Giant Tsunami in Indian Ocean: 120000+ Dead

[QuikSanz]

@ cecilia,

Yes Ma'am, just getting tired of all the bashing.

Chris

[KennyR]

Bash, bash!

;-)

If it's any consolation I do know that the USA will donate a lot of money to this appeal, even though it's economy isn't particularly good at the moment (not a problem to the UK, who have donated approximately 100 million dollars so far). But these people need it now. They are going to die of starvation and disease and don't have any use for promises. America could donate more than the whole world put together, but less would be okay - it just needs to be done NOW.

[that_punk_guy]

U.S. ups tsunami aid from $35 million to $350 million

Actual details seem sketchy, though.

[Minion]

Well being a newly jobles bum I have managed to attack my fat by third world standards wallet and danate to the cause.
Have al of you.  I just hope the toll would stop 125,000 at last count.  It beggars belief

[Minion]

Well being a newly jobles bum I have managed to attack my fat by third world standards wallet and danate to the cause.
Have al of you.  I just hope the toll would stop 125,000 at last count.  It beggars belief

[Minion]

Yep and 17 billion to save iraq. :|

Disgusts me.  :-?

[Minion]

Well being a newly jobles bum I have managed to attack my fat by third world standards wallet and danate to the cause.
Have al of you.  I just hope the toll would stop 125,000 at last count.  It beggars belief

[T_Bone]

Minion wrote:
Yep and 17 billion to save iraq. :|

Disgusts me.  :-?

 :roll:

How much did we spend putting a footprint on the moon? Is it disgusting, even though it's not "instead" of the aid?

I don't see any connection.

[T_Bone]

Minion wrote:
Well being a newly jobles bum I have managed to attack my fat by third world standards wallet and danate to the cause.
Have al of you.  I just hope the toll would stop 125,000 at last count.  It beggars belief

We don't usually donate to any specific cause individually, but we did bite the bullet and cough up quite a bit this time... regrettably the amount was decided on impulse and will hurt me a bit next month. :/

[zudobug]

Lots of fresh information about the disaster and relief efforts in the area can be found on the following blog:

The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Blog

-zudo

[whabang]

It's a little lame to bash the U.S. for not supporting the victims with more money. After all, the general tone on this board, is that the U.S. should stop meddeling in other peoples' affairs. :-P


On a more serious note, I have to admit that I find this whole thing to be wierd. Right now 0,4‰ of Sweden's population is simply gone (not that many people, I know, but for example in a country like USA it would mean over 100 000)

[Wilse]

QuikSanz wrote:
@ Wilse,

Lets start with those who are throwing harpoons at us because "we're stingy"

Your original comment was that someone would try to blame it on global warming, which is what you were picked up on.
Your excuse for this ridiculous comment is now that someone accused your government of being 'stingy'?

I'm not seeing the connection.

150,000 people now dead. :-(

[Karlos]

Wilse wrote:

150,000 people now dead. :-(

Truly awful.

I think we all need to keep focused on doing what we can and not arguing for a change.

PS: First post since coming back - suffice to say I wish it were under happier circumstances.

For what it's worth, Happy New Year.

[asian1]

Hi
In Aceh, similar to Brazil, on certain month, the sea will surge slowly to the coastal area and create lagoons / lakes for several weeks. Because of global warming, the size of submerged area increase each year.
The rise of sea level may increase the damage from the Tsunami by increasing the size of disaster area.

Aceh really need good communication & wireless Internet (for aid distribution /coordination). The wireless can also be used for future schools in Aceh.

The military often use Aerostat / Baloon for rapid deployment of wireless telecommunication.

If Aceh can get project Capanina, perhaps this baloon can also be used for:
1. Tsunami early warning system by receiving signals from buoy / instruments at the sea.
2. Replacing BTS / damaged Cellphone network.
3. TV, radio transmission.
4. High speed internet for aid distribution / coordination.
5. Education in future schools.
6. Tele Medicine / major hospitals / medical specialist can support small regional hospitals.
7. Radar / Air Traffic regulator.

Is it possible to implement / buy Capanina from EU for Aceh / Srilanka?

http://www.capanina.org

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Wilse wrote:
150,000 people now dead. :-(

160k ppl dead
gosh let that body count stop (well, not the actual counting of the bodies, just, no more dead, please)
160k dead, that's too much, way too much
Governments should for once stop thinking about themselves and send some REAL help

[zudobug]

Karlos,

I think we all need to keep focused on doing what we can and not arguing for a change.

But what can we do? Where do we go from here? There is a very good Leader article in the New Statesman this week with some suggestions which are worth look at:

It would be wrong to belittle the generosity of many westerners - often those who, by the standards of their own societies, are hard up - and wrong, too, to deny that it may be more uplifting to give voluntarily than to be forced to contribute through taxation. Yet the hard truth is that, if we really wish to help developing countries, we have to do more than deny ourselves a few glasses of wine. We have to pay more for the goods we buy from those countries; allow them more favourable terms of trade; forgive them many billions of pounds in debt; permit them to manufacture and sell cheaper medicines; require multinationals to repatriate more of their profits; welcome economic migrants more warmly; pledge a fixed proportion of our national income in aid for years to come. All these are within the power of governments, rather than individuals, and all would have uncomfortable implications for western consumers, western jobs, western businesses, western financial institutions and western economies in general. Do Gordon Brown and Tony Blair really have the courage to propose and see through such a programme? And would people vote for them if they did?

Sorry for the big quote. I had trouble trimming that down and gave in.

If anything positive is to come from this terrible event it might be to prove that we who have been very fortunate to be born in rich countries (or be accepted residence in them) do care about our brothers and sisters in poor parts of the world and do want to reduce or even end their suffering, even if it means causing ourselves some inconvenience.

As I've already gone overboard, here's the final part of the article on the questions about how God could allow such a thing as the tsunami to happen:

These are the wrong questions, and atheists have no business wasting their time on them. It is far more pertinent to ask how human beings, particularly the more powerful and wealthy among us, can remain indifferent to a daily toll of poverty, disease and hunger that it is well within their means to end. The condition of Africa and much of Asia questions our humanity, not the divinity of a hypothetical God.

Amen to that.

-zudo