50,000

[Sonny Limatina]

Nobody I know is talking about the Haiti earthquake. It's a massive and soul-sapping disaster. That may be partially why--too big to comprehend or talk about--but I don't even sense that pall that sometimes accompanies such things (at least when they happen at "home," even if the scale is smaller).

How is it playing on TV? Top story? "In other news...?"

Is it going to be another Katrina, where if I ask someone a year from now what the date and death toll was, they'll get that dumb punched-between-the-eyes look?

 

[Byron In Exile]

Nobody I know is talking about the Haiti earthquake. It's a massive and soul-sapping disaster. That may be partially why--too big to comprehend or talk about--but I don't even sense that pall that sometimes accompanies such things (at least when they happen at "home," even if the scale is smaller).

How is it playing on TV? Top story? "In other news...?"

Is it going to be another Katrina, where if I ask someone a year from now what the date and death toll was, they'll get that dumb punched-between-the-eyes look?

US citizens have already texted more money toward the relief effort than has been pledged by the British government.

China has yet to weigh in. No doubt the support will be tremendous.

 

[Recidiva]

Well, it's not about me. I made a donation and I grieve and I watch the news.

I won't remember the date. I won't remember the date or death toll of Katrina either. I remember members of my family lost their lives and homes.

Statistics really isn't the way to memorialize this or judge others by their involvement.

 

[Sonny Limatina]

US citizens have already texted more money toward the relief effort than has been pledged by the British government.

China has yet to weigh in. No doubt the support will be tremendous.

It's true, I don't know who is donating and who is not. We did it the old-fashioned way (online!). But...it's been many days. I have yet to see, know, walk in on, or overhear anyone talking about it. I find it odd.

 

[Luk]

There was an earthquake in Haiti?

 

[Sonny Limatina]

Well, it's not about me. I made a donation and I grieve and I watch the news.

I won't remember the date. I won't remember the date or death toll of Katrina either. I remember members of my family lost their lives and homes.

Statistics really isn't the way to memorialize this or judge others by their involvement.

Absolutely true, but it's one gauge of a nation's priorities. We all say 9/11 and 3,000 deaths without thinking about it. If these other events were part of the national dialogue, we'd keep some remnant of it in the public consciousness, no?

No one needs to brag about their compassion, it's true. But that's not quite what I'm saying either. If a mutual friend dies, you are likely to talk about it with your acquaintances. And yet, no one I know has said a word. I don't overhear conversations about it. It seems invisible.

That's why I wonder how the TV news is playing it.

 

[Sonny Limatina]

There was an earthquake in Haiti?

What a haiti?

 

[Recidiva]

Absolutely true, but it's one gauge of a nation's priorities. We all say 9/11 and 3,000 deaths without thinking about it. If these other events were part of the national dialogue, we'd keep some remnant of it in the public consciousness, no?

No one needs to brag about their compassion, it's true. But that's not quite what I'm saying either. If a mutual friend dies, you are likely to talk with the is playing it.

I don't measure things that way. I'm not really saying you're wrong to measure it that way, but that you're leaving out lots of people who care in different ways by thinking knowing the numbers means someone has comprehended it.

There's all sorts of ways to comprehend something other than answering a Jeopardy question correctly. The dumbfounded stare might come from people who can't figure out why someone would want to put the massive losses into number form when it's the individual losses and their stories that had the most impact. An emotional and visceral impact.

It might be from someone who doesn't give a damn, true. But I'm not really sure why anybody would be quizzing someone on it.

And no, I don't know how many people died on 9/11 either. Because it's not about the official count, it's about the massive, messy, uncountable loss of life and livelihood and memories, and family members and grief.

I know it's not what you're saying and I'm not intending to come down on you. Just saying that I have seen a pretty huge outpouring of concern and charity, and I'm satisfied that there's nobody that does not know unless they are already pretty much off the grid.

 

[Sonny Limatina]

I don't measure things that way. I'm not really saying you're wrong to measure it that way, but that you're leaving out lots of people who care in different ways by thinking knowing the numbers means someone has comprehended it.

There's all sorts of ways to comprehend something other than answering a Jeopardy question correctly. The dumbfounded stare might come from people who can't figure out why someone would want to put the massive losses into number form when it's the individual losses and their stories that had the most impact. An emotional and visceral impact.

It might be from someone who doesn't give a damn, true. But I'm not really sure why anybody would be quizzing someone on it.

And no, I don't know how many people died on 9/11 either. Because it's not about the official count, it's about the massive, messy, uncountable loss of life and livelihood and memories, and family members and grief.

I know it's not what you're saying and I'm not intending to come down on you. Just saying that I have seen a pretty huge outpouring of concern and charity, and I'm satisfied that there's nobody that does not know unless they are already pretty much off the grid.

It's OK, we're not even close to disagreeing. I'm not accusing anyone of not caring. I'm merely noting the stiking radio silence in everyday life. After the tsunami, people talked. "Holy shit, can you believe..." That kind of thing. Quite literally, no one I know, not even my lefty-activist father-in-law, has said a word that I've been around for.

It's curious to me...

 

[Luk]

What a haiti?

To the OP, I agree, not many people I know are talking about it. One of the guys that works for me only asked when I thought US Soldiers were going to start being killed by the people they are there to help.

I told them I didn't think that would happen considering we are they and only helping, not taking over their government. But in the end, I guess it's one in the same.

 

[Byron In Exile]

It's true, I don't know who is donating and who is not. We did it the old-fashioned way (online!). But...it's been many days. I have yet to see, know, walk in on, or overhear anyone talking about it. I find it odd.

