6 ms·

US "news" is finally starting to cover this. I mean 10K, that is just beyond devastating, it should be front page news for months. We lost 1800 with Katrina.

by ck2 13y ago

yitchelle 13y ago
Totally agreed. The US (including the rest of the First world countries) has the means and the ability to do so much in the name of humanitarian efforts. It is sad to see these types of disasters fall by the wayside. Anyone still remember Puerto Rico?
- jasonlotito 13y ago
  I don't understand what you mean. U.S. offers aid, sends teams to help typhoon-ravaged Philippines http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/09/world/asia/philippines-typhoon-us-assistance/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/09/world/asia/philippines-typhoon... That was also posted Saturday, along with several other stories on US "news" sites, the same date as the Guardian article. So, the US should have reported this earlier? On Friday? Hehehe. And I wouldn't describe this as falling by the wayside. The US is actively doing something. It seems whatever news sources you are reading aren't properly informing you? But no, I understand, it's far easier to bash the US with meaningless slights while at the same time lamenting people focusing on other things. It's almost hypocritical.
- adolfojp 13y ago
  >Anyone still remember Puerto Rico? As a Puerto Rican in a thread about natural disasters I don't know what you're talking about.
  - freehunter 13y ago
    Maybe he's remembering the 1918 earthquake? I don't know why the US would fail to help Puerto Rico, it's a US territory.
- xradionut 13y ago
  We do send what we can. Between government, charities and private donations, there's aid coming from the US. We could send more, but a majority of the population is in debt or living check to check. (You could appeal to the folks that live in 27,000 sq ft houses and spend $300k annually on their electric bills, but they are busy doing more important things.)
forktheif 13y ago
The 2004 Tsunami killed 250,000 people, and that only managed to stay on the news for a few weeks.
- ck2 13y ago
  Oh my gosh I had no idea the final toll was that high. That part of the world is being devastated.
  - aestra 13y ago
    According to the U.S. Geological Survey a total of 227,898 people died. Measured in lives lost, this it was one of the ten worst earthquakes in recorded history, as well as the single worst tsunami in history. Indonesia was the worst affected area, with most death toll estimates at around 170,000. However, another report by Siti Fadilah Supari, the Indonesian Minister of Health at the time, estimated the death total to be as high as 220,000 in Indonesia alone, giving a total of 280,000 casualties. It is also the fifth deadliest natural disaster since 1900. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_natural_disasters_by_death_toll#Ten_deadliest_natural_disasters_of_the_past_century http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_natural_disasters_by_de... A large proportion of those killed were children. There were no deaths in The Philippines from the tsunami. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_an...
  - melling 13y ago
    ck2, you are definitely an interesting character. You go on anti-military rants, have anti-gun posts, attack the Red Cross as corrupt, criticize the US news, but claim not to understand one of the worst modern natural disasters. I don't suppose you live in the New York City area? I get the feeling we could have quite a few long debates. :-)
- ceejayoz 13y ago
  And a good portion of that news was "check out this interview with a Swedish couple saved from the wave" sort of stuff.
- 13y ago
venomsnake 13y ago
I had a friend working in a news agency once. So I ask him for details about some nasty events in Africa - and why it is not news here (I had macabre fascination at the time with how bad stuff can get in Zimbabwe so I was interested in Africa above average. It managed to get even worse than I feared). His answer was devastating - "Oh it is Africa? My editor has forbidden me from publishing news about it if the body count is lower than 50000" ...
chaz 13y ago
The problem is that there's usually not much new to report after a short period time. After 9/11, the broadcast and cable news channels went into non-stop 24/7 coverage with no commercials. After a week, they started doing commercials. Anchors expressed relief. Not only were they emotionally and physically exhausted, but the pace of actual news had slowed a lot and they were simply vamping to fill air time. News is a tough problem. Editors don't want to put the same story on the front page with headline permutations because it will alienate readers. People supporting an agenda, or people who want coverage (brands and celebs), need to create news-worthy events to maintain coverage.
anigbrowl 13y ago
Maybe that depends where you live? there's a lot of Phillippine people in the Bay Area, and it's been top of the news on NBC since Thursday night (ie before the storm made landfall).
BrandonMarc 13y ago
Katrina was a convenient political football. The balanced truth was rarely, if ever, reported on. Then again, if they can make the case that somehow this typhoon is Bush's fault ...

