The coverage of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean continues, relentlessly.
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It's almost as if there's a bidding war taking place between the news networks; 11,0000, 23,000, 45,000, 80,000. Eventually, one of the networks trumped the others by estimating a final figure of 100,000+ and all the others joined in immediately. As if a death-toll that works out as being some even multiple of the number of digits on our hands is somehow more meaningful than any other number.
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Whatever the final number is, the thought that thousands of people, thousands of individuals with their own personalities and dreams, were reduced to nothing more than a collective health hazard in an instant is truly horrible.
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And throughout it all, there's the ever present nationalistic chauvinism:
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'The final death toll may exceed 100,000, including at least 50 Britons ...'
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'The final death toll may exceed 100,000, including at least 50 Britons ...'
at least 50 Britons, must be serious then.
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Throughout the coverage of the first couple of days after the horror, I couldn't help noticing how much less crowded and nicer the hospitals the European victims were being treated in were. They contrasted very favourably with the hospitals treating the native casualties, which looked a lot more like railways stations in rush hour than treatment stations.
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Then there were all the human interest stories. I use the term 'human' in the narrowest sense of the word, as the UK news channels have focused exclusively on the fate of European nationals. I felt more than a little uncomfortable listening to them. Some had lost friends and family and that was harrowing enough, but the most disturbing accounts came from those who hadn't been touched by death. Without exception, all of them made reference to the fact that they had lost their 'stuff'. Very few made any mention of the horrors they were privileged enough to be able to leave behind; very many bellyached about the holiday clothes and video cameras they also left behind.
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I should be careful about making generalisations at tragic times like this but, personally, I feel little connection or empathy with people who are rich enough or so disconnected from family and friends back at home to spend Christmas day on a tropical beach. Listening to people moan about losing holiday luggage, after they've survived a disaster that killed tens of thousands, numbs me even more. These are the people willing to pay £100 to spend a night in a beach hut in 'Paradise', waited on by people earning a dollar or two a day. It's strange how all these 'paradises' end up looking like either Disneyland or a shanty town after a few years of development. The problem is, of course, the people visiting these places to 'get away from it all' are bringing their infection with them.
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This is a personal thing. I've travelled a fair bit but have always, wherever possible, passed on opportunities to visit undeveloped countries. I don't like being waited on by people who live like sh*t. I don’t feel comfortable indirectly supporting exploitative development through my presence. I think it's daft and wasteful to travel 11 hours on a plane just to experience a mundane beach holiday that could be had much nearer to home. Clearly, there are thousands of Europeans with no such hang-ups but they are worried about what's happened to their 'things'.
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It's not their fault the TV coverage is as skewed as it is but what I have seen has made me feel uncomfortable, for all sorts of reasons. Not least of the factors that leave me feeling uncomfortable is the nature of the 'humanitarian' reaction from certain quarters.
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First off, there's the UK Government. Apparently it has pledged £15m in aid. In the scheme of things that's biff all. Compare £15m with the £25,000m we spend on 'defence' every year or the £3,000m+ we take in annual arms sales to countries like Indonesia.
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I've just finished watching a feature on BBC 24 reporting that Scottish Water was sending 18 tons of water to the Maldives with the assistance of First Choice Airways. The water was surplus to Scottish Water's requirements, First Choice were flying a plane out to pick up stranded tourists anyway and 17,000 bottles of water isn't enough to hydrate the spectators at a football match but, hey, both companies grabbed five minutes of favourable TV coverage didn't they? Those loveable, fluffy companies.
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And so it goes on. Tracy went to work today and an email had been sent to all offices in the global law firm she works for. To facilitate collection of donations for disaster relief, the company is nice enough to offer to consolidate of all its staff's contributions. Consolidated into one big cheque with the company's name at the top and, presumably, a photograph of a nice presentation ceremony to go into next year's annual report.
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Don't get me wrong. For all the cynicism I see in the World, I also know that there are genuinely good, compassionate people out there and that mechanisms for delivering aid are in place. Most crucial of all, is the role of the much-derided UN. I can quite happily picture a World without George Bush's administration. I wouldn’t want to think of a World without the United Nations. But the cynicism is out there nevertheless.
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ITV News has been flashing up a phone number for the:
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The Disasters Emergency Appeal Help Line
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which viewers can call to make their donation. ITV is not telling us who's collecting the money or how it will be disbursed and, as a nice touch, the number is a 0870 fee-charging number. For all I know the operation may be 100% legitimate. It's the nature of the transaction that disturbs me:
which viewers can call to make their donation. ITV is not telling us who's collecting the money or how it will be disbursed and, as a nice touch, the number is a 0870 fee-charging number. For all I know the operation may be 100% legitimate. It's the nature of the transaction that disturbs me:
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Horrible Catastrophe = Massive TV Coverage = Viewer Guilt = Instant easing of viewer guilt through contribution to poorly defined money collection service
Horrible Catastrophe = Massive TV Coverage = Viewer Guilt = Instant easing of viewer guilt through contribution to poorly defined money collection service
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There's an underlying hypocrisy and dissonance to all of this. From an individual victim's perspective, what is the difference between being struck down on your own or at the same time as 100,000 other people? Thousands of people die all over the World from lack of basic essentials every day and no-one's reporting that as a pressing humanitarian crisis on prime time TV.
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As a small example of what I trying to say, consider the firemen killed on 911. The families of firemen who died on that day received $4m+ in payments from funds gathered after the disaster. Families of firemen, no less brave than those who lost their lives on 911, who were killed on other days get nothing. Is their families' loss somehow less because their loved ones didn't die during the course of a big media event?
