What do you think about the Pakistan Floods?
Obviously not your opinion on the actual floods – i don’t think anybody can disagree that it was a horrible tragedy for many innocent people.
No, I mean more about how the other nations have reacted. One thing I have noticed is that, while more people have been affected (not killed, affected) than the Haiti earthquake, it has received less coverage. Where is Pakistan’s charity single?
I ask this because I am writing a guest post on a friends blog about the recent disaster. I’m interested in other people’s opinion.
So, why do you think that Pakistan has received less coverage than other disasters?
I, like many people, believe that it has its roots in racism. Whilst many people have not been brave enough to mention this factor, I think it is there. Where I come from, anybody with brown skin is automatically labelled a ‘Paki’ – even if they are Indian, nobody cares enough to differentiate. (I am a British White Male, by the way).
I was speaking to somebody the other day about this, and his reply actually shocked me. He said ‘Well, its not like we’re going to run out of them, is it?’.
I also read about a group with terrorist (al-Qaeda) connections, giving out aid in the poorest regions, do you believe this will spur terrorism on? I personally believe that in five, ten years, the young children of rural Pakistan are going to remember who it was that helped them when they needed it the most.
So, what do YOU personally believe, what are YOUR thoughts on the whole situation?
And finally, do you think the world is falling apart?
@Harley Drive – interesting! Although, they could have double that population, it wouldn’t matter. The rural population are poor, and their crops have been destroyed. Many areas of Pakistan are unreachable due to the floods now, so its very difficult for the government to help. Nice answer though, to the point. Thanks!
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13 comments
Andrew S Loose canon on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
The flood in Pakistan probably got more news coverage than the massively destructive 2010 flood in Tennessee which got almost no news coverage even in the U.S..
"The May 2010 Tennessee floods were 1000-year floods in Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee, South Central and Western Kentucky and northern Mississippi as the result of torrential rains on May 1 and 2, 2010."
Cecil n on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
Admit it or not, it is difficult to muster much sympathy for a country who has terrorism as it’s main export. If Pakistan got it’s priorities in proper alignment, it could take care of itself. The reward money for OBL would go a long ways toward helping with the disaster, but they will not give him up. Perhaps Allah will save them.
Harley Drive on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
pakistan has a population of 120 million they fought a bitter war to gain independence from india and both pakistan and bangladesh are in low lying land that floods every year due to the monsoons and the run off from the mountains, they have more than enough manpower and resources to build levees, dykes and flood drains/canals to manage their water problems, they also have a huge army and have nuclear weapons, money that should go elsewhere until their problems are solved
The First Dragon on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
If it’s racism, it must be that the Media like Blacks better than Tans. Haiti is about 99.9% Black, give or take. I didn’t look it up, so don’t quote me.
In terms of religion, Pakistan is Muslim and Haiti is a mixture of Catholicism and Vodun. I don’t know whether that makes a difference in how we feel about the disaster. It doesn’t to me.
I can’t speak authoritatively on why Pakistan gets less coverage, but I can think of some factors.
Haiti is much more accessible than much of Pakistan. It is a small country, and Americans go there for vacation because of the tropical climate and beaches. Pakistan seems to be constantly at war with itself or others [not quite officially, but conflict exists]. So more death and destruction doesn’t shock us on the outside quite as much.
As far as I’m aware [I live on the West Coast, the opposite side from Haiti, so I may have missed something] Haitian immigrants are not resented too much. Oddly, at least in the past, I have seen Haitians regarded more highly than natural born US Blacks. They have a lovely accent when they speak English, it sounds like music. Anyway, Haitians are not so numerous as to make the US population fear being taken over by them.
Also, I think the fact that a single earthquake practically leveled the whole island was extremely impressive. Of course in California we have similar quakes every now and then; the typical death toll of a big quake is much less than 100. Most of the buildings have no significant damage, and most of the rest are still quite usable. We are impressed at the sight of a single building being destroyed! It happens once in a while, not often. I remember seeing Olive View Hospital right after the first Northridge Quake. All the ground-floor windows were broken, and one wing had fallen over! Wow! It has been repaired since then. The destruction in Haiti was so huge that it seemed like a totally different order of magnitude. And all this in a country where the media can go wherever they want without fear of being assassinated.
