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There is a similar story described by Robert Cialdini in his classic book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion [1]: "In 1985 Ethiopia could justly lay clai
by MarkMc 6y ago
There is a similar story described by Robert Cialdini in his classic book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion [1]:
"In 1985 Ethiopia could justly lay claim to the greatest suffering and privation in the world. Its economy was in ruin. Its food supply had been ravaged by years of drought and internal war. Its inhabitants were dying by the thousands from disease and starvation. Under these circumstances, I would not have been surprised to learn of a five-thousand-dollar relief donation from Mexico to that wrenchingly needy country. I remember my chin hitting my chest, though, when a brief newspaper item I was reading insisted that the aid had gone in the opposite direction. Native officials of the Ethiopian Red Cross had decided to send the money to help the victims of that year’s earthquakes in Mexico City...Despite the enormous needs prevailing in Ethiopia, the money was being sent because Mexico had sent aid to Ethiopia in 1935, when it was invaded by Italy."
[1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28815.Influence https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28815.Influence
- pjc50 6y agoExtraordinary thing to happen at the time of Band Aid and the big donations from the UK to Ethiopia following the first disturbing pictures of the famine being broadcast on the news. Disturbing pictures on the news are now so routine as to be ignored .. or vanish altogether.
- Cthulhu_ 6y agoMore likely ignored because there's things that draw more views happening elsewhere. Hong Kong protests took over the news for a while, but then there was the Coronavirus and suddenly the Hong Kong protests seem to no longer be a thing and the people forgotten.
- pjc50 6y agoAre the Hong Kong protests still happening? Or did everyone stay at home during the pandemic? It looks like the situation is now "punchup in the legislature, but everyone is wearing facemasks": https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3084822/hong-kong-lawmakers-thrown-out-key-legislative-council https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3084822...