Asian Tsunamis

[thenodrog]

damn......too late

Edited December 31, 2004 by thenodrog

[thenodrog]

A few stats from the bbc web site.

KEY AID PLEDGES

World Bank: $250m

UK: $96m

Sweden: $75m

Spain: $68m

China: $60m

France: $56m

EU $44m

Netherlands: $36m

US: $35m

Canada: $33m

Japan: $30m

Australia: $27m

Switzerland: $23m

Norway: $16.6m

Denmark: $15.6m

Saudi Arabia: $10m

Taiwan: $5.1m

Finland: $3.4m

Kuwait: $2.1m

UAE: $2m

Source: Reuters, United Nations

This is the URL

More importantly, Click here.

And the Germans?

[pg]

And who created 'the market' in the first place?

And who makes the rules of the markets?

[Alan75]

A few stats from the bbc web site.

Source: Reuters, United Nations

This is the URL

More importantly, Click here.

And the Germans?

Well if your so concerned.

Germany has announced they are to provide 27 million dollar

Making the announcement in Berlin, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said it was a "catastrophe of global proportions" and "can only be solved with close cooperation of the international community coordinated by the United Nations",

Germany has sent a military hospital plane to Phuket in Thailand along with two planes carrying technical experts, medical teams and consular officials.

It's not about who gave what, or how much, it's about pulling together for a common cause.

[pg]

As an aside many Australians were critical of their consular/ambassadorial efforts in helping getting the Australian survivors home when compared to the efforts of the German government rescuing its citizens.

[thenodrog]

A few stats from the bbc web site.

Source: Reuters, United Nations

This is the URL

More importantly, Click here.

And the Germans?

Well if your so concerned.

Germany has announced they are to provide 27 million dollar

It's not about who gave what, or how much, it's about pulling together for a common cause.

Well maybe not but I cannot help notice that although we are the worlds 5th largest economy we are donating more than the combined total of any 2 countries above us in that ranking if that list is accurate. I wonder who actually decides.

[mrsjansen]

I can't beleive that a major disaster like this has happened, and you lot are having arguments amongst yourselfs, there really are more important things going on in the world.

It doesn't and shouldn't matter how much anyone has given whether it be 1.00 or 1 million, I'm sure everything is appreciated. And that goes for any charity.

And just for the record as someone posted earlier Dwigyt Yorke also made the suggetstion that every footballer donates at least one weeks wages. He himself donating his weeks wages.

[tassierover]

pg

If i was unfortunate enough to be in Phuket but lucky enough to be alive I think I might be thanking God that I was still breathing rather than complaining to the ###### stiring media about how long its taking to get me home.

By the way the planes weren't exactly full when they arrived back. I this a media beat up ? chances are yes.

[92er]

I understand the USA have undertaken to increase their contribution by a factor of 10.

[FourLaneBlue]

If I appear critical of the USA, I'm not, and apologise to American and others if that is the case. Remember though "the coalition" has donated 0.023% of the total spent to date on the Iraq war to the tsunami disaster fund. I make no apology for being critical of that lose definition The West.

My point about using "the west" is that China is not in the west, this is happening in their own backyard, they have a $500 million dollar slush fund for this sort of thing, and they are giving less than us. Where is the criticism of them? So no, "the west" is not the proper term here. (And I won't even go into the imperialism of Japan and China.)

Actually China has so far pledged $65.3million and that will rise hugely when all the various funraising activities and government-owned enterprises have been included. There is certainly much that can be levied against the Chinese but it's rather a strange argument to suggest that philipl should get off his soapbox behind a keyboard in Malta before criticising U.S relief efforts by getting on your soapbox behind a keyboard in Boston to criticise Chinese relief efforts.

At the weekend I did get off my backside and went to Shenzhen and Hong Kong, admittedly for myself rather than out of good will but even so when I arrived there was so much to see there to restore belief in the human spirit that I was taken aback. There I saw many efforts to raise money or clothes and blankets for disaster relief, from stallholders in the markets giving their entire taking for the day (not just the profits) to help and from then on to money from state-owned train fares going towards relief efforts. From first-hand experience I can assure you that there are many, many Chinese who have given up their own time and effort to try in their own way to help the survivors, however small their help may be. Even the machinations of Government will get around to pledging plenty more in time.

To criticise so much good will and desire to help is simply unfair. As is the knee-jerk criticism of the U.S. relief from other posters on here before we even have any idea what exactly will be donated or pledged. American is right about it being a no-win situation for a country, whatever they donate will never be enough for some. Thing is...that's as true for China as it is for the USA.

[roversWASmylife]

Bloody hell,

I know this board sometimes descends into chaos & bitching in a big way but this takes the biscuit.

Give it a week and the death-toll will be approaching a quarter of a million. (not science, just me talking off the top of my head.)

I'm sat here in a warm house with food and clothing and a job to go to tomorrow, and internet access and a car outside to get me from A to B*.

Just like the most of the rest of us on here.

There are people out there who have lost everything they ever had, and that was probably close to sod-all in the first place.

I feel disgusted that the Government of my country cannot offer more than a measly £15m and that the richest nations on earth (who are generally "western") are being equally Scrooge-like. It's no excuse to say that China has only offered $x. If China is a bad example then why follow it?

And as for the arguement that we should only help our own?

They are human, I'm human. End of discussion.

* gearbox knackered. I'm still alive, I'll get over it.

Great post.

I was watching Sky News the other day and saw the figures of all the donations given by all the countries who have contributed. I saw the total for the E.U, don't know if it has increased but my first thought was that's pathetic.