Then too, the death toll is probably more impressive to most people than the "affected" toll.
Both Haiti and Pakistan can be criticized for having such poor infrastructure and inability to handle disasters; I don’t see any difference between them on this score.
And oh yes, the world IS falling apart, but it will grow back together again, probably in about 20 years.
American Youth! on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
Sadly, Americans aren’t interested in helping Pakistan citizens no matter how devastasted a population they are.
And Yes "the world is falling apart" because we have obesity epidemics and a rise on starvation.
Deathstar on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
I pay much closer attention to the astronomical problems here in my small impoverished crime infested town, other than devote any creative energy to a bunch of demon worshiping strangers half a continent away…
the old dog on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
I think a lot of the people in the western world are just tired of giving their money to the "Islamic Idealists" who have control over these matters. It’s like the monies that went to Jordan’s arabians in the West Bank and Gaza; lately the truth about Hamas and Hezbollah’s cash grab from the international aid has been circulating around the globe. That and a number of other corrupt officials in power bases throughout the Islamic nations have deterred most of the western worlds assistance for those who need it.
In Somalia for instance, Al-Shabab have successfully tossed out three major aid groups on trumped up charges of proselytizing when in fact all we were doing was feeding the hungry muslims.
These are a few examples and I could go on and on and on but more than likely some politically correct pimp would report me for ranting.
But the bottom line is that a lot of trust in the Islamic states has been lost in the past few years and many people are letting the Islamic nation deal with their own Islamic neighbours on their own.
EDIT: Another factor in the slow response and small attention is that the people who would normally help have not been given enough information as to how deep the damage in Pakistan is. My government for instance assessed the damage and assured $2,000,000.00; however when it became apparent that it was inadequate they upped the amount to $30,000,000.00 and that was only after the real damage was reported to them.
We in Canada still have the same problem with the Islamic nations and the corrupt "Islamic Idealists" but still, the poor reporting was a deterrent to more help when they (Pakistinians) needed it.
theguywhoreportedmeisamoron on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
PRAY FOR MORE RAIN,WE BADLY NEED IT.
A FEW LOSS LIVES WILL MAKE THIS OVERPOPULATED PLANET LIVE A MINUTE LONGER.
IKE Forever on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
I’m going to donate money and food. God does not like evil.
WhatBrain? on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
The Pakistani people haven’t been particularly friendly to us or any of their neighbors; they can sink or swim.
Smells like New Screen Names on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
1. You help your neighbors more than you do the guy across town.
2. The US has a long history of intervention in Haiti, its one of our favorite places to send troops.
3.Haitians don’t even bother to shoot at us when we show up. Pakistanis do.
4.Haiti is conveniently located for news crews. In the same way that minor New York events become national news stories, Haiti makes the news more.
5. Voodoo, a lot more fun than fundamentalist islam.
cbjack on August 17, 2010 at 1:06 am
I am in favor of the floods.
Sara on February 25, 2011 at 1:30 am
You guys cannot generalize a terrorist activity onto the whole nation of Pakistan. They do not have the infrastructure or other rights but still they are struggling through.
The literacy rate is low and that is why there are more troubles surfacing. However, why are you all so reluctant to empathize with them? Are they animals? I mean talk about human rights and check out all the central jails in ANY country. Why are Pakistani’s (as a whole nation) portrayed as terrorist?
I do not think that it is either justifiable or wise to over-generalize and simplify a situation. There have been terrorist incidents happening in Pakistan but it does not mean that the Pakistani people are terrorists!
It is Pakistani’s who die in those suicide bomb incidents. Pakistani’s loose their people in those terrorist acts. And Pakistani’s condemn any sort of terrorist activity as well. So why blame them?
They are human, just like, all others. As humanity we all are one family, so what’s the point of this blame game? why not highlight the “real” culprits?