Re-visited

[mypost]

Over the last few days, there has been another tsunami in Indonesia.

The number of victims of the tsunami is 500+ atm, a considerably large figure, more than in the current Israel-Lebanon crisis. So where's the wall-to-wall tv coverage? Where's the 20-page newspaper reports? Where are all the journalists? Where are all the aid agencies? Where is the 2-3 minute silence in work, that we're all now expected to observe, when tsunamis strike? What is Bertie's response?

Or does anybody care, knowing that Westerners were not among the victims?

[Macy]

Or does anybody care, knowing that Westerners were not among the victims?

No one cares. No westerners, and no oil, so no chance of news coverage.

[mypost]

No one cares. No westerners.

So you're saying that last year's blanket coverage of the tsunami, was by bored journalists looking for something to do, rather than one of the worst natural disasters of all time?

Btw, the toll is now 550, and may reach 800. 50,000 people have been displaced.

[Marked Man]

It's been on the BBC world news quite a bit over here.

I think the answer to why it's not getting as much coverage is less to do with the absence of western deaths (if that's the case), and more to do with the numbers. Last time the Tsunami killed around 250,000 people. 550, while obviously tragic, isn't as big a story.

[dfx-]

Btw, the toll is now 550, and may reach 800. 50,000 people have been displaced.

To be frank, you're not really comparing like with like...

The earthquake last year was of incredible proportions by itself, just by the nature of the fault and enormity of the following wave, being 9.3 on the richter scale and something that actually moved the earth off its axis and shortened the whole day and the total annihilation of Banda Aceh. Add in at least 230,000 people lost or dead and which earthquakes stronger than this one were aftershocks for a week.

Doesn't compare. Don't try.

[mypost]

I'm not comparing anything. I'm highlighting the biased attitude of the media who only wish to report on natural disasters where Westerners are affected, and therefore implying that our lives are somehow more important than someone else's. A tsunami is a natural disaster with devastating results, wherever in the world it strikes, and if one is given blanket coverage, then all subsequent ones should be covered the same way. It resulted from a very strong earthquake after all, measuring 7.7 on the scale.

The toll from it is now 650+, 75,000 people are displaced. Many more than in the boring Israel-Lebanon tit-for-tat conflict, which is getting all the media's attention at the moment.

[dfx-]

You are comparing this tsunami and earthquake with the previous one. You are equating the power of the last one to this one. If they were alike like that, then they would undoubtedly get the same coverage but they're not.

The asian tsunami wasn't the first either...tsunamis are relatively common in the aftermath of earthquakes so it's not as if it's just this one that's being ignored. The sheer scale of impact of the Asian one is unparalleled and unlikely to happen again for a very long time, I would guess. Have you any idea of the force and power needed to cause what happened last year?

If it killed 200,000 people and probably lost another 50,000 along with the displaced and also the amount of people affected worldwide along with the effects on the Earth's structure, I think that deserves blanket coverage. All other earthquakes and tsunamis are little blips in comparison.

This was *just* another earthquake and tsunami, like plenty before and after last year's monster. Do you want blanket coverage on every single earthquake and tsunami from now on and that if it doesn't happen there's an obvious bias to the west?

[Macy]

So you're saying that last year's blanket coverage of the tsunami, was by bored journalists looking for something to do, rather than one of the worst natural disasters of all time?

I'm saying the media and politicians don't care because of the lack of westerners and the lack of oil. The general population don't care, if they don't read about it in tabloid papers.

[mypost]

All other earthquakes and tsunamis are little blips in comparison. This was *just* another earthquake and tsunami, like plenty before and after last year's monster.

Tell that to the victims, the injured, the homeless, and their families/relations, and see what answers you get, that it's merely "just" another earthquake. You can't compare tsunami's. They all have the same cause and the same consequences, even if the figures vary.

The disappointing thing is that, if this happened at Christmas time, there would be similiar coverage. Because it's happened in the summer, half of the world's politicians, correspondents, and journalists are too busy on holiday to notice.

We have to have minute silences if there is an act of terrorism abroad, where there is only a fraction of the toll of this disaster. If people don't care about 650 people lost in such a way, then it shows that all the minute silences that we have after such events, is only a pointless PC tactic.

[Block G Raptor]

Tell that to the victims, the injured, the homeless, and their families/relations, and see what answers you get, that it's merely "just" another earthquake. You can't compare tsunami's. They all have the same cause and the same consequences, even if the figures vary.

The disappointing thing is that, if this happened at Christmas time, there would be similiar coverage. Because it's happened in the summer, half of the world's politicians, correspondents, and journalists are too busy on holiday to notice.

We have to have minute silences if there is an act of terrorism abroad, where there is only a fraction of the toll of this disaster. If people don't care about 650 people lost in such a way, then it shows that all the minute silences that we have after such events, is only a pointless PC tactic.

Thats the most ridiculous post I've ever heard
Last years tsunami was the biggest in history and hundreds of thousands peolpe were killed. this one while tragic in terms of loss it equates to about 2 plane crashes, now ask yourself when was the last time a plane crash got world wide blanket coverage in the media. put it into perspective for god sake there will be bigger tragedies this year in other parts of the world that wont get coverage. tsunami's are not a new phenomenen and the only reason we are hearing about this one at all is because of last years one. there were plenty of these things around before last christmas and they didn't get blanket coverage.
You're point about westerners being involved makes no sense at all there was probably westerners killed or injured this time too. incase you havn't the noticed last years tsunami was in the east not the west !!

[dfx-]

tsunami's are not a new phenomenen and the only reason we are hearing about this one at all is because of last years one. there were plenty of these things around before last christmas and they didn't get blanket coverage.
You're point about westerners being involved makes no sense at all there was probably westerners killed or injured this time too. incase you havn't the noticed last years tsunami was in the east not the west !!

^ Yep.

Iirc, wasn't there 'western' holiday resorts in the path of this one as well? Even then, it doesn't get reported.

The major important line is that we are only hearing of tsunamis because of last year's. I wonder how many people in the general population that Macy is going on about knew about the word Tsunami before last year. I'm guessing plenty of Westerners have been struck particularly on Hawaii before by them so why is it only a new word to many?


But it's all a conspiracy in favour the West of course..