The other night I was in McDonalds waiting for my meal. A man infont paid for a Big Mac meal with a £20 not, plenty of change. He was asked if he would be kind enough to donate some money, he replied with a no and walked out.

Sad.

Tsunami death toll nears 140,000

[blue phil]

The other night I was in McDonalds waiting for my meal. A man infont paid for a Big Mac meal with a £20 not, plenty of change. He was asked if he would be kind enough to donate some money, he replied with a no and walked out.

Sad.

Well done that man . Why should he be intimidated in a public place in to giving money ? Maybe he's already donated anonymously from the privacy of his own home . Either way , if he's a taxpayer then he's donated in any case .

[ABBEY]

its like new years eve every pub had a collection tin and everywhere else you visit,theres only so much you can put in the collection,for alls you know that bloke in macs may have needed the change for something else.As phil says our taxes are going to it as well.

[roversWASmylife]

I understand both your points blue phil and ABBEY.

But remember these people, thousands of people, have lost everything that they live for. Shelter, food and family.

That man may have already given money and donations, but all I'm saying is what's a pound?

MORE SUPPORT FOR DISASTER

[philipl]

The team here in Malta has now raised over $3m in cash plus I don't know how much in gifts of goods and equipment. All done by TV appeals, an impromptu equivalent of Live Aid and an Arts Auction. We avoided pushing tins in front of people and instead used the media effectively.

The Government has already dispatched a fully equipped medical and civil rescue unit to Sri Lanka.

[Tom Pringle]

Abbey and Phil

10p would do, a bit of shrapnel in his pocket. The 1's, 2's, 5's. All make a difference.

[ABBEY]

not saying it doesnt make a difference but surely if you give what you can afford .I for one have donated not saying how much or how little but i have my limits .Going back to the mac statement if people feel so bad that people are not giving enough when they go out ,why not get your money back for todays ticket and donate that.

Edited January 3, 2005 by ABBEY

[SouthAussieRover]

I've donated cash by choice.

Would rather have donated goods like bedding,clothes etc but that seems hard to do.

[Tom Pringle]

I know abbey, but that bloke, even if he had donated already it wouldn't have hurt to drop a ten pence piece in.

[broadsword]

The other night I was in McDonalds waiting for my meal. A man infont paid for a Big Mac meal with a £20 not, plenty of change. He was asked if he would be kind enough to donate some money, he replied with a no and walked out.

Sad.

Well done that man . Why should he be intimidated in a public place in to giving money ? Maybe he's already donated anonymously from the privacy of his own home . Either way , if he's a taxpayer then he's donated in any case .

Charity contributions should always be voluntary. I don't have much time for these chuggers in the street who "just want a few minutes of your time", get knotted!

Shame on him for eating at McD's though.

[American]

To criticise so much good will and desire to help is simply unfair. As is the knee-jerk criticism of the U.S. relief from other posters on here before we even have any idea what exactly will be donated or pledged. American is right about it being a no-win situation for a country, whatever they donate will never be enough for some. Thing is...that's as true for China as it is for the USA.

My point was more for the people doing the criticising. They kept using the term "the west" but the western countries weren't the only ones pledging those amounts.

I'm a big believer that in times like these people will help each other out, even if the governments don't get involved. No government could give anything, but they'd still have enough donated money and supplies to make a good dent.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

What a sick world we live in these days....

A collection for the victims of the Tsunami tragedy was stolen from Salisbury cathedral, police have confirmed.

A large collection box, marked 'Tsunami Disaster Fund', was removed from the cathedral and dumped in a nearby underpass, with the money removed.

Meanwhile, a man from Lincolnshire has pleaded guilty to sending a string of hoax emails to worried friends and relatives of the Tsuanmi disaster who had posted their details on a Sky News website.

The emails, purporting to be from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Thailand, stated that "the UK Government regret to inform them that the missing person they were inquiring about has been confirmed as dead."

40-year-old Christopher Pierson, who was arrested by police, at first denied all knowledge of sending the emails, before eventually admitting that he had sent them in a "moment of madness".

One interesting fact that I noticed was that they did not find a single animal corpse yet. They say that all of the animals in the area sensed what was coming and moved away.

It's remarkable that not a single animal corpse has been found yet, American.

I guess that it adds weight to the notion that animals may possess a "sixth sense" for forthcoming disasters.

There have been reports in the past about birds migrating before volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. Some conservationists believe that there would have been particular vibrations and changes in the air pressure which would have alerted the animals into moving to a place where they felt safer.

Clive Walker, who has written several books on African wildlife, believes that the animals pick up on certain changes in the atmosphere, warning them of the imminent danger.

The Romans saw owls as omens of impending disaster, while some ancient cultures viewed elephants as being sacred animals with a sixth sense.

Edited January 3, 2005 by Anti Euro Smiths Fan

[Tom Pringle]

Our dog and parrot made a right noise about 10 minutes before the Dudley tremor a few years back.

[thenodrog]

What a sick world we live in these days....

A collection for the victims of the Tsunami tragedy was stolen from Salisbury cathedral, police have confirmed.

A large collection box, marked 'Tsunami Disaster Fund', was removed from the cathedral and dumped in a nearby underpass, with the money removed.

Yeah but disaster or no disaster who cares? Cos nobody'll give smack away for nowt will they?

[Dr Rich]

I saw the total for the E.U, don't know if it has increased but my first thought was that's pathetic.

Quite possibly it was the total that the E.U. itself had given independent of the sums it's member countries had already pledged.

As for animals, not to detract from their precognitive abilities, but in one of the eye-witness accounts in the Times yesterday it distinctly mentions animal carcasses in the aftermath.