Deaths exceed 54,000 in Kashmir region earthquake

[Demon Hunter]

Just heard the statistic on the news. Hard to put into perspective, really.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/10/17/quake.asia/index.html

And it's not even in the top CNN stories. That's really sad. Meanwhile Katrina stays on the radar for months.

 

[watcher2001]

Just heard the statistic on the news. Hard to put into perspective, really.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/10/17/quake.asia/index.html

And it's not even in the top CNN stories. That's really sad. Meanwhile Katrina stays on the radar for months.

I remember right after the hurricane people at work were saying there would be 30K dead due to Katrina. In all actuality a bit over 1000. I would not be surprised if the death toll due to this quake does not top 80K

 

[Demon Hunter]

I remember right after the hurricane people at work were saying there would be 30K dead due to Katrina. In all actuality a bit over 1000. I would not be surprised if the death toll due to this quake does not top 80K

I hope so. They said 9/11 would be ten thousand, but we got lucky.

 

[vouder17]

Yeah it is really sad, that such a huge disaster isn't even recognized!! This death toll is 50 times higher than that of Katrinas!!!!!!!! Yet people dont care cos it isnt in the Western World.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Could someone please tell me why the Pakistani and Indian governments have been spending billions of dollars on armaments and nuclear weapon technology over the past twenty-five years instead of improving the infrastructure and quality of housing for their citizens?

This disaster in terms of human casualties could have been avoided. These are known earthquake zones -- contingency plans and funds could have been set aside...

Poor people.

 

[wordmunger]

Could someone please tell me why the Pakistani and Indian governments have been spending billions of dollars on armaments and nuclear weapon technology over the past twenty-five years instead of improving the infrastructure and quality of housing for their citizens?

This disaster in terms of human casualties could have been avoided. These are known earthquake zones -- contingency plans and funds could have been set aside...

Poor people.

These governments wouldn't be in power if it weren't for the military. A hypothetical, more peaceful government would soon be overthrown. Such is the way of power. Sad, but true.

 

[MacRy]

Yeah it is really sad, that such a huge disaster isn't even recognized!! This death toll is 50 times higher than that of Katrinas!!!!!!!! Yet people dont care cos it isnt in the Western World.

The earthquake thread petered out after only 35 responses which I think is incredibly sad considering some really pointless threads ramble on for pages and pages. Let me just have a look to see what we could do without that has garnered more interest than the deaths of fifty thousand plus people......

The [URL=https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/153070/]Tom Cruise and Katie Expecting a baby thread went on for a page more.

The Just took my son for his first visit to Hooters thread has been going on for six pages now.

The Rain rain go away thread is on it's fourth page......it's a thread.....ABOUT IT RAINING FOR PETE'S SAKE!!

Ok I think you get the idea. Lots of people have lost their lives but some people have more interest in Tom Cruise's offspring, Hooters and the weather. What a sad state of affairs.

 

[emw]

The earthquake thread petered out after only 35 responses which I think is incredibly sad considering some really pointless threads ramble on for pages and pages. Let me just have a look to see what we could do without that has garnered more interest than the deaths of fifty thousand plus people......

<snip>

Ok I think you get the idea. Lots of people have lost their lives but some people have more interest in Tom Cruise's offspring, Hooters and the weather. What a sad state of affairs.

I don't think it's so much a lack of interest, but a lack of knowing what to say, at least on my part. I have a difficult time trying to put 54,000 deaths into perspective - it's so appalling and depressing and aggravating all at the same time.

Those threads you mention go on and on because people attempt to be humorous or feign indifference or whatever. These threads go cold because people have trouble putting into words their thoughts on this tragedy; that is at least part of the problem for me. You can't be glib in a thread like this, which is how most other threads survive.

Also, Katrina threads ran longer here because members were affected. To the best of my knowledge, no members have posted here about the devastation of their homes or families. Katrina became personal for many of us.

 

[emw]

Could someone please tell me why the Pakistani and Indian governments have been spending billions of dollars on armaments and nuclear weapon technology over the past twenty-five years instead of improving the infrastructure and quality of housing for their citizens?.

Rephrased, could someone please tell me why almost every government in the world is spending orders of magnitude more on armaments than on funding for improving the lives of their citizens?

That being said, I was recently in India. I was horrified by the conditions, yet was told that they were significantly better than they were 10 years ago. Mostly due to the funds streaming in from outsourcing, rather than government spending, however.

 

[MacRy]

I don't think it's so much a lack of interest, but a lack of knowing what to say, at least on my part. I have a difficult time trying to put 54,000 deaths into perspective - it's so appalling and depressing and aggravating all at the same time.

Those threads you mention go on and on because people attempt to be humorous or feign indifference or whatever. These threads go cold because people have trouble putting into words their thoughts on this tragedy; that is at least part of the problem for me. You can't be glib in a thread like this, which is how most other threads survive.

Also, Katrina threads ran longer here because members were affected. To the best of my knowledge, no members have posted here about the devastation of their homes or families. Katrina became personal for many of us.

I agree with what you say but it doesn't take much to post a simple sympathy message expressing your sorrow. It didn't affect me or my family but my thoughts are still with all of the poor buggers who it has and I want to offer my condolences to anyone who it has touched. I just feel that sometimes a little perspective is in order.

 

[MacRy]

Rephrased, could someone please tell me why almost every government in the world is spending orders of magnitude more on armaments than on funding for improving the lives of their citizens?

Indeed! An appalling waste of money and resources. Bringing only death and destruction.....oh and peace apparently....hmmm.

 

[Don't panic]

I agree with what you say but it doesn't take much to post a simple sympathy message expressing your sorrow. It didn't affect me or my family but my thoughts are still with all of the poor buggers who it has and I want to offer my condolences to anyone who it has touched. I just feel that sometimes a little perspective is in order.

I agree, but that's not really how forums work, is it? the longest threads (in the community area) are typically on funnish/pointless things that people can easily relate to without too much thinking, on personal issues or on general issues that people feel strong and can 'argue' about (typicallly these end up in the political area).

a disaster of these proportions, well, there is little to argue, it has not been particularly controversial and there is no one really to blame.
the discussions on katrina were mostly fueled by the controversy on the response (or lack thereof), responsibilities, poor planning.

And for sure the remoteness of the area didn't help, making it harder for the media to get good coverage and "good stories". the minimal media coverage is probably the worst aspect of this.

as an individual, there is not that much we can do, other than maybe donate something, as many of us did.

for that, I recommend doctors without borders, they are truly independent, without any underlying agenda and always on the frontlines