Pakistan Earthquake.

[peptoabysmal]

Just a note of sympathy.

... and to say wow, what a year for disasters, the tsunami, hurricane Katrina and now this. (apologies if I left any out)

18,000 dead 40,000 injured estimated and the numbers are climbing, some as high as 30,000 dead.

7.6 (IIRC Japan seismologists say 7.8)

Quake Kills More Than 18,000 in South Asia

 

[slingblade]

Worn-out world

Aside from my shock and horror, I couldn't help but wonder if people are starting to feel "charity-fatigue."

What I mean is that many of us are moved to compassion and finanical or physical aid when these disasters happen, but there have been so many lately, and of such horrific magnitude, I wonder if people are (silently) saying "enough already! I'm just 'given' out!" And if so, what happens then? Kinda scary, really, when I think about it.

I do feel so sad for the earthquake victims. 30,000 dead. I simply can't imagine. AND the tsunami, and Katrina/Rita, and the Guatemalan landslide, and now this.

I'm also waiting to hear from the "divine retribution" camp: "Gawd sent the earthquake to punish them for terrorism!" Yeah? Well, I sure as heck hope His aim improves. If there were a God, I'd expect Him to be a little more accurate at taking out the bad guys and gals. Can't figure out why any god would want to kill hundreds or thousands of innocent babies just to punish the sins of a handful of adults.

But I won't be surprised to hear that some think their merciful God has done just that.

 

[geni]

I'm trying to decide if this ranks as the most pathetic international responce ever:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Kashmir_earthquake#International_response

 

[a_unique_person]

In Australias defence, we did send a lot of money to victims of the Tsunami, since that was right on our doorstep.

It's still a huge disaster, and they could do with a lot more help. We have politicians boasting about how wealthy this country has become, we could still spare some more money.

 

[BPSCG]

It's still a huge disaster, and they could do with a lot more help. We have politicians boasting about how wealthy this country has become, we could still spare some more money.

I'd feel better about the money we send for earthquake relief if I thought some of it, any of it, would be spent on earthquake-resistant constructions. Admit it - whenever you hear of an earthquake hitting Japan or the US, your immediate reaction is, "Hmmm, wonder if anyone got hurt." While your immediate reaction to this latest one was, "Oh God, I wonder how high the death toll is going to be for this one."

Then you see photos of piles of rubble and you see no steel girders or rebar, and realize these buildings were essentially bricks or cinderblocks piled on top of each other and held together with concrete. Just waiting for the next earthquake to hit.

Someone here has a tagline that says insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and still expecting different results.

Hmmm... rebuild New Orleans...?

 

[RandFan]

I'd feel better about the money we send for earthquake relief if I thought some of it, any of it, would be spent on earthquake-resistant constructions.

Agreed, and here is where I love government regulations. Of course one could argue that the Free Market could and would produce the same results but I'm not convinced.

I drove through Northridge during the quake of 1994 which was a 6.7 magnitude.

It truly amazing that the damage wasn't worse. Even better we improved standards.

 

[bigred]

Many counties are notorious for taking waves of money given for such worthy causes and not using it towards that cause. Not saying that is or isn't happening here, but don't naively assume money given to help here would go to these people.

Amazing (and revolting) to me how much people world-wide rip on our gov't constantly, yet give so many others which are SO much worse - we're talking night and day - a free pass.

 

[Dr Adequate]

Many counties are notorious for taking waves of money given for such worthy causes and not using it towards that cause. Not saying that is or isn't happening here, but don't naively assume money given to help here would go to these people.

Amazing (and revolting) to me how much people world-wide rip on our gov't constantly, yet give so many others which are SO much worse - we're talking night and day - a free pass.

I always say that the best time for witless kneejerk xenophobia is when the people you're attacking are busy counting their dead. That shows taste and class.

 

[peptoabysmal]

Aside from my shock and horror, I couldn't help but wonder if people are starting to feel "charity-fatigue."

What I mean is that many of us are moved to compassion and finanical or physical aid when these disasters happen, but there have been so many lately, and of such horrific magnitude, I wonder if people are (silently) saying "enough already! I'm just 'given' out!" And if so, what happens then? Kinda scary, really, when I think about it.

Good point. I have been wondering that myself. Will this disaster get the attention it deserves, not only because of the "charity-fatigue" but because it doesn't get as much news attention as the tsunami or hurricane Katrina?

I do feel so sad for the earthquake victims. 30,000 dead. I simply can't imagine. AND the tsunami, and Katrina/Rita, and the Guatemalan landslide, and now this.

I'm also waiting to hear from the "divine retribution" camp: "Gawd sent the earthquake to punish them for terrorism!" Yeah? Well, I sure as heck hope His aim improves. If there were a God, I'd expect Him to be a little more accurate at taking out the bad guys and gals. Can't figure out why any god would want to kill hundreds or thousands of innocent babies just to punish the sins of a handful of adults.

But I won't be surprised to hear that some think their merciful God has done just that.

Oh yeah, Guatemala. Damn.
The divine retribution gang are a bunch of quacks, they won't be any more accurate here than they have been anywhere else.

 

[epepke]

I'm trying to decide if this ranks as the most pathetic international responce ever:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Kashmir_earthquake#International_response

That article says and cites a source that the US is providing an initial contribution of $50M. That doesn't seem all that pathetic to me.