As a small example of what I trying to say, consider the firemen killed on 911. The families of firemen who died on that day received $4m+ in payments from funds gathered after the disaster. Families of firemen, no less brave than those who lost their lives on 911, who were killed on other days get nothing. Is their families' loss somehow less because their loved ones didn't die during the course of a big media event?
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The same nonsense is going on right now. In the scheme of global suffering or the scale of total human population, 100,000 is a pin drop. There are roughly 6 billion people on this planet; a very large proportion of which lives very badly indeed. Something like 200,000 people die every day from all causes. Even if the death toll from the tsunami tops 100,000 that's still a mere 50% blip on a single day.
The same nonsense is going on right now. In the scheme of global suffering or the scale of total human population, 100,000 is a pin drop. There are roughly 6 billion people on this planet; a very large proportion of which lives very badly indeed. Something like 200,000 people die every day from all causes. Even if the death toll from the tsunami tops 100,000 that's still a mere 50% blip on a single day.
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Most of us who aren't world leaders or Corporate CEOs don't think about these kinds of numbers. Like contemplation of stars in the sky, the thought that there are 6 billion other individuals out there; all with their own hopes, ambitions and consciousness equal to our own, boggles the mind.
Most of us who aren't world leaders or Corporate CEOs don't think about these kinds of numbers. Like contemplation of stars in the sky, the thought that there are 6 billion other individuals out there; all with their own hopes, ambitions and consciousness equal to our own, boggles the mind.
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Many of the victims of this week's catastrophe will have been children. There are a lot of children in the 3rd World. There have been much worse tsunamis in the past but the impact of this one has been as large as it has because of the explosion in global population over the last 40 years. There are more people available to die. Many of these people are drawn to coastal areas because that's where the Westerners and their tourist dollars are waiting for room service.
Many of the victims of this week's catastrophe will have been children. There are a lot of children in the 3rd World. There have been much worse tsunamis in the past but the impact of this one has been as large as it has because of the explosion in global population over the last 40 years. There are more people available to die. Many of these people are drawn to coastal areas because that's where the Westerners and their tourist dollars are waiting for room service.
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On a much more mundane level, we've had increasing trouble in the UK with recently constructed houses being flooded during winter storms. Population pressure has meant that building is being undertaken on places where our ancestors would never have considered constructing housing. Our indigenous population isn't rising. The pressure on housing is due to fragmentation of families and us choosing to import poverty, in the form of immigrants, rather than exporting solutions to poverty to their home countries.
On a much more mundane level, we've had increasing trouble in the UK with recently constructed houses being flooded during winter storms. Population pressure has meant that building is being undertaken on places where our ancestors would never have considered constructing housing. Our indigenous population isn't rising. The pressure on housing is due to fragmentation of families and us choosing to import poverty, in the form of immigrants, rather than exporting solutions to poverty to their home countries.
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There's an underlying question behind the population and poverty issue that is never asked ...
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There's an underlying question behind the population and poverty issue that is never asked ...
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What are we all here for and how many of us should there be at any one time?
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I'm not going to pretend to know the correct answer. I'm not even sure that there is one. Unlike environmentalists, whose underlying message is that people are an infection whose numbers should be controlled, I believe that there potentially is no practical upper limit to the number of people who can be. We are a clever species and have always managed to increase output in line with population. There's no reason to believe that we won't have the means to support 9, 12, 15 billion people on this planet.
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... assuming we organise ourselves properly, share our production fairly and, equally importantly, figure out what we're all playing at.
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What's the game plan? What's the point? What is our collective purpose? Where's the vision?
What's the game plan? What's the point? What is our collective purpose? Where's the vision?
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Heard any answers to these questions lately? Have you heard anyone discussing the questions, let alone the answers, lately?
Heard any answers to these questions lately? Have you heard anyone discussing the questions, let alone the answers, lately?
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Or are we no more than a bunch of rabbits but with slightly better technology. Breeding for the sake of it with no greater sense of purpose than a reproductive urge.
Or are we no more than a bunch of rabbits but with slightly better technology. Breeding for the sake of it with no greater sense of purpose than a reproductive urge.
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As it happens, global population, if left unchecked, will possibly level out at something like 9bn. Population growth will slow down as countries like India and China develop, get rich and acquire a declining birth-rate in the process. Assuming the Earth doesn't choke before then.
As it happens, global population, if left unchecked, will possibly level out at something like 9bn. Population growth will slow down as countries like India and China develop, get rich and acquire a declining birth-rate in the process. Assuming the Earth doesn't choke before then.
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Whilst I was typing this a BBC journalist, covering the aftermath of the tsunami, surpassed herself and said:
Whilst I was typing this a BBC journalist, covering the aftermath of the tsunami, surpassed herself and said:
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'It may take a generation to recover from a disaster on this scale'
'It may take a generation to recover from a disaster on this scale'
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The news channels continue to vie with each other to reach new levels of empty hyperbole. Cobblers like that don't help or inform anyone. People are tough, resilient and resourceful creatures. The damage will be repaired within a year and, as is usually the case, they will probably take the opportunity to build something bigger and better out of the ruins.
The news channels continue to vie with each other to reach new levels of empty hyperbole. Cobblers like that don't help or inform anyone. People are tough, resilient and resourceful creatures. The damage will be repaired within a year and, as is usually the case, they will probably take the opportunity to build something bigger and better out of the ruins.
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Until the next time.
Until the next time.
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