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[fanta]

damn, so they (the Americans) got a whole army over there, but I guess they're too busy killing babies and such to be much help to the people in Pakistan.  I think they just lost the war in Afghanistan.  More than they were already losing it, I mean. 

[fanta]

I guess if you're gonna find yourself in harm's way, better to be in the company of many than in the company of a few, as this will better arouse sympathy of others... e.g. terrorism, you get offed by a terrorist, people will be like, 'damn sucks to be him,' but if a few thousand perish with you, congress will be like 'damn we need to bail out their families.' 

But Pakistan has outdone it's self.  They hit that optimal sympathy scale, and they just kept on going exponentially until the number of people in harm's way far exceeds the sympathy the world has for them.  If anything, it diminishes the sympathy, because people are like 'well, no one's gonna want to bail out that many people.  They're screwed.  oh well.  Might as well not do anything.'

[Carlos del Vaca]

Yeah, this seems to be getting a lot less attention in the States than either the Haiti earthquake or the tsunami a few years ago.  Sad.

[AugustWest]

Part of that may be due to the nature of the disaster.  People hear "flood" and think, OK, there's some property damage and hell of cleanup involved, but you don't get the same image of cataclysmic destruction that you get when you hear "earthquake" or "tidal wave".

[AugustWest]

Anybody remember what happened around Nashville in May this year?

Horrible guitar carnage.

[fanta]

I don't think it's because it's a flood vs earthquake as much as because it's brown skinned people vs whites.  Also because they're poor too.  And because they're all terrorists.  At least, in the U.S. I think that's how it goes.  The U.S. conservative mindset is a little ironic in this respect because this is a group of people who think war=good, and if you want the war, and you want it to be halfways winable, these people are key.

Trying to find logical explanations for the reaction in the U.S. isn't very logical given that this is a population that votes for politicians based on feeeeeling.  For logic I think you need some kind of reasoning capability no?

[Arachno-capitalist]

Am I the only one here who saw the numerous reports of US forces flying mercy missions ASAP to deliver aid faster and before taliban groups could? So that we can both help the people in trouble and improve our image in the area? Because these were all over the news and nightline. I'm not saying we went in and solved the crisis, but it is not like we just ignored it either.

[AugustWest]

I don't think it's because it's a flood vs earthquake as much as because it's brown skinned people vs whites.  Also because they're poor too.  And because they're all terrorists.  At least, in the U.S. I think that's how it goes.  The U.S. conservative mindset is a little ironic in this respect because this is a group of people who think war=good, and if you want the war, and you want it to be halfways winable, these people are key.

Nothing like keeping an open mind instead of making broad based generalizations, is there?

[arkabee]

Anybody remember what happened around Nashville in May this year? So yeah, WHAT AUGUST SAID!

yes.  i don't know how bad those pansy-assed big city fancy-##### had it but herebouts it's still pretty fucked up.

i'm a gonna guess that pakistan isn't going to get a whole hell of a lot of sympathy from poor folk in nowheresville who lost their "rent to own" house and their "rent to own" big screen only recently and are still dicking around with FEMA.

also, is pakistan the one who hates the US or the one who doesn't give a shit about the US, one of those flood victims might ask themselves.

i wouldn't even hazard a guess as to wonder what folk on the gulf shore are thinking.

[fanta]

Nothing like keeping an open mind instead of making broad based generalizations, is there?

The current state of the art science tells us that the mind can grapple with at most 10 or so concepts or ideas at once.  Since the physical world is comprised of more than 10 distinct things, we need systems of organization.  E.g. chapters in books, political spectra (e.g. right to left), and so on.  If you don't agree with my way of categorizing things, that's one thing, but it's false to equate categorization and organization with close-mindedness.  You probably won't agree with how I categorize and organize things because I'm smarter than you.  That's okay, however.  We can't all be equally smart.  ; - )

[fanta]

Am I the only one here who saw the numerous reports of US forces flying mercy missions ASAP to deliver aid faster and before taliban groups could? So that we can both help the people in trouble and improve our image in the area? Because these were all over the news and nightline. I'm not saying we went in and solved the crisis, but it is not like we just ignored it either.

Eh, that's just a dog and pony show.  But these are brown skinned people we're talking about, and not even Americans, so it'll do nicely.  Tons of supplies, tons!  and millions of dollars!  Yes that's right, millions!!  Initial response was like, a few helicopters.  You could count on your hands the number of helicopters devoted to the effort by the U.S.  I mean, if it wasn't all just a PR scam, there would be some acknowledgment on the part of U.S. officials that our efforts basically are a drop in the bucket and are unacceptable, and the reason for this is X or Y obstacles, and we're working to overcome those obstacles or whatever, but no, it's all just fuck*ng PR.  Hell, 75% of the gulf oil is gone, didn't you hear!  Gone!  Fuck this administration, and fuck any "news" source that gives it any degree of credence by parroting it's shit.  I mean seriously. 

[littlefallsmets]

[Arachno-capitalist]

^^^HES COMIN AS FAST AS HE CAN TO THE FLOOD PEOPLES

(Obvious troll is obvious)

[AugustWest]

I'm smarter than you. 

Based on any so-called objective measure you'd care to name, I both humbly and sincerely doubt that.

[pmcd9]

I'm just wondering, is this a more or less normal occurrence in Pakistan or is this a freak flood?