Just heard about the tidal wave!

“I think this is the ideal place to discuss the response of countries to the humanitarian disaster. The amounts spent on disaster aid compared to other priorities is worth pondering.”

“now is not the time BM”

“I'm sorry. I really don't give a rats ass about the animals. The human toll will surpass 100K with maybe another 30-40K due to disease. Not going to lose mass amounts of animals to disease.

Sorry if I'm being too harsh but I wonder if we can really contemplate the human horror?”

“Yes, the human lose of life is beyond belief, but animals are God's creatures too and also suffer and struggle for life in this situation. If a person survived but lost their pets, I'm sure they would be very unhappy. It's just one more tragedy.”

“lh - I'm thinking these people, the ones rich enough to have pets in this part of the world, think a little differently than us and rarely consider a pet "one of the family".

In Sri Lanka @45% of the population makes $2 dollars/day and 25% are under the official "poverty line".
last edited: 12/29/04 3:12:01 PM”

“I am soory but BM were you or were you not the same person just last week (i think) that posted a thread about losing an animal and it was upsetting to you?


I for one do give a ratsass about the animals.”

“Bear, perhaps you are right.

On a side note, I bet there are some Americans that have working pets, like guard dogs or herders, and don't have a "pet" kind of feeling for them.”

“Overdevelopment is starving the coral reefs of sunlight and smothering the surface in pollutants: the destruction of the reef is a micro-example of the problems occuring on a massive scale, with the finger being pointed in the direction of tourism.......

And now with all this crap in the water from the overdevelopment, it just may be over from the coral ecosystem.”

“this is a nightmare. this is the time for the American people to show their generosity.”

“I said 100K the minute I heard the news. This area is so populated and with all the disease that will figure in after, it will hit and eclipse this number.

more like 125K”

“jmitch, I wonder what the world's view is of our offering aid. It's what we always do, and I wonder if it's expected and not considered generosity.”

“I'm more and more blown away by the scope of this thing. I'm not ready to say much more than that. I feel for all those people looking for lost loved ones, and all those whose lives were lost or disrupted - it's staggering.”

“ped, what you are saying is true. I was getting side tracked. Watching loved ones get washed away or torn from your arms, it's inconcievable. How will you survive the aftermath. The not knowing, did your loved ones make it, how will you live day to day, how will you rebuild your life from nothing.

Doesn't India have a class system? Will EVERYONE that needs help get it? I sure hope other countries get involved in giving out medicine, clothes, blankets etc. if India discriminates against it's own, even in a time of tragedy.”

“Honestly, what money do we have to give to anyone?

Our personal and governmental debt is massive.

Strategically, we should spend billions and billions on this thing. This is a strategically important area in the war on terrorism.

But we've made decisions in the past that leave us with little room to give on a massive scale.

The real question is what we'd like to give up to save lives in Asia. Do we want to give up saving social security to send money there? Do we want to take away small business loans or student aid to send money there? Do we keep tax cuts temporary? Or do we just take money out of our kids' pockets?

Our ability to help is also diminished because we've slammed down on international institutions for quite a while. We don't fund them. We don't work with them. Then, we snap our fingers after a disaster and expect to solve the problems?

International organizations with an active American presence could/could have save(d) thousands of lives there. We used to do that sort of thing.”

“BTW, I've also heard/read that there are hundreds of missing Americans. I heard on CNN that there are like 1,500 hundred Swedes missing.

More Americans died because of tsunamis in 2004 than because of terrorism.”

“CNN is saying that thousands of Americans are unaccounted for.”

“really? I've been driving all day. This is just the worst thing ever. What is the deadliest day in American history? Wasn't it in the Battle of Antietam?”

“hmmmm... As the thread takes a somewhat nasty political turn, lets think about how much was spent on political campaigns this past year, just presidential alone? That could run a small country I'm sure.”

“liz, yep, it's amazing what's spent on running for president. With Kerry's leftover cash, he gave about $200,000.00 to help the democrat running for govenor here do a recount, since she lost my a small margin and had to pay for the recount. There goes $200,000.00 like it was nothing. Couldn't he find a worthwhile charity? I guess money is nothing to him since he is married to Theresa Heinz.”

“I'm watching Newsworld International on cable. I think they are more graphic, and you can find out more of what is going on. They are showing you piles and piles of bodies. Then there is the one man gently burying a tiny child in a hole he dug.

