'This is our tsunami'
Am I the only one who finds this a pretty stupid thing to say? Isn't it possible to comprehend a tragic event without relating it to some other tragic event? I think it is. To me, comparing the two is disrespectful to people invloved in either tragedy.
21 comments:
60 some odd people die in the hurricane, almost 300,000 die in the tsunami.
Malaysia is one of the poorest areas of the world, the US is one of the wealthiest.
The similarities are endless.
Yeah, I didn't even really get into the difference in the scope, because I didn't have any statistics handy, but that's anothe reason it bothers me.
That just makes me sad. I mean, I'm cognizant of the fact that we're self-centered, myopic and uninformed, but when somebody so perfectly spells it out in the form of irresponsible journalism...ugh. A firm palm-to-forehead smack just doesn't cut it for shit like this.
Maybe we can call it Katrinagate. Everything usually get a gate.
tart, it wasn't irresponsible journalism, that quote is from the mayor of Biloxi.
I disagree with you guys...not strongly, but just somewhat.
This IS kinda like their tsunami -- the people of Biloxi are going through a flood, raging waters, houses being ripped from the ground, all that stuff. It's not the same size and scale, but to them, this is their tsunami -- the effects are similar. Sure they didn't lose 300K people, but for the people displaced from their homes, from their families, the people whose lifves will not be the same for months, I can see their point.
All that said, I hope the Mayor of Biloxi knows it's not really comparable (as I surely realize, despite this comment). I'm just saying, on a relative basis, the guy's not as far off as you all are making it.
Also, this is coming from a guy (me) that has been making hurricane jokes nonstop, so take it as you may.
I'm not saying they aren't similar in effect, if not in scope. I just wonder why he needs to say that at all. Everyone knows it's bad, do they have to have a point of reference for it in order to understand it? What's the point?
The people also knew the hurricane was coming for 2 days. What did the people have for the tsunami? 3 minutes or something like that.
It is one thing to be self-centered and another to be inconsiderate and ignorant. I think it is more like the story of Noah's Ark. God is punishing the South for supporting George Bush.
See, I think he did it for national funding and private donations to get the city back to normal...and I don't fault him.
By appealing to people (and you must admit, most Americans NEED points of reference) through the tsunami imagery, he's saying "We gave those Asian fuckers X billion dollars, now it's our turn, help a brotha out."
I stand by my assertion -- on a relative basis, some of these people are just as dead and just as focked.
I just shake my head.
Ok, Ace, I guess I can see that.
Yeah, that's all I'm saying...I don't think it was a great analogy, but sometimes we foolish Americans need a reference point to strike a chord within us.
That is all.
Well, I still don't think we should need one, but your explanation at least shows why the mayor may feel that he needed to give one, although you also may be giving him too much credit.
If we ever have our own tsunami type event, people won't know what to say. We'd have a bunch of stunned people on TV saying, "Shit."
God is punishing the South for supporting George Bush. Gahhh! LOL!
The Mayor of Biloxi saying it is one thing. It's when people all over the country start going on about it (and they will) that it becomes ridiculous, proving once again that Americans collectively have the worst case of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy never documented.
I immediately recoiled in discomfort when I heard that sound bite of him saying "This is our tsunami". I can't put my finger on it, but something about that doesn't sit right. I understand Ace's point, but I still think it was wrong.
A quarter million people died in the tsunami. Comparing Katrina to that is insane.
Damn, and I thought it was bad when Spain called the Madrid bombings their "9-11". At least they were only off by one order of magnitude.
Brett Favre did it today, so it must be true now that a quarterback has said it. I think he said that the devastation looked like pictures he saw of the tsunami, but he knew they were not really comparable.
Michelline- I would love to hear the mayor say that they pushed their luck as long as they could and they are all moving to Minnesota. Hopefully, they will relocate the jazz clubs and food to St Cloud.
You are quite right in thinking this is crazy.
What about the image of Hiroshima after it was bombed
teresa
I think you can make comparisons, but you cannot say "this is our_____." Unless you actually have a _____, it cannot be your ____.
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