"Pity the poor disaster that doesn't meet our Hollywood expectations." Like every person on this earth I've been watching the Asian Tsunami Disaster unfold with a combination of horror, fascination, sorrow and anger.
"This same world also spends over $ 3 Billion dollars a year on ring tones for their cell phones." Anger ... what could I be angry about? At God? At governments and NGOs? No. I'm angry at our first world culture that has numbed us to human suffering by the constant bombardment of images by the media and hollywood.
Consider these facts:
- It is estimated that 29,000 children die each DAY worldwide by wars, disease, hunger, landmines, ignorance, AIDS etc
- 2,000,000 people die each year in Africa from AIDS.
- 800,000 Rowandan people were slaughtered in 100 days in 1994 - the same genocide is happening in the Sudan at this very moment.
So what makes this latest Asian disaster so important that it grabs the world's attention, resources and money for so long and with so much focus? The number of dead which has surpassed 150,000?
- That's 5 days worth of dead children.
- 1 months worth of dead Africans with AIDS
- 20 days worth of slaughtered Rowandans
No. It is a disaster right off the big screen! Sunbathers on the beach. Sunny beautiful day. Huge wave. CNN first person accounts. Home video of the wave. Remember the movie 'The Day After Tomorrow'.
The latest estimate puts the worlds financial contribution to this disaster at over $ 6 Billion dollars. Wow. Let's put this in perspective. This same world also spends over $ 3 Billion dollars a year on ring tones for their cell phones. Go figure.
What happens after this well designed disaster? The world opens their hearts and wallets for all those poor people. Governments suspend debt from affected countries. They send troops, supplies, clean water, food, tents, doctors and who knows what else. Next month we relax, feel good about ourselves and our government and continue worrying whether we have the latest ring tones for our cell phones, are following the proper diet or have the proper sweater for our dog.
Pity the poor disaster that doesn't meet our Hollywood expectations.
Interesting perspective Bruce. Don't know if I agree with it but thanks for making me think about this.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean "a well designed disaster"...that is about the stupidest statement I have ever heard...also, maybe this disaster will open people's minds to the fact that there are other sdisasters happening in the world daily...and didn't Hollywood just make a film about Rwanda?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input ... I don't think you 'got' what I am trying to say. I was been very 'tongue in cheek' when I talked about well designed.
ReplyDeleteMy point is that it appears to me that people react to disasters based on the visual aspect of it. When was the last time that the world reacted like this? September 11, 2001. Another visually amazing, news worthy disaster.
I am very afraid that the world's attention will be drawn away from Africa and all the death and orphans that this continent is producing. However Africa has a problem - it is not visually newsworthy. Just a bunch of people slowly dying in massive numbers. Just another bunch of orphans needing help.
What about Sudan. Just another genocide that is very hard to cover by CNN news.