Help Japan, Ignore Haiti?

[AceAngel]

For someone who has the Batman avatar, you sure are blind as a bat.

Joking aside: http://money.cnn.com/2011/03/18/pf/japan_earthquake_aid/index.htm

To get the point across, Haiti got alot across the board, the Government was corrupt, it taxed both the aiding Nations as well made a surplus tax on the people for later, plus with all the star support I'm pretty sure some starlet adopted a couple of kids secretly, and with Canada bringing in immigrants, with a large percentage of the teenagers and young adults not wishing to go back and help out Haiti, their own land, both culturally and socially, people don't have the right to point hands to each other in this case and ask 'why' Haiti didn't get the spotlight...

Plus, Haiti isn't an international powerhouse that brought anything to the table in the market or economy, and as far as I can see with my tired brain, call me an idiot, but I also didn't see a Nuclear reactor that was in the Red Zone.

Simply put, Japan was more capable in aiding it's own people and worked with the nations in getting needed support. I mean honestly, what bloody country asks a taxation money inorder to get the money across to it's people, and ends up nesting 3/4 of it?

http://satwcomic.com/don-t-panic

That pretty much sums it up.

I suggest not taking that site at face value since the author more times then not is ignorant on many subject matters and his humor doesn't amount more then machoism, sex, and half arsed hipster research in international affairs of which he knows nothing.

 

[Jodah]

For someone who has the Batman avatar, you sure are blind as a bat.

Joking aside: http://money.cnn.com/2011/03/18/pf/japan_earthquake_aid/index.htm

To get the point across, Haiti got alot across the board, the Government was corrupt, it taxed both the aiding Nations as well made a surplus tax on the people for later, plus with all the star support I'm pretty sure some starlet adopted a couple of kids secretly, and with Canada bringing in immigrants, with a large percentage of the teenagers and young adults not wishing to go back and help out Haiti, their own land, both culturally and socially, people don't have the right to point hands to each other in this case and ask 'why' Haiti didn't get the spotlight...

Plus, Haiti isn't an international powerhouse that brought anything to the table in the market or economy, and as far as I can see with my tired brain, call me an idiot, but I also didn't see a Nuclear reactor that was in the Red Zone.

Simply put, Japan was more capable in aiding it's own people and worked with the nations in getting needed support. I mean honestly, what bloody country asks a taxation money inorder to get the money across to it's people, and ends up nesting 3/4 of it?

http://satwcomic.com/don-t-panic

That pretty much sums it up.

I suggest not taking that site at face value since the author more times then not is ignorant on many subject matters and his humor doesn't amount more then machoism, sex, and half arsed hipster research in international affairs of which he knows nothing.

Someone certainly needs to lighten up. It was a joke, it was always meant as a joke, and anyone who thinks it is not a joke needs slapped with a large mackerel.

 

[spartan231490]

Call me suspicious, but I find it rather aggravating about the way each Earthquake crisis has been handled. Take Japan's crisis. Within days, we have hundreds of different groups sending support, near instant foreign aid being assigned to the country, and lest we forget the massive gamer sympathy organizations like Team Fortress 2's Japan Hat donations.

Then we look at Haiti. Similar disaster, pitiful support in comparison. Canada, who was the first to respond to Haiti's aid calls, effectively criticized reaction times for other developed countries when the earthquake hit last year. While there has been foreign aid, the country remains a wreck, and isn't any better off than it was before the quake hit.

So what's the difference here? A poor, disease ridden country is smashed back into the stone age, and we barely blink, and a leading nation in technological advances retains most of its infrastructure, and suddenly everybody in the world is scrambling to help? Where's the Team Fortress 2 relief fund for Haiti? Where was the massive rush to help Haitian victims trapped in rubble and suffering disease outbreaks? Where was all the foreign aid going when Haiti got hit? There wasn't even enough to handle the cost of provisions for every victim.

I find it astounding that so little sympathy ever goes to underdeveloped nations, while a threat to an economic powerhouse causes a massive scramble. But this is pretty much par for the course. Nobody gives a shit about the little guy when they need to make ends meet.

Difference here, Japan had a nuclear reactor, Haiti didn't. I also remember there being lots of charity support for Haiti, we may have reacted more slowly, but I think we ended up giving more aid overall, Haiti was in the news for like 3 months, Japan was in the news for like 3 weeks.

 

[Xanadu84]

I remember the reaction to the Earthquake in Hati being much, MUCH bigger. Well, the reaction to Japan was bigger insofar as freaking out over nuclear reactors out of a sense of self-interest, but in terms of fundraising and humanitarian efforts, Japan seemed small and muted in comparison. Sure, Team Fortress did a fundraiser, but that is one singular company. And I thought they did that fundraiser because it seemed like no one was responding to Japans quake.

