Katrina vs Africa

[Allycat]

Before we start this discussion, let me just say that I feel deeply and sincerely for all the victims of Katrina as well as their friends and family-members; they're in my prayers. My intention in no way is to devaluate the tragedy that happened in the Southern States of the US.

However, something has been bothering me. The amount of attention Katrina and her victims have been getting... compared to Africans. Everyday thousands of people in Africa die of aids, other diseases, or just HUNGER. Where are they in the news? All eyes are on one American city, where arguably people are still better off then the average African. If you look at Sudan where Arabic millitia go about murdering people (or slaughtering, really) and raping woman and really young girls.

It's just hypocrite to feel so sorry just for the victims of Katrina but completely forget about the millions of suffering people in Africa.

End of rant... yes, go ahead and disagree, give me the bad karma, just felt this had to be said.

 

[Mr. Pointy]

I kind of agree with Ally here. That is not to play down or disrespect the horrible things that have happened in New Orleans but the people in African countries have been suffering for decades and it has to take pop stars (!)to open our eyes to it in a lot of cases...Whether in the US or Africa, they are fellow humans suffering and surely they all deserve or help and sympathy equally.

 

[Allycat]

I agree... I mean, the situation in the States is horrible and the images on TV are just devestating, but there is another tragedy going on right now, which it almost seems people are turning a blind eye to.

 

[Angels baby101]

I agree.... i mean i know what Katrina and Ivan did i was there through both but This isnt the only thing that deserves attention..... There are worse things out there that has been going on alot longer....Just no one seems to wanna pay attention to stuff like that... At least not while Reconstruction from Hurricane katrina is underway.....

 

[eponinethen]

Everyday thousands of people in Africa die of aids, other diseases, or just HUNGER. Where are they in the news?

Yes, that's it. Every day, it happens every day and it can't be on the news every day. It's not news. I don't mean to sound unsensitive about this, I'm not saying it shouldn't get a lot of attention, but saying every day how many people died in Africa, is not news and it's not helping... It's extremely sad and it should get attention (more of it) and all that, you just can't really compare it to things as Katrina victims... Giving them less attention won't help... It's not a question of what's more important, it's not a "Katrina vs Africa" war...

 

[Mr. Pointy]

:rolls eyes: yeah when was the last time you ponied up some money for the cause?

This was posted as a negative rep to my last post above, which can't be seen at the moment, presumably because of the recent upgrade. I found it mildly annoying because
a) I regularly donate money to charitable causes, both UK and worldwide.
b) PG doesn't seem to have any opinion here other than to mock mine - not seeing a post in this thread from them so far...I may be doing them a disservice - we can't see any other negative reps posted here after all 😉
So, I'm not quite sure what I've done to deserve a negative rep here other than to post my opinion, which is supported by other posters in this thread. Care to enlighten me PG...

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

The fact of the Matter is IF you were to report the incidents of what is happening in Africa everyday then there would be no room for every other piece of news.

I live with a girl who moved here from Ghana some time ago and her family still live there.

The fact is the public may put the news to the back of their minds BUT they do remember it...and help out however they can.....hence the recent Live8 concert.
But we have to remember that the world doesnt revolve around Africa......we have problems in our own lives too.
So why shouldnt we think more about ourselves then someone else for a large part of the year.

I dont think that there is anything wrong with news being given as it is.....the fact is the people who count know about the problems and work to resolve them. Hence the G8 summit and the World summit coming up where Africa is a main point.

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

For some reason i cant rep you Mr Pointy....so ill post here.

Its not that i have faith in the politicians......its that they have made, so far, a huge noise and come up with alot of what was asked....and what is still required, well that will take time. Fair Trade DOES take a substantial amount of money from our farmers and others around the world. So its fair without sounding mean....look out for your own first.
Yes, eventually, we can work around the problem and solve it, but to think we can sort it out now, straight away...nah.
Even my housemate knows that and she has been campaigning for her country for quite sometime.
As long as its a political issue its a media issue, which makes it a public issue.
The media will keep on it FORCING the politicians to constantly review it and its always in the public consciousness....so i believe that one day it will all be sorted......one day.

