China Earthquake, Myanmar Typhoon....
 

While my heart (and donations) go out to all the people effected by these disasters I have to wonder why to humans feel the need to link things like this together as some kind of sign?

I've already been party to three or four different conversations where people are asking: Why are all these disasters happening now? What is going to happen next? Is this global warming? A portent of evil? etc....

All that talk indicates is that people are forgetful, and somehow believe that we as a generation are special.

You can see this phenomenon every time the seasons change. "It's never been this cold," "The weather changed so quickly," blah blah blah. Forgetfulness and an inflated sense of self.

Someone at work suggested the Burma typhoon was a godly punishment. But then got offended when I asked why God punished us with Katrina, 9/11, and Two and a Half Men.

People don't like feeling out of control. If they can chalk it up to, "They musta done something to deserve punishment," then they feel like they can avoid a similar fate by avoiding doing things that deserve punishment.

Let's not forget the bizarre string of tornadoes too.

I dont think Ive ever heard it put better.

The link I get is thus (and Katrina highlights it) ... in these far eastern countries, it seems like natural disasters kill tens of thousands ... while in the U.S., the worst kill "merely" thousands.


China is hardly a third-world country, but (because I can't bear to find out much about this yet on the heels of Burma), I assume this happened in a rural area. Unlike rural areas in the U.S., it seems people are jam packed in rural areas of China, Burma, India and elsewhere ... so that when natural disasters strike, tens of thousands (or more) are tragically affected.


What's worse is that the incompetence, corruption, and non-concern for affected peoples is so many times more magnified with governments in places like China and Burma when compared to even the incompetence, corruption and non-concern of the Bush Administration. With Katrina in the forefront of my thinking, these disasters in Asia boggle the mind on every level of horror.

The videos on CNN don't look rural.

I think the sheer amount of damage is due to lack of building codes. When 8 schools in the region were topples, you're going to get a high death toll - considering school was in session when it happened. 900 teenagers were burried in one school site alone. Somehow, I can't imagine one of our local high schools completely collapsing in an earthquake.

Anyone heard from BD Bopper this morning or last night? The tornados may have been close to him, but he also may be without power.