36 replies to this topic

[Walter]

Asia is too far and too foreign for your average American to care.

I don't think that's true at all.

[Dejah]

This is all so very sad, I feel horriable for all the people who have lost everything including their families..one scary part I just got done reading is that even though they have the threats of disease, hunger and homelessness this article noted that the flooding has uprooted land mines in Sri Lanka — torn for years by a civil war — threatening to kill or maim aid workers and survivors attempting to return to what's left of their homes. :dltears:

[drbill]

Living through a record daily rainfall in LA yesterday, I can say that our woes amount to nothing compared to those in the tsunami-raged areas. However, it is local news, immediate and relevant to those in LA so it may make a more "important" story here.

I have only heard from one set of friends in Thailand so far- a Thai couple who run a small travel agency in Krabi (southern Thailand). Fortunately they, and their friends at whose "resort" on Koh Lanta I stayed a few years ago, were OK. Haven't heard from my friends in Phi Phi or elsewhere in Thailand yet.

Dr. Bill

[AliKat]

Asia is too far and too foreign for your average American to care.

I don't think that's true at all.

Anyone who thinks that needs to come to US Pacific Command HQ in Hawaii. Our Joint Operations Center has been stood up 24/7 since 0600 Monday morning, just to work the disaster relief and humanitarian assistance efforts. There is a lot of US military effort going into this.

[WreckWench]

Thank you Alikat and Brad for the real inside scoop and more importantly for being part of our proud and first class military! You guys and gals make me proud to be an American. And I'm proud that we do lend help and give aid despite very little appreciation from the recipients at times.

[ScubaHawk]

ooops, I had a feeling I would need to clarify. :lam: I'm in Iowa surrounded by non-divers. Your average American doesn't live in the Pacific, or travel around the globe diving. The news coverage and conversations you hear on the coast at a dive shop are going to be totally different than the converations you see on a Kansas City television station hanging out in a garage. I would bet that divers tend to be better informed, more intelligent and more world traveled than your "average American" Pull up news papers from areas without a vested intrest in Asia/African and compare the stories. (I did a major thesis on this for an Anth class)
I didn't mean to imply that anyone specifically doesn't care - espeically on Single Divers where that is proven wrong daily! Or to imply that anyone shouldn't care. I've been doing my part to do what I can and I think everyone should. All I was doing was expressing an educated opinion about the euro-centric American attitude.

P.S. I'll be glad to have this discussion over a few drinks with anyone in Cozy - Heck I'll buy the first couple rounds.

[peterbj7]

I'm glad to see that aid from the UK has now risen to $25m, which with the smaller population compares well with the US. But I'm quite surprised that the British prime minister hasn't deemed it appropriate to cut short his holiday (at the dive resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh, no less) and return to London. Maybe he doesn't need to, but it doesn't send a very positive message.

But all we must care for is that water purifiers and food get to the millions affected within a day or two, together with doctors and medicines to stave off the disease which is about to strike. I still think the key to this is helicopters, and I was glad to see somewhere of 25 US military helicopters being taken in.

We mustn't forget how poor some of these countries are. The president of the Maldives, whose country was at one point totally submerged, has said that the cost of helping his country is greater than their whole GNP. They can't help themselves. We rich westerners who love to go to their countries and enjoy the diving there, and the low prices we usually enjoy, must be prepared individually to pay to help these desperate people.

I'm not interested in nationalist sentiments, whichever side they come from. Just effective action, in time to be of use. I fear that so far we've only seen a small fraction of the deaths that will come from this tragedy.