Hubby says as the water went out, which is what it does during a tsunami, it goes out to sea, people went closer to see it, then it came rushing back in to kill them.”

“I just read the CNN report. 3,000 or 4,000 Americans are missing. Let's pray that most are just out of contact.

But, it seems likely that hundreds of Americans died or are dying.

It happened Saturday. But it took until this morning - FOUR DAYS - for the president to get in front of a camera and give his respects.

Where was Bush?”

“reformed, from what Bush said on tv, he was gathering countries together to make a united humanitarian effort. He didn't cause the tsumani. He doesn't have to go on tv immediately to respond to it. He's busy trying to help. He must be scrambling to get funds okayed and people deployed with goods, and medicine to help. It's best he does that then waste time on tv. I personally don't need to see him on tv telling me that it's a tragedy; we all know it is.”

“The war on terror is as much a multimedia war as it is anything else. That's why we hear so much about al-jazeera.

The areas hit are heavily Muslim. This was an opportunity to show American concern for Muslims. Remember how Great Britain played the US national anthem at the changing of the guard after 911? Remember how the German Navy did a midsea salute to an American warship after 911? These showed solidarity and it helped.

Administration people make phone calls, disburse funds, dig trenches. A leader communicates. Bush needs to communicate concern to the world.”

“I think every govt' in every rich country should just raise the income tax by 2%....and that 2% should be given to those countries that suffered this disaster. Next year, drop the 2%. I don't think anyone will b!tch about 2% for this cause.”

“The death toll has just been raised to 116,000.

To add salt to the wound, there is some panic there now as the word of the possibility of another tsunami spreads...

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/30/india.warning/index.html
last edited: 12/30/04 7:57:18 AM”

“I sure hope they don't get another one. The death toll already is staggering. There will be many years of healing”

“Now, I read a conflicting report that says the possibility of another tsunami is a false alarm. They don't need news that's "blown out of proportion" over there. That's for sure. Let's hope that they don't experience any further tragedy so they can deal with the devastation already at hand...
last edited: 12/30/04 8:10:39 AM”

“No matter the amount of cash tossed around it will not be enough. I do seem to remember reading that in addition to the cash outlay the US will be sending a lot on aid in the form of material goods and manpower (I wonder where there are going to find even more NG troops?) in addition to the money.

The human misery is soul numbing

The real goulish side of this is that historicly there will be an short to mid range economic boom in the area due to all the investment and the natural fact that when you rebuild things they will be rebuilt better than they were.

Oh and Nimrod, we had several reefs here in Florida that were in trouble before the hurricanes due to pollution but the storms swept them clean. The key now is to keep it (the pollution) from happening again. I wonder if a similar scenario will happen in the IO.”

“HPM, it wouldn't have to be National Guard..

I'm sure it won't be long before someone organizes civilians to go help with rebuilding and cleanup”

“I have heard conflicting reports of the death toll this morning. CNN says 115, other sources say 87.

Truth is, they will never be able to get an exact count. Whole families were lost. If a family member was left alive, they will post the members they are looking for.

Suitable drinking water has already run out in most places effected. People are now drinking sewage water. Thousands more will die from drinking poluted water and disease.

God be with them.”

“Anybody know someone in the water filter business? Maybe someone like PUR could donate a couple crates of water filters”

“IJ the National Guard was mentioned as the source of manpower in the news report I heard.”

“I heard there were up to 3000 americans unaccounted for...

I heard one story with several eye witnesses that said an elephant came down to the beach right before the waves hit and picked some children up...taking them to safty.”

“India has a caste system not class.”

“There are lots of relief organizations accepting donations. Doctors Without Borders is my favorite: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org.”

“I am soory but BM were you or were you not the same person just last week (i think) that posted a thread about losing an animal and it was upsetting to you?


I for one do give a ratsass about the animals.”
mapleleaf
4:18:53 PM
12/29/04

Interesting, no? In the face of massive human suffering, however, my compassion turns completely to humans. These people have lost multiple family members and all there possessions. Disease will take more. They don't have a "Piece of the Rock" and they don't have Blue Cross. This will be felt for generations.

If they don't get enough supplies to these people then the surviving pets will probably end up as the main course.”

“People first, animals second. Every time.”

