<p>-"Of course, it terms of monetary value, westerners are worth lots more than people in poor undeveloped nations. There's only so much that we can do to help them. Would you be willing to give up your money/lifestyle for someone in Indonesia or Sri Lanka?"</p>
<p>Yes, that is the sickening part about it. The top 16% of the world using 80% of the natural resources! disgusting.
I am planning to give up this american lifestyle. I am a Marxist-Leninist. My future goals is precisely what you've mentioned, except I will do much more to help the class struggle in this world.</p>
<p>-"Be reasonable. At least the US is giving any aid. If a huge tsunamic were to flatten the California coast, do you think these nations would even take the time to notice and give us aid? Probably not.</p>
<p>And before you berate me or say I'm an ungrateful American...I'm actually a Vietnamese immigrant to the US and glad that no one over in Vietnam has been affected. Rhizome21, just be grateful you weren't living there where the tsunamis hit."</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Yea at LEAST U.S is giving aid, if they were not to give aid the international community would surely look down on the U.S for doing nothing. Just like the U.S giving aid to Haiti when disaster struck there? Oh wait Cuba were the ones that sent doctors, and U.S sent guns.</p>
<ul>
<li>Of course those nations would not help because they aren't able to, because of the evils of capitalism exploiting those nations. It's good enough as it is already for the U.S exploiting other nations, why should those poor nations help the U.S? Let it die on its own. U.S is already a ****en burden for the entire world as it is. Philantrophy= supporting the current system.</li>
<li>yes im grateful.</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
<p>I can understand that it looks ridiculous to focus on a small, priviliged group when so many are devastated by this disaster. But it is natural to be able to relate to those closer to you. If you had immediate family members in the area, I guarantee you that your main thought and worry would be about their welfare and safety, not about the 20,000+ others who have perished and even more who are endangered. If you had friends, neighbors, or acquaintances there, the interest would not be so urgent but still, again, more intense than the concern about the unknown natives, and so it goes as the familiarity get more remote. That is why local newspapers report on members of the community who are in a disaster situation, in the military, etc. In some ways it helps the cause as well, since people are more willing to reach into their pockets and donate if they can personally relate to the situation. I have personally sent a donation to an organization that is working to help this situation, and my hearts go out to the survivors of this catastrophe that are now going to have to fight infection, starvation, lack of shelter and the other fallout that is going to occur and is occurring. Many of those had so little to begin with and were hanging in there by such a thread, and then this had to happen.</p>
<p>"Okay, first off, America is a huge world power, how can you deny such a thing."</p>
<p>When did I deny or even talk about that? And what exactly was the point of mentioning that fact? Are you implying that America being a stronger nation makes American lives more important than those of some people in third world countries?</p>
<p>"And as an American, of course I'm going to be more concerned about the well being of other Americans."</p>
<p>Do you personally know those two honeymooners? If not, then how are they any different from the 24,000 Asians that died? Also, I have no problem with some American news agency saying how many american tourists had died. But an entire article devoted to two people who survived when 24,000 others just died in one of the worst disasters ever seems a bit odd...</p>
<p>yeah the US is giving aid.
Whose betting that the next line will be 'okay so we gave you aid. now whose going to join the coalition of the faithful?'
trust me Im glad my country didnt accept intl aid</p>
<p>"Do you personally know those two honeymooners? If not, then how are they any different from the 24,000 Asians that died? Also, I have no problem with some American news agency saying how many american tourists had died. But an entire article devoted to two people who survived when 24,000 others just died in one of the worst disasters ever seems a bit odd..."</p>
<p>Yea, I'm really ****ed on how these two whores get 'special' highlight from the 23,000 dead.</p>
<p>You people are impossible. Get off your high horses and realize the disrespect you are showing by springboarding from the horrible loss of tens of thousands of lives to your own petty disagreements about international government and politics.</p>
<p>Agreed, welshie. I'm done with this discussion; GShine_1989: I was pointing out the fact that because America is a huge world power, news agencies would cater to Americans because these are the people watching the news; Rhizome21: I hope your crusade as a Marxist-Lenist pans out.</p>
<p>that's not true.
lets say, hypothetically of course.
two guys. one guy knows the cure to cancer. the other, a convicted murderer.
which life do you choose to save if you had to save one?
you see, humans do have worth.</p>
<p>But, Nomad, according to Rhizome, we do live in a racist world which discriminates against everyone but themselves. Racism might not be openly practiced but, it does exist through other means.</p>
<p>rhizome21- are you caucasian? anyways, I could care less about which group gets more attention. The fact remains the same, 44,000 are dead and counting and I feel horribly sad for all those who died.</p>
<p>reporters use the figures about americans to strike at the heart of their western audience. i agree that its totally sick and unnecassary to single them out, but what theyre trying to do is forge a personal connection for the readers with the story. now an average american will read the paper and say 'by george i couldve been there on vacation, like these ppl' etc etc etc. it shouldnt have to take these ploys to attract attention, but it seems to often be the case. also, this happens in every country, so while it IS wrong, this is not one of the many AMERICAN wrongs. you can bet that other contries posted figures of their dead in catastrophes in other countries.</p>
<p>oh yeah, filmxoxo, I learned about that in history class. That technique reporters use was called yellow journalism.
sexydesi, contact mini. He posted on the other tsunami thread,"tsunami help", I think it was called. He would probably know where.</p>
<p>Hmm maybe relating ignorance to rascism is taking it a bit too far. </p>
<p>AceRockolla You misunderstood me, by worth i was talking about monetary value. And furthermore i never said humans are worthless, I meant they are worth equally. </p>
<p>So you are saying you would rather save a child ( 5-7 years) who has been a good boy over a boy of similar age but has committed theft once?</p>
<p>Sorry but this argument is going in circles, both of us have rational arguments and we both know it!</p>
<p>Maybe i am biased due to the fact that Tamilnadu is the state in whch i was born ( CHennai) and almost my whole family lives there.</p>