 

[Allycat]

@ Mr. P - I got a negative rep from PG too (quite rude at that even)... but I read in another thread that her family's from the area... so, I'm thinking that maybe she's a bit upset and/or emotional about this subject.

Anyhow 🙂 I got people talking about it... and that's sort of the most important thing... cause we can't forget that way.

 

[goldenboy]

I just started exploring the Buffy Boards schools. I'm a little slow, I know.

I'm usually wary of getting into socio-political things, cause folks get so emotional and pissed off! And, I usually barely know what the hell I'm talking about. But it's all very interesting.

As far as coverage of Africa vs Katrina: all the explainations mentioned have validity, I think.

And, just to be a sick cynic"”Africa's not "sexy" enough for the media. Katrina was photogenic chaos, very dramatic. Millions dying of AIDS is gradual, "invisible". TV in particular is a very visual, emotionally manipulative medium.

Also, it's expensive to keep a foreign news bureaus running. The (American) news coverage in Iraq tapered off quite a bit too, lots of reporters went back home after awhile"”too expensive to keep folks out in the field forever.

And also, the appearance of mighty America struggling and flailing in its own backyard due to incompetence or red tape is surprising, appalling, or even satisfying to some America haters. (I think some of the early complaints turned out to be hysterical and ignorant and overblown, though there were serious bureaucratic and personal failures at the city, state and federal levels of government. And lots of buck passing.)

And Hurricanes are a chance for American and foreign reporters to look like superheros, humanitarians, outraged muckrakers. That gloryhound Geraldo was out there of course, crying about orphaned babies....TV news makes me wanna vomit at times.

I believe Bush had pledged about $15 billion specifically for AIDs relief to Africa. Not sure what the latest news is. But really, what do we hear about Congo, The Ivory Coast, Nigeria, all the butchering in The Sudan? Mugabe's atrocious mess in Zimbabwe? Not much, relatively speaking. Sadly, folks just become numb to all the chaos. It's too far away...And (just thinking cynically again), much of it simply has nothing to do with America's or Europe's economic, security interests...so, little attention is paid.

As far as WHY there's chronic chaos and suffering in Africa, that's very complicated of course. I don't know much of anything about Africa, but I'll spout off anyways. Nations having been European colonies in the past is certainly a factor"”a mixed bag of good and bad. Lack of resourses in some areas is a factor. Drought, bad weather...chronic climate-related disease...

Other huge problems are massive corruption, power-hungry leaders, tribal, ethnic, religious warfare, a lack of basic governmental, legal institutions, property rights, right? Debt forgiveness and billions upon billions in donations is merely a band-aid in the grand scheme of things, seems like. Especially if the billions are redirected to warlords, governmental leaders and their cronies, relatives...

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

The money given to Africa since 1999 has in no way gone to "warlords". Debt relief, dontations and AID are only given to countries that can prove where its going or gone and have proven they will and can change.
No one has every said that the Donations, Aid would be anything more thena temnporary stop gap in inevitable decline if nothing is done.
That is why the G8 were told of all the aspects that needed addressing and what to do about it.
The above plus Fair Trade are key to starting the continent back on an economic growth, and so far all the points BAR fair trade have been agreed to a fair standard.
But without fair trade, Africa will stay as is for a long time yet....

 

[Soulgasm]

what does it matter...if you help katrina or africa...it's still helping...

i hope that katrina will open the nations eyes to gaping holes in our emergency response...even after we thought we were hot shiz in the years after 9/11...when we thought the government had it all covered to that point...

i hope that katrina will shock america into a more charitable role around the world...including africa...

 

[goldenboy]

The money given to Africa since 1999 has in no way gone to "warlords". Debt relief, dontations and AID are only given to countries that can prove where its going or gone and have proven they will and can change.
No one has every said that the Donations, Aid would be anything more thena temnporary stop gap in inevitable decline if nothing is done.
That is why the G8 were told of all the aspects that needed addressing and what to do about it.

Good point, reforms are definitely underway"”new qualifications for aid, not just monetary donations.