US "news" is finally starting to cover this. I mean 10K, that is just beyond devastating, it should be front page news for months. We lost 1800 with Katrina.

by ck2 13y ago

US "news" is finally starting to cover this. I mean 10K, that is just beyond devastating, it should be front page news for months. We lost 1800 with Katrina.

yitchelle 13y ago

Totally agreed. The US (including the rest of the First world countries) has the means and the ability to do so much in the name of humanitarian efforts. It is sad to see these types of disasters fall by the wayside. Anyone still remember Puerto Rico?

jasonlotito 13y ago
I don't understand what you mean. U.S. offers aid, sends teams to help typhoon-ravaged Philippines http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/09/world/asia/philippines-typhoon-us-assistance/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/09/world/asia/philippines-typhoon... That was also posted Saturday, along with several other stories on US "news" sites, the same date as the Guardian article. So, the US should have reported this earlier? On Friday? Hehehe. And I wouldn't describe this as falling by the wayside. The US is actively doing something. It seems whatever news sources you are reading aren't properly informing you? But no, I understand, it's far easier to bash the US with meaningless slights while at the same time lamenting people focusing on other things. It's almost hypocritical.
adolfojp 13y ago
>Anyone still remember Puerto Rico? As a Puerto Rican in a thread about natural disasters I don't know what you're talking about.
- freehunter 13y ago
  Maybe he's remembering the 1918 earthquake? I don't know why the US would fail to help Puerto Rico, it's a US territory.
xradionut 13y ago
We do send what we can. Between government, charities and private donations, there's aid coming from the US. We could send more, but a majority of the population is in debt or living check to check. (You could appeal to the folks that live in 27,000 sq ft houses and spend $300k annually on their electric bills, but they are busy doing more important things.)

forktheif 13y ago

The 2004 Tsunami killed 250,000 people, and that only managed to stay on the news for a few weeks.

ck2 13y ago
Oh my gosh I had no idea the final toll was that high. That part of the world is being devastated.
- aestra 13y ago
  According to the U.S. Geological Survey a total of 227,898 people died. Measured in lives lost, this it was one of the ten worst earthquakes in recorded history, as well as the single worst tsunami in history. Indonesia was the worst affected area, with most death toll estimates at around 170,000. However, another report by Siti Fadilah Supari, the Indonesian Minister of Health at the time, estimated the death total to be as high as 220,000 in Indonesia alone, giving a total of 280,000 casualties. It is also the fifth deadliest natural disaster since 1900. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_natural_disasters_by_death_toll#Ten_deadliest_natural_disasters_of_the_past_century http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_natural_disasters_by_de... A large proportion of those killed were children. There were no deaths in The Philippines from the tsunami. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_an...
- melling 13y ago
  ck2, you are definitely an interesting character. You go on anti-military rants, have anti-gun posts, attack the Red Cross as corrupt, criticize the US news, but claim not to understand one of the worst modern natural disasters. I don't suppose you live in the New York City area? I get the feeling we could have quite a few long debates. :-)
ceejayoz 13y ago
And a good portion of that news was "check out this interview with a Swedish couple saved from the wave" sort of stuff.
13y ago

venomsnake 13y ago

I had a friend working in a news agency once. So I ask him for details about some nasty events in Africa - and why it is not news here (I had macabre fascination at the time with how bad stuff can get in Zimbabwe so I was interested in Africa above average. It managed to get even worse than I feared). His answer was devastating - "Oh it is Africa? My editor has forbidden me from publishing news about it if the body count is lower than 50000" ...

chaz 13y ago

The problem is that there's usually not much new to report after a short period time. After 9/11, the broadcast and cable news channels went into non-stop 24/7 coverage with no commercials. After a week, they started doing commercials. Anchors expressed relief. Not only were they emotionally and physically exhausted, but the pace of actual news had slowed a lot and they were simply vamping to fill air time. News is a tough problem. Editors don't want to put the same story on the front page with headline permutations because it will alienate readers. People supporting an agenda, or people who want coverage (brands and celebs), need to create news-worthy events to maintain coverage.

anigbrowl 13y ago

Maybe that depends where you live? there's a lot of Phillippine people in the Bay Area, and it's been top of the news on NBC since Thursday night (ie before the storm made landfall).

BrandonMarc 13y ago

Katrina was a convenient political football. The balanced truth was rarely, if ever, reported on. Then again, if they can make the case that somehow this typhoon is Bush's fault ...