East Asian Earthquake (2 Viewers)

[superbird]

Australia has just pledged $35 million in aid, which is equal to the United States initial pledge.

 

[azzie]

news = entertainment?
i think thats very wrong... they should be showing some respect not profiteering from such a horrible situation.

 

[mmm_sofay]

i read in the paper this morning that the death toll is expected to reach over 500,000?

and now there is some disease going around as there are rotting corpses laying everywhere and people will get sick.

i dont know why im writing this, its such bad news.

 

[dave_119]

My brother was watching news coverage of the tsunamis and commented that they just look like King Tides and he couldn't see how they caused so much carnage. I guess we have Hollywood to blame for that - every time a tsunami is shown it's the height of a skyscraper.

And the American networks are being rather tactless, showing shots of beaches covered with hundreds, if not thousands, of bodies. They were very careful not to show anything like that on September 11, but now that it's someone else's problem they'll show whatever they want.

its amatuer video.... the 1st wave usually equals to around 10m - 20m, depending on the gradient of the sandbank.... the wave generally gets smaller, however increase in velocity.. therefore the damage is sustainable

 

[braindrainedAsh]

Now the confirmed death total is something like 87000 according to Sky UK.... it's just horrible.

It makes you wonder if maybe instead of creating wars on terror and human conflict that we should be thinking more about taking care of our environment and living in harmony with the natural world... because it can cause more havoc than Al Quaeda ever could.

 

[Armani]

May God have mercy on their souls.

 

[johnson]

Now the confirmed death total is something like 87000 according to Sky UK.... it's just horrible.

It makes you wonder if maybe instead of creating wars on terror and human conflict that we should be thinking more about taking care of our environment and living in harmony with the natural world... because it can cause more havoc than Al Quaeda ever could.

i completely agree with you about the environmental issue- we are raping our planet to no end. but this disaster is actually an effect of mother nature, not so much by humans.

but yes in that sense we should respect nature more, and realise how fragile and yet at the same time how destructive our planet can be.

 

[White Rabbit]

The death toll will keep on rising, and if they don't get decent aid anytime soon, then it will skyrocket with due to diease. They have raw sewrage in their drinking water now, so needless to say, the entire region is in desperate need of international aid.

As for leaving, if I could help, I'd stay. If I had younger kids I was responsable for, then I'd leave. It would depend on circumstances, I guess.

 

[Rafy]

In a letter to the SMH in todays paper....sums up one of my feelings about this.


Almost 3000 people died as a results of events in the United States on September 11, 2001, and our Government was willing to spend billions to do something about it - even go to war, and not ask any embarrassing questions about the evidence for or legality of doing so.

Tens of thousands of Asians die and all our Government can spare to help them is $10 million.

I guess it makes sense. We all know an American's life is worth millions but Asians' lives are worth only a few hundred. I'm surprised there's even a body count. Dead Iraqis don't get counted.

Gordon Drennan, Burton (SA), December 28.

 

[braindrainedAsh]

That letter sums up this situation entirely. Did anyone hear/read Alexander Downer's statement on this situation? he sounded like a pretentious prick and made it sound like Australia was being Asia's hero because we are a wealthier country. Nothing compassionate. He was just concerned about how our aid was going to improve our profile in the Asia Pacific as a friendly country..... utter bullshit.

 

[hiphophorray123]

im pissed off at the fact that the other countires (eg america) aren't helping as much as they can

 

[Not-That-Bright]

He was trying to sell the reason why we would give so much aid to them to people that may disagree with this ammount of money being spent when nothings perfect over here.

Anyway...
Australia's Contribution $35,000,000
America's Contribution $45,000,000

 

[Rafy]

I look at those two totals, and then look at the difference in the size of our GDP and population.......hmmmm.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

That's what i'm saying... even if it seems like australia has some alteria motive (not necessarily a bad one)... i think we're having a pretty good effort and i just know that the private donations from australians will be huge.

 

[dave_119]

u ppl r crazy.. when anything goes wrong all u do is turn 2 politics and see who is to blame, kyoto protocol, whinge, 9/11 whinge....

if i was aus, usa i would be wary on how much money we give to countries in foreign aid, how dont we no that it wont end up in the wrong hands... e.g. we're giving money to indonesia, what about J.I... they could get their hands on the money, as they have stolen from the Indonesia government before

STOP TURNING EVERYTHING INTO A POLITICAL DEBATE...

 

[Rafy]

HAve a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake#Casualty_summary

Its a brilliant site about this event and summarises all the details

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Actually the american news networks were showing people jumping from the buildings and such.

I do find it interesting that whenever anything bad happens people look to somehow blame america while also asking for their help.
One day maybe america won't be the superpower that can help us out and we'll be having to ask communist china to send us aid.

 

[yenta]

The news on TV pisses me off so much...they focus mainly on Thailand and the first thing they say is "10 australians are now dead" as if that is more important than 70 000 Asians dying. Ffs...Africa doesnt get a mention...India and Sri Lanka (where the majority of casualties occured) gets a bit but Thailand has priority even though 1500 people died there, compared to the tens of thousands killed elsewhere. But of course Thailand is most important because it's the only place where any Aussies were. It mind sound harsh but I seriously don't care that 10 aussies died, I'm more concerned about the 70 000, obviously the media aren't.

 

[mizz_smee]

havent there been australian casualties in sri lanka to?
i was listening to the news last night and they we saying some shit
about how australia will donate money to the sri lankans because of cricket
i was thinking every thought we could just be decent human beings
and help every country that was effected?
but yes i have noticed that they focus mainly around thailand

 

[doggogo8]

Such a scary earthquake , i hope it doesn't happen in taiwan or japan.
The economy will crumble down!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, will it happen in Sydney , that'll be horrible...........