knew what was coming here. Houses were boarded up, people were evacuated, roofs were secured, food and supplies were stocked up in advance. The people in southeast Asia had no such slack. Believe me, if the hurricanes had just landed on Florida with no warning and we went from a pleasant summer day to 135+ MPH winds inside of a few seconds, there would have been thousands of dead people here.

 

So although I can't possibly imagine what's going on over there, I at least have a teeny hint. And it's a total, unspeakable, horrendous tragedy that will affect generations to come. It will be a situation where everyone in that area will be touched...they will have lost a wife, a husband, a child, a relative, a good friend...and they had no chance to even say goodbye. They will never have closure. Even more cruelly, many will not know for sure if someone died or not, and will cling to hope where no real hope exists.

 

It's absurd to be talking about how much any country is or is not giving. At a time like this, borders are irrelevant. The victims are part of humanity and we are part of humanity, and we as HUMANS -- not Americans, Canadians, Russians, Brazilians, or whatever -- need to help.

 

If my government wants to help, great. But the responsibility is ultimately that of We the People -- and I mean the people of this planet.

 

Don't trivialize what these people are going through by asking why other people aren't helping enough. Ask what you can do to help, do it, and leave it at that.

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I heard a Red Cross estimate today on the radio that said 100,000 people have been killed by this so far. And the cholera and typhoid haven't even set in yet. :cry:

 

The survivors will need help for years to come.

 

I heard that the earthquake which caused this disaster made the Earth wobble on its axis, and caused us to lose a fraction of a second on the day. It's hard to comprehend how big this is.

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Originally posted by bearded yeti:

Originally posted by djwayne:

ask yourself this....how much has Osama Bin Lauden pledged ?? or Saddam Hussien's followers ??

Nice strawman. You forgot about the rest of the world's countries.
You're correct - when you take it as a percentage of GNP, we are not the biggest givers. But insofar as overall dollar amount, we are. If you want to salute anyone, face towards Australia... compared to the size of their population, and their GNP, they're the champs insofar as giving - at least insofar as this event. :thu: OTOH, the French, last I heard, have given less than $200,000. :( I don't see anyone on this forum giving them grief over that...

 

But the important thing here is not who is given what, but rather to raise awareness and to encourage others to give. I may have little influence on what my government gives, but I can give personally, and encourage others to do likewise. This isn't, or at least it shouldn't be, about politics. It's a fact that what all of the countries of the world are giving isn't going to cover the "need" - and IMO, it is our responsibility, as good humans and citizens of the planet, to do what we can to make up the difference.

 

Petty politics isn't going to help those who are in dire need. And this isn't really the forum for political discussions either, so I won't be making any further comments of a political nature here. (sorry for going OT Craig).

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There's been a fresh Tsunami alert here for India's Eastern coast. They've sealed of the road leading to the Local beach, which is the second longest stecth of beach in the world...the Marina Beach.

Vinay Vincent,

BASE Studios

 

"Live Jazz friday nights at The Zodiac Bar"

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