haiti earthquake.

[koalabear]

As usual, nothing to add, just pot shots from the Little Bear.

For the little man.

 

[RojUpNorth]

It was a magnitude 7 quake.. I doubt even the sturdiest of buildings would withstand that.

Think about the widespread devastation in California (san Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Oakland) during the World Series quake of 1989. Double decker freeway collapses.. Homes and businesses collapsed.. etc.

Perhaps, but a lot of that was liquefaction. Nevertheless, I don't see the Dominicans busing their tails to go give any help to their neighbors. They look down on Haiti and hope they all would somehow just disappear so they can have the whole island to theirselves.

 

[butters]

That's the thing, though, Chippy. The people here that are doing so are so fucking sure of this never, ever happening to them (or any other natural, financial or physical malady-centered disaster that strips their humanity from their lives enough to make them dependent solely on the compassion of others) that their comfortable, secure, internet-powered entitlement gives them the right to make light of it.

You are seeing their real feelings about it. You never fake what's really inside your soul.

i can only hope you're wrong, in parts, zoomer. distance can make for a lack of empathy, that i understand (though for me it's always been hard not to empathise is a singularly useless fashion); i would like to believe that if some of these people were faced with the prospect of actually, physically, being able to help - clear debris, help the injured, succour the bereaved, get the infrastructure back in working condition - then i want to believe thy would and without much hesitation.

If caring about other people dying and doing what I can to help makes me a fool then I'll wear that badge proudly.

hello, fool. pleased to know you.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

Perhaps, but a lot of that was liquefaction. Nevertheless, I don't see the Dominicans busing their tails to go give any help to their neighbors. They look down on Haiti and hope they all would somehow just disappear so they can have the whole island to theirselves.

I know little to nothing about the interaction between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Nor do I think it matters much how they feel about each other. You can't force anyone to care about the death and suffering of others (as evidenced by the reaction of some here). You either care and want to help your fellow human beings, you don't care at all, or in some cases actively rejoice in their suffering. Personally, I can't imagine being a part of either of the last two groups.

as far as the quake damage, both were located near coastal terrain, both similar magnitudes, and from the reports coming out of haiti similar levels of damage. The casualty rate is much higher because, I would assume, of the density of the population in and around Port Au Prince. I heard estimates of over a million casualties..

 

[rosco rathbone]

Sooner or later, that's going to happen in LA.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

Sooner or later, that's going to happen in LA.

Sooner or later everyone in California will have to surf to Denver.

Props to Robin Williams..

 

[Wrong Element]

It was a magnitude 7 quake.. I doubt even the sturdiest of buildings would withstand that.

Think about the widespread devastation in California (san Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Oakland) during the World Series quake of 1989. Double decker freeway collapses.. Homes and businesses collapsed.. etc.

Not only that, the epicenter of the Loma Prieta quake (also a 7.0) was a good 50-75 miles from the Bay Area, where preventing earthquake damage is a fulltime obsession. The Haiti quake was almost directly underneath Port-au-Prince.

 

[RojUpNorth]

I know little to nothing about the interaction between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Nor do I think it matters much how they feel about each other. You can't force anyone to care about the death and suffering of others (as evidenced by the reaction of some here). You either care and want to help your fellow human beings, you don't care at all, or in some cases actively rejoice in their suffering. Personally, I can't imagine being a part of either of the last two groups.

as far as the quake damage, both were located near coastal terrain, both similar magnitudes, and from the reports coming out of haiti similar levels of damage. The caualty rate is much higher because, I would assume, of the density of the population in and around Port Au Prince. I heard estimates of over a million..

Look at it this way: if you lived in a duplex and a piece of space debree fell on the other side of the roof, you would do whatever you could afford to do to help out. Not because you are forced to do it but because it is the right thing to do.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

Not only that, the epicenter of the Loma Prieta quake (also a 7.0) was a good 50-75 miles from the Bay Area, where preventing earthquake damage is a fulltime obsession. The Haiti quake was almost directly underneath Port-au-Prince.

Exactly. I doubt that many cities could survive that sort of event without massive damage.

 

[Luk]

Sooner or later everyone in California will have to surf to Denver.

Props to Robin Williams..

I've told you all before, when the big one hits, you're all fucked and we'll be an island.

 

[trysail]

Sooner or later everyone in California will have to surf to Denver.

... and because of their stupidity, the rest of us should be coerced into saving them from the consequences of their choice?

 

[IrezumiKiss]

... and because of their stupidity, the rest of us should be coerced into saving them from the consequences of their choice?

What, the stupidity of choosing to live on Planet Earth?

 

[hogjack]

Sooner or later, that's going to happen in LA.

If the NFL has anything to say about it there will never be a significant earthquake there.

 

[KingOrfeo]

You know, there's an important moral to be learned from all this:

Earthquakes suck.

 

[English Lady]

It's sad, really, really sad. Horrific even.

And I find it disappointing that people rush in to say 'but it's not our problem'.
If everyone said that nobody would ever do anything for anyone else.

Thank goodness we don't all think like that.

 

[Wrong Element]

What, the stupidity of choosing to live on Planet Earth?

I notice many of the same people who routinely poke fun at the theories of climate change in here are now positing a link between poverty and geology.

 

[trysail]

I notice many of the same people who routinely poke fun at the theories of climate change in here are now positing a link between poverty and geology.

With logic like that, it's not a big surprise that you're prone to being suckered.

 

[BigGator5]

It's sad, really, really sad. Horrific even.

And I find it disappointing that people rush in to say 'but it's not our problem'.
If everyone said that nobody would ever do anything for anyone else.

Thank goodness we don't all think like that.

Then can you be the first one to go to Haiti and help?

 

[butters]

Then can you be the first one to go to Haiti and help?

no, she can't: britain is already sending volunteers out there - firefighters, paramedics, doctors, nurses, people from warehouses taking food/shelter ...

 

[Sean]

It's sad, really, really sad. Horrific even.

And I find it disappointing that people rush in to say 'but it's not our problem'.
If everyone said that nobody would ever do anything for anyone else.

Thank goodness we don't all think like that.

The most telling thing is that they see absolutely nothing wrong with that attitude.

 

[blunt_trauma]

Then can you be the first one to go to Haiti and help?

what a silly retort!
because what they really need is a bunch of unskilled nice people with good intentions?
there are experts with skills and networks. a small donation {to cover wages, gear and aid} will do a lot more good than my clumsy self turning up.

 

[BigGator5]

no, she can't:

I want to hear from her. If she don't want to volunteer over there, then her comment is just talk and means nothing.

 

[blunt_trauma]

I want to hear from her. If she don't want to volunteer over there, then her comment is just talk and means nothing.

twit.

 

[BigGator5]

what a silly retort!
because what they really need is a bunch of unskilled nice people with good intentions?
there are experts with skills and networks. a small donation {to cover wages, gear and aid} will do a lot more good than my clumsy self turning up.

Another easy answer. It's all fine and good to send a couple of bucks or some can food.

If she can pick up a shovel and dig, then she's skilled enough to help bury people.

 

[hogjack]

I want to hear from her. If she don't want to volunteer over there, then her comment is just talk and means nothing.

You're being mean.

To make up for it send me money. I'll make sure it gets to the Red Cross.