“I think we are all on the same page here. But, it obviously goes against the grain for Maple to leave the lower creatures out of the equation when making blanket statements. That aside, I read something to the effect of what Nowslimmer (I think it was him) said in an earlier post about the blatant absence of animal remains found in this disaster. The theory may be that the animals have a natural sense for this that humans don't have. As a result, they sensed the disaster beforehand and fled for higher ground, as the line of thinking goes. Interesting...”

“now estimated at more than 115,000”

“Yes. I do understand Mapes compassion and should lay off.

On another note, It's not so much a sixth sense but Highly attuned senses that have been dulled in us by whiskey, guns and pizza.

;)”

“Giant Waves Kill Few Animals in Sri Lanka
Could Wildlife Somehow Have Sensed the Impending Disaster?
By GEMUNU AMARASINGHE, AP

YALA NATIONAL PARK, Sri Lanka (Dec. 29) - Wildlife officials in Sri Lanka expressed surprise Wednesday that they found no evidence of large-scale animal deaths from the tsunamis - indicating that animals may have sensed the wave coming and fled to higher ground.


How to Help



Arko Datta, Reuters


Network for Good links you to organizations that are helping the disaster victims.
· Here's What You Can Do


An Associated Press photographer who flew over Sri Lanka's Yala National Park in an air force helicopter saw abundant wildlife, including elephants, buffalo, deer, and not a single animal corpse.

Floodwaters from Sunday's tsunami swept into the park, uprooting trees and toppling cars onto their roofs - one red car even ended up on top of a huge tree - but the animals apparently were not harmed and may have sought out high ground, said Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, whose Jetwing Eco Holidays ran a hotel in the park.

"This is very interesting. I am finding bodies of humans, but I have yet to see a dead animal," said Wijeyeratne, whose hotel in the park was destroyed.

"Maybe what we think is true, that animals have a sixth sense," Wijeyeratne said.

Yala, Sri Lanka's largest wildlife reserve, is home to 200 Asian Elephants, crocodile, wild boar, water buffalo and gray langur monkeys. The park also has Asia's highest concentration of leopards. The Yala reserve covers 391 square miles, but only 56 square miles are open to tourists.

The human death toll in Sri Lanka surpassed 21,000. Forty foreigners were among 200 people in Yala who were killed.


12/29/04 10:37 EST”

“Relief organizations arriving in Asia's tsunami-hit areas to bring in much-needed food and medical supplies say the needs are even greater than at first thought.

Up to five million people in the region lack access to the basic supplies they need to stay alive, the World Health Organization says

...Aid workers entering isolated areas are finding towns and villages destroyed, countless people hunting water and food -- many of whom have not eaten since the tsunami hit on Sunday."

"It will take maybe 48 to 72 hours more to be able to respond to the tens of thousands of people who would like to have assistance today -- or yesterday, rather," UN emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland acknowledged.

'I believe the frustration will be growing in the days and the weeks ahead.'

In Banda Aceh, Indonesia, fights broke out Thursday over noodle packets dropped from military vehicles.

Still, in many places, the aid is trickling in. A navy flotilla carrying 175 tonnes of rice and 100 doctors is on its way to Sumatra's western coast, Indonesia's military said.

In Sri Lanka, four relief planes arrived in the capital of Colombo carrying doctors, medicine and a water purification plant from Germany, the Red Cross said."

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1104415795515_99824995?hub=World”

“I heard that place was never going to be the same. One expert even said it was all washed up.”

“nice troll you have there.
feel better? funny thing is, I know who you are. god get a real job and a real life.”

“Tell me!”

“Tell me too! No wait, don't tell me! I'm Twinkletoes right?”

“Death toll over 120,000 now!”

“I posted earlier that I thought my Company was being unusually quite. Here's a small snippet of an email just recieved:

"At this time, we believe that the current high level of spontaneous giving does not appear to warrant the need for a formal fundraising campaign, although we will continue to work with the many kind offers of assistance from our media and philanthropic partners."

Wow. I haven't been here long but it's a first.”

“I read that Thailand chose not to warn people because if it turned out to be a false alarm, it would hurt the tourism industry.”

“The news said there was another tsunami warning (false) and they showed people running for their lives.

Does anyone know how long it took from the time the earthquake hit and then for the tsunami to reach land? Animals probably already start to flee at the beginning of the quake. How many animals would be at the coast anyway? Most animals like fresh water.

In WA, we have equipment in the ocean that can warn us of tsunamis.”