If you REALLY want to talk inequity of disaster relief, check out the support pakistan got for their killer quake. By the time that disaster happened, everyone was so bored of donating to haiti that no one bothered to pay attention to the pakis.

From what I saw, the inequity was much more disgusting then that. I saw a lot of people going so far as to say that they were happy about the disaster because they figured everyone over there were terrorists that we wanted to kill anyways. Because obviously every random Muslim must be a terrorist. It was pretty disgusting. Alternatively, Pakistans problems seemed to be more about food shortages, infastructure, and more subtle, less flashy destruction, so people were less likely to be charitable towards a less flashy cause. Id like to think that this is the main reason, as opposed to blatent racism, but...I can't convince myself of that.

 

[Caverat]

The earthquake in Haiti was the aid.

But seriously though, it's hard to want to offer support when you know it is just going to be sucked up by corrupt government officials, Japan would not have the same problem, even though it needed the aid far less.

Oh, and those TF2 hats were made in preparation for the launch of Shogun 2, they just quickly threw the whole aid Japan thing together because it was convenient.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

When Haiti starts making my electronics, I'll chip in for their relief effort.

What?

If I'm giving money to a cause it's a cause that's going to give me something back. As far as I know, nothing I own was imported from Haiti, so whether the country continues to exist really doesn't affect me.

 

[Viral_Lola]

So what's the difference here? A poor, disease ridden country is smashed back into the stone age, and we barely blink, and a leading nation in technological advances retains most of its infrastructure, and suddenly everybody in the world is scrambling to help?

You answered your own question there. People only care about influential countries. Politics, bullshit, the usual.

If only we could unite the world, preferably under my rule...

Or mine. I want an army of genetically altered men infused with grizzly bear genes.

 

[Devil's Due]

I wanted to help both, but I'm too poor to even help myself at times, so that's kind of moot. Anyways, here's a scenario:

Spoiler: Not really accurate, but enough to get the main idea

You have a regular, nice fine home, and so does your neighbors, only cash is really, really tight lately. One day two neighbors lose their homes due to debt or such. One guy is a working man who really tries hard to be part of the community. He's a bit weird, and at times odd in his views, but at least tries. He's also very sincere at times and can make some awesome parties.

The other guy isn't as lucky, as his home is still being built. He's an odd fellow, too. Constantly laying back, expecting people to help build his home with him rather than by himself, and you just really don't have a good feeling about him or his views. Half the time you forget he's even there.

You don't know either of the two well, but with your strapped for cash scenario and based off these observations, you have to figure out who you can give a few spare dollars to help out. Who would you pick? I'm sure most would pick the first neighbor, or in this case Japan.

Now, I am not saying this is accurate (this is talking about houses after all!), but just an overview of the idea. This is a bit of how our minds view things. Most of us want to know which investment will help ourselves later on and with the people they like. Unfortunately for Haiti, most of the world puts Japan in a higher priority. Is it right? No, not really. Is it fair? No. But it's just how we are wired, it appears.

Like I said, if I honestly had the cash, I'd give it to both. But I just don't have that ability, and if I did get some spare cash, I'd probably have chosen Japan too. Plus there's the whole fact their nuclear reactor put some radiation in my milk supply here on the North Western side of the United States of America, so if that was still an issue I'd probably send them some cash to help stop that issue. Thankfully, it's not an issue anymore!

 

[Baneat]

There's a big media stir, people get bored of feeling part of something and forget about it. Cynical, but it's how it works.

 

[SillyBear]

A shit load of money was donated to Haiti.

 

[Bandit747]

I have a friend who got back from Haiti Friday, went there for a missions trip with her church. Not a huge help but there are still people trying to help

 

[Bandit747]

I have a friend who got back from Haiti Friday, went there for a missions trip with her church. Not a huge help but there are still people trying to help

 

[Zaik]

I think at this point the only help people still alive in haiti might get is a plane ticket. Seems like a disaster hits them every other week or so.

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

And let's not forget that Haiti's folks looted, plundered, backstabbed and still try to hoard any supplies coming in as opposed to, y'know, trying to collaborate like other (poor) Caribbean countries struck by the tsunami did. I too would be on the fence about donating money when having a sinking suspicion that whatever goods are bought with it will never reach those that need it most.

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

Well, Japan was irresponsible enough to put nuclear plants all over a major fault line. This could in tern effect countries all over the world. Hell, China's polution can be detected in the U.S.

I honestly cared about Haiti more. They're a poor country, unlike Japan.

I mean seriously- Would you not help this guy out?

Haiti got aid, it just wasn't as fast, because the country posed no threat.

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

Except, y'know, if you're building anywhere in Japan you're pretty much building in or near a major fault line. You can't expect them to leave the entire island chain behind and colonise a part of China instead. =p

 

[Your once and future Fanboy]

Yes, save Japan, ignore Haiti!

...Don't give me that look! This is a gamer site after all!