It was a cool media bit for a while. "If it bleeds, it leads." But apart from raking huge percentages off of donations from you, I mean "the American people," there isn't much money to be made from showing what's happening now.

It's as terrible as it is inevitable, when you deprive 2 million people of electricity and running water for 5 days.

Helicopters could drop billions of dollars upon Port-au-Prince, and it won't change what's going to happen there.

 

[Recidiva]

It's OK, we're not even close to disagreeing. I'm not accusing anyone of not caring. I'm merely noting the stiking radio silence in everyday life. After the tsunami, people talked. "Holy shit, can you believe..." That kind of thing. Quite literally, no one I know, not even my lefty-activist father-in-law, has said a word that I've been around for.

It's curious to me...

I've seen some pretty extraordinary donations and matching of donations from very unexpected sources. News, TV, blogs, forums, Twitter...I think it's really cool that you can text a few words and instant donation to the Red Cross.

Check out Bungie Studios - The game developers who write the Halo games.

http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BeAHero

I think a lot more people will write or blog or tweet...that might not talk.

 

[Byron In Exile]

Quite literally, no one I know, not even my lefty-activist father-in-law, has said a word that I've been around for.

It's curious to me...

Secretly? Americans are tapped out.

The whole world hates America, everything they do turns to shit.

They're bankrupt at home, and they just don't care anymore.

Americans don't care.

 

[Byron In Exile]

I've seen some pretty extraordinary donations and matching of donations from very unexpected sources. News, TV, blogs, forums, Twitter...I think it's really cool that you can text a few words and instant donation to the Red Cross.

Check out Bungie Studios - The game developers who write the Halo games.

http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BeAHero

I think a lot more people will write or blog or tweet...that might not talk.

Do you even know what your "contribution" amounts to?

Of course not. Because you want to feel as though you're making a difference, and doing a little math will show that you are doing nothing but pushing a bar to give yourself a little dopamine charge.

 

[Recidiva]

Secretly? Americans are tapped out.

The whole world hates America, everything they do turns to shit.

They're bankrupt at home, and they just don't care anymore.

Americans don't care.

I care.

 

[Recidiva]

Do you even know what your "contribution" amounts to?

Of course not. Because you want to feel as though you're making a difference, and doing a little math will show that you are doing nothing but pushing a bar to give yourself a little dopamine charge.

And of course saying people are tapped out and don't care contributes so much more.

Way to go. You should be proud.

I can't do everything, but certainly doing something is preferable.

 

[Sonny Limatina]

I've seen some pretty extraordinary donations and matching of donations from very unexpected sources. News, TV, blogs, forums, Twitter...I think it's really cool that you can text a few words and instant donation to the Red Cross.

Check out Bungie Studios - The game developers who write the Halo games.

http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BeAHero

I think a lot more people will write or blog or tweet...that might not talk.

Hmmm...now it's you talking about donations.

 

[Byron In Exile]

I care.

Individuals do.

Taken on average, they don't.

 

[Recidiva]

Hmmm...now it's you talking about donations.

I think donations are pretty damned important. Should be talked about.

 

[Sonny Limatina]

I think donations are pretty damned important. Should be talked about.

Sure. But--just playing rhetorical devil's advocate--before you said:

Statistics really isn't the way to memorialize this or judge others by their involvement.

The amount of donations aren't a statistic?

 

[Recidiva]

Individuals do.

Taken on average, they don't.

Then speak as an individual and not as an authority on average.

Individuals do care, you're dragging an entire group down to the lowest common denominator by characterizing them all the same. You're accomplishing very little but spreading more despair.

You're also invalidating any spontaneous American contribution from individuals, which I find to be counterproductive to any purpose that serves doing something to help someone else in distress.

Why run down people who are making donations of their own accord in order to appear to be some sort of authority? Do you want to be Mayor of "WhyHaitiIsFuckedville?"

 

[Recidiva]

Sure. But--just playing rhetorical devil's advocate--before you said:

The amount of donations aren't a statistic?

I am not going to recall how much I donated or how much everyone else donated either. Nor am I going to ask. I am going to remember that there were donations. The numbers are there. I'm not memorizing them or quizzing someone on them.

 

[Byron In Exile]

And of course saying people are tapped out and don't care contributes so much more.

Way to go. You should be proud.

I can't do everything, but certainly doing something is preferable.

I'm just an observer.

I don't contribute, nor do I subtract.

Pride is not a factor.

I appreciate what you and what other people do (Americans have already texted more money toward relief than Brown has promised), but what is terrible to me is that people believe that throwing money and aid at Haiti is going to somehow prevent the calamity that's just starting.

Obama has promised what... $100 million? Divide that amongst 2 million people, and that's $50 per person. "Oh, sorry your world was destroyed, but we're the US, and here's some rice and water to last you about a week. After that, we'll be more interested in the Super Bowl."

 

[Recidiva]

I'm just an observer.

I don't contribute, nor do I subtract.

Pride is not a factor.

I appreciate what you and what other people do (Americans have already texted more money toward relief than Brown has promised), but what is terrible to me is that people believe that throwing money and aid at Haiti is going to somehow prevent the calamity that's just starting.

Obama has promised what... $100 million? Divide that amongst 2 million people, and that's $50 per person. "Oh, sorry your world was destroyed, but we're the US, and here's some rice and water to last you about a week. After that, we'll be more interested in the Super Bowl."

Forgive me if I don't think throwing dispassionate apathy will accomplish more.

 

[mypoliticalalt]

They just need jobs to give them purpose.

Can they sew?

Put them on the Nike outreach program.

I know of a great spokesperson/ex-golfer.