 

[a_unique_person]

Here comes Pat.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world...o-second-coming/2005/10/10/1128796443827.html

Prominent US preacher Pat Robertson said today recent natural disasters around the world point to the end of the world and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.
"These things are starting to hit with amazing regularity," Robertson told CNN, remarking on the coincidence of a major earthquake that killed thousands in Asia yesterday and recent killer hurricanes slamming the United States.
These disasters came less than a year after a massive tsuanami levelled huge portions of South Asia, killing more than 31,000 people and leaving about a million homeless.
Devout Christians believe that the "last days" will be marked by political and geological upheaval, and Robertson said recent events show that those days might have arrived.
Citing scripture from the Bible, the conservative Christian broadcaster said the latter days would be marked by "the birth pangs of a new order, and for anybody who knows what it's like to have a wife going in labour, you know how these labour pains begin to hit".
"What was called the Blessed Hope of the Bible is that one day Jesus Christ would come back again, start a whole new era, that this world order that we know would change into something that would be wonderful that we'd call the millennium," Robertson said.
"And before that good time comes there will be some difficult days and they will be likened to what a woman goes through in labour just before she brings forth a child."

I think it would be much easier if Jesus just appeared on a white cloud, rather than crushing schools full of children.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Then you see photos of piles of rubble and you see no steel girders or rebar, and realize these buildings were essentially bricks or cinderblocks piled on top of each other and held together with concrete. Just waiting for the next earthquake to hit.

Welcome to Libertobia! Yes sir, we don't need no stinking building codes!

 

[peptoabysmal]

Aid arrives as death toll nears 40,000

This is getting worse by the day. We've got to ante up at least as much as for the tsunami or the hurricanes. Interesting to see that Kuwait has offered $100m

 

[Ladewig]

Aside from my shock and horror, I couldn't help but wonder if people are starting to feel "charity-fatigue."

What I mean is that many of us are moved to compassion and finanical or physical aid when these disasters happen, but there have been so many lately, and of such horrific magnitude, I wonder if people are (silently) saying "enough already! I'm just 'given' out!" And if so, what happens then? Kinda scary, really, when I think about it.

I agree. I sometimes think about the San Andreas fault in California and the New Madrid fault in the U.S. midwest and wonder what the response would be if one of those produced a 7 or 8 in the next few months.

 

[BPSCG]

We've got to ante up at least as much as for the tsunami or the hurricanes.

Emphasis mine.

The low estimates are that our hurricanes are going to cost us a quarter-trillion. Are you suggesting we should pony up that much for Pakistan, too?

 

[Regnad Kcin]

Prominent US preacher Pat Robertson said today recent natural disasters around the world point to the end of the world and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

"These things are starting to hit with amazing regularity," Robertson told CNN, remarking on the coincidence of a major earthquake that killed thousands in Asia yesterday and recent killer hurricanes slamming the United States.

These disasters came less than a year after a massive tsuanami levelled huge portions of South Asia, killing more than 31,000 people and leaving about a million homeless.

Devout Christians believe that the "last days" will be marked by political and geological upheaval, and Robertson said recent events show that those days might have arrived.

Citing scripture from the Bible, the conservative Christian broadcaster said the latter days would be marked by "the birth pangs of a new order, and for anybody who knows what it's like to have a wife going in labour, you know how these labour pains begin to hit".

"What was called the Blessed Hope of the Bible is that one day Jesus Christ would come back again, start a whole new era, that this world order that we know would change into something that would be wonderful that we'd call the millennium," Robertson said.

"And before that good time comes there will be some difficult days and they will be likened to what a woman goes through in labour just before she brings forth a child."

Translation: "Send me your money."

 

[slingblade]

Here comes Pat.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world...o-second-coming/2005/10/10/1128796443827.html

I think it would be much easier if Jesus just appeared on a white cloud, rather than crushing schools full of children.

Y'know, that's pretty much whose big mouth I expected would fall open within seconds of the news, just so he could let chit like that fall out of it.

Marion Zimmer Bradley put it best for me in Firebrand when she said, to paraphrase, "if God can't, then he isn't a God. And if God can, but won't, what kind of god is he?"

Dear ID proponents: this is a pretty piss-poor system the "Designer" set up here, seeing as how hundreds of thousands are slain by it each year. You'd think an intelligent design wouldn't be quite so lethal, wouldn't you?

[/rant]

 

[slingblade]

I agree. I sometimes think about the San Andreas fault in California and the New Madrid fault in the U.S. midwest and wonder what the response would be if one of those produced a 7 or 8 in the next few months.

You really made me shudder, and not in the good way, when you brought up New Madrid. If that lets go any time soon, kiss the southern U.S., just for starters, goodbye at this point. Never mind the other damage it will do.

And let's give it up for the Juan de Fuca plate and the Cascades, and their patient sidekick, the Yellowstone Super Volcano.

 

[peptoabysmal]

Emphasis mine.
The low estimates are that our hurricanes are going to cost us a quarter-trillion. Are you suggesting we should pony up that much for Pakistan, too?

I should clarify that. I didn't mean the the US or any other government could or should exclusively come up with that much for Pakistan, I meant collectively as in some from this country, some from that country and some from private donations. The flood hadn't even subsided in Louisiana when there were telethons and concerts for hurricane relief.

 

[BPSCG]

I should clarify that. I didn't mean the the US or any other government could or should exclusively come up with that much for Pakistan, I meant collectively as in some from this country, some from that country and some from private donations. The flood hadn't even subsided in Louisiana when there were telethons and concerts for hurricane relief.

Maybe we should send them a whole lot of rebar, instead, with instructions how to use it.