Biggest earthquake in 40 years hits Southeast Asia

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by alva

with 14 already confirmed dead primarily in Thailand

Well, on the bright side, the world has lost several pedophiles the last couple of days.

Not all tourists going in Thailand a pedophiles. Thailand can flaunt many other things to attract tourists than its red light districts.

Besides, southern Thailand is not Bangkok. Tourism there is much more about beach resorts.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Azazel

Well, we do have the Rwandan Genocide (1 million), the Sudan and Congo wars (minimum 2 million for each) in the last 11 years.

I haven't seen it on the news, ergo it didn't happen.

Come on, Rwanda was on the news every day while it was going on-it was no secret- i remember it vividly.

Sudan and Congo, certainly, but everyone watching the news knew Rwanda was going on.

[Mercator]

I don't think I'd attribute animals a sixth sense for that... They probably instinctively ran away from the water when it started receding, whereas I heard in many places people actually came toward the sea to see what was happening.

Not to mention that the wildlife is probably more often inland, while many people live practically on the beach.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
The debate started when I quoted an American who made the comparison. But yes, it is apples and oranges - 9/11 was a very minor trauma compared to this.

I think you are overstating the difference when you say very minor by comparison. No question that the tsunami has taken more lives a number of times over than were taken on 2001/9/11 but it's not as if we are comparing millions vs thousands. Fatalities of both distasters were in the thousands. I think only a disaster that killed several million could allow 9/11 to be called very minor by comparsion otherwise you leave little room for disasters that might make 9/11 simply look minor by comparison.

[Drake Tungsten]

Well, if we're gonna use this for cliched bashing...

Contributions to relief for the victims of this disaster:

America - $35 million

Americans donating to Amazon.com - $2.6 million and counting

France - $135 thousand

Now, who are the stingy ones?

[Nubclear]

The West.

OMG PWND!!111

[Spiffor]

Re: Well, if we're gonna use this for cliched bashing...

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
France - $177 thousand

Your figure is false
(France is giving 22.16 M€)

[Drake Tungsten]

Yes, it was false. The $177 thousand figure was in Australian dollars. $135 thousand in American dollars.

I can't read anything on the page you linked, BTW...

[laurentius]

"La France a annoncé avoir affecté 15 millions d'euros à l'aide internationale et l'Allemagne 20 millions. "

http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=264809

EDIT: beaten by Spiffor

[Drake Tungsten]

Yeah, 15 million euros is what I'm seeing. It's the last update on Tim Blair's post. Less stingy, but still shameful...

[lord of the mark]

'French Tsunami Toll 14 Dead, 35 Missing-Minister

Tuesday, December 28, 2004 3:23:03 PM ET

PARIS (Reuters) - The number of French victims of southern Asia's tsunami disaster has risen to 14 and at least 35 people are missing after being swept away by giant waves, Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said on Tuesday.

"At the moment I can say there are 14 French dead in this tragedy for sure, 35 or 37 missing who we are searching for and there are 105 French injured," he told France 2 television from the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, where he arrived with aid supplies earlier on Tuesday.

"There are probably dozens of French we are searching for and don't know where they are," he said.

"Many French and Europeans left on vacation without saying when or where they were going. So unfortunately we have to consider these numbers to be provisional."

Barnier was due to continue to Thailand on Wednesday morning to bring aid supplies and survey the damage from the giant wall of water triggered by an earthquake in Sumatra.

The French Defense Ministry was sending eight experts in identifying bodies and a military airplane that will fly over the Maldives and the Thai coast to search for people cut off by the flood and for the bodies of victims.

Paris has earmarked 100,000 euros ($135,400) for initial rescue efforts in Thailand. It planned to send 16 rescue workers to Thailand on Tuesday and 10 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka in the next few days, the ministry said. ($1=.7386 Euro)'

evidently Reuters was lazy and only included aid specifically promised to Thailand, and then blogger Tim Blair pounced on it. Thats the problem with saying ANYTHING about national aid figures in the first couple of days. This will be BILLIONS of dollars (US) and one hopes govts are spending more time getting aid out and planning on near future needs than on counting it.

In fairness to Tim Blair, this is a gut reaction to the quibbling about the initial American response.

[laurentius]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Yeah, 15 million euros is what I'm seeing. It's the last update on Tim Blair's post. Less stingy, but still shameful...

Yeah 35 million $ is not stingy from 300 million people nation than 29.9 $ from a 57 million people nation

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Yes, it was false. The $177 thousand figure was in Australian dollars. $135 thousand in American dollars.

And of course you know nothing about the value of the Euro, and thus you believe that 26.16 M€ = 135 k$

I can't read anything on the page you linked, BTW...

I know it's extremely complicated to read the one line written in bold character. In this line, the figure 26.16 M€ is prominent too
The source is the French foreign ministry. I distrust many things that come from there, but not things that are publicly verifiable like the precise public amount of humanitarian aid. In any case, I trust this figure over some blog any day of the week.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by laurentius
Yeah 35 million $ is much more generous from 300 million people nation than 29.9 $ from a 57 million people nation

$35 million isnt going to be the final US figure any more than $135,000 was the final French figure. And I think you know that.

Though, I for one, am happy that THIS is how nations are competing.

[Drake Tungsten]

Yeah 35 million $ is not stingy from 300 million people nation than 29.9 $ from a 57 million people nation

I appreciate both contributions, but this thread abandoned such positive sentiments a long time ago. Had to find something inane to ***** about if I want to contribute.