18,000 dead in earthquake ...

[welshTerrier2]

i suppose it's only natural for Americans and their news agencies to pay far more attention to domestic issues than foreign issues ... but still i sometimes wonder whether we are a bit too self-absorbed ...

18,000 people, so far, have lost their lives in yesterday's earthquake in Pakistan ... the scale of this tragedy truly boggles the mind ...

source: http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-10-09T043948Z_01_MOL817643_RTRUKOC_0_US-QUAKE-SUBCONTINENT.xml

The death toll from a huge south Asia earthquake rose to 18,000 in worst-hit Pakistan alone on Sunday, as rescuers dug out hundreds of dead children buried under their schools and found villages reduced to rubble.

Teams laboured with cranes and earth-moving equipment or used their bare hands in hopes of finding survivors trapped beneath shattered masonry from Saturday's quake.

Striking out from the forest clad mountains of Pakistani Kashmir near the border with India, the quake was the strongest to hit south Asia in a century. <skip>

Damage in Pakistani Kashmir's main city, Muzaffarabad, was believed to be severe. "Indications are that almost 50 percent of the homes have been destroyed," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told BBC World television, referring to Muzaffarabad and neighbouring towns. <skip>

President George W. Bush said U.S. aid was on the way and Britain said it was sending search and rescue experts, sniffer dogs and aid workers.

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan sent condolences to Pakistan, and a U.N. Disaster and Coordination Team in Geneva was on standby to be deployed. Oxfam and other aid agencies planned to coordinate their response with the United Nations.

[melody]

1. We've had considerable coverage on our local and national news

I just watched an extensive piece on rescue efforts and the deployment of a California rescue team.

But when there's a fire in your backyard, you tend to pay a little more attention to that than your distant neighbor's house collapsing.

Everyone cares. If we're discussing something else right now, it doesn't mean we're ignoring the extent of that tragedy. We're responsible for the clean-up here, however.

[welshTerrier2]

3. it's not that it won't be covered ...

TV loves all the collapsed building pictures ... and they love to show people grieving ... but instead of teaching us about foreign cultures and building America's support to provide aid, the MSM does little more than exploit sensationalism to boost ratings ...

Americans are cut-off from the rest of the world in an unhealthy way ... the stories will quickly disappear from America's front pages ... while we will talk about the rebuilding of New Orleans for at least a few months, the earthquake in Pakistan will likely be gone in a day or two ...

as an example, notice how you haven't heard a word about the rebuilding in Indonesia after the tsunami tragedy ...

[melody]

5. The MSM is never about that...anywhere

The one exception is the BBC which is a model news service, but it is very much alone in a world of market-driven media.

I agree America is cut-off from the rest of the world, but that's due to their terror we'll all figure out we have stuff in common in other countries where they treat people a lot better than they do here. :)

But most people I know do care and are aware.

There has been a bit of coverage on the Indonesia recovery, but it's only natural we would be more focused on what is happening in the wake of Katrina.

[Maat]

2. Truthfully, I hadn't realized the death toll was so high ..

so sad. So incredible.

[roguevalley]

4. this is so awful. So terribly awful. My condolences to them and theirs

and the members of this board from Pakistan and India too.

[calmblueocean]

6. Seems like so many catastrophes are happening lately...

Tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, mudslides... so much needs to be done throughout the world. So many people need help. It seems like as soon as we start to get a handle on the aftermath of one disaster, the next one is already on its way.

18,000 people is a terrible loss. My heart goes out to them. I can't imagine what they're going through. I hope this is the last major disaster we have for quite some time.

[pop goes the weasel]

7. I remember the Bam earthquake

and the US promise of significant aid for rebuilding. That promised aid stopped coming as soon as the news crews left.

We could really do some good for Pakistan were we to go all out in helping in this crisis. It could even be our excuse to get out of Iraq, that we need to divert resources to Pakistan.

[thecrow]

8. Bush said U.S. aid was on the way

WHAT?!!!!? ON THE SAME DAY?????
Too bad about he handled NOLA

[win_in_06]

11. It was on the way then too

just took too long to get there. Will it take too long this time?

[Contrary1]

9. I find it ironic

that they have an estimation of the death toll so soon after the earthquake hit. Here we sit, some 6 weeks after
the worst natural disaster ever to hit the US, and we still have no idea of the total dead from hurricane Katrina.

My heart goes out to all those who have lost so much in these last few weeks.

[AAARRRGGGHHH]

10. Dear God

'We' won't give a crap about this, will we?

My prayers are theirs.

[Roland99]

12. At least 20,000 (official says 30,000 dead in Kashmir alone)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051009/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_quake

:(