NWS.. this is sad..but very real

[*Glenn* 854]

If you have problems with reality ... dont open this. This is real life & death in Haiti

I havent posted this to disturb anyone... this is what can happen & its not nice... very sad infact

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/photogra...23168.htmlstory

Edited January 17, 2010 by *Glenn*

[Driftit 1951]

I find the first comment posted very fitting to how I feel about the photos.

There are so many unique and interesting human interest angles here, that it is disappointing to see that many of the photojournalists still seem intent on reproducing images of despair and pain. Granted, nothing will ever accurately summarize the events of the past week, but the fact is that these pictures amount to little more than watching a trainwreck, watching a disaster unfold simply to see its destruction.

Perhaps the images could have done more to restore the humanity to the people in the images by showing moments of strength (as difficult and rare as they may be at this tragic moment).

What do these images tell us that we don't already know? Nothing... Rather, they further sensationalize one of the most terrible moments in contemporary history by offering to us moments of "looting" and of "death."

Don't get me wrong... These images are a very necessary part of covering the event. I just feel that very little is being done to try and avoid the traditional narrative of "disaster and relief," and of "if it bleeds it leads" that typically inform these articles.

The bottom line is that these images do nothing but reinforce the ugliness of an event, without so much as even acknowledging the strength of the people who are affected and now involved; people in Haiti, relief workers, local Haitians who are also part of the relief effort, not just victims and looters.

blindtheskies (01/17/2010, 11:40 AM )

[DRTDVL 0]

Thats always the way - thats what sells papers...

When the news shifts more towards the relief efforts watch the photo content shift also.

[M325is 0]

Its quite sad, some of those buildings look really nice but will most likely have to be demolished now. So our government isn't too bad, as if this were to happen here it would be a very different story. Unless all of government died there... who knows? I think its a load of sh*t really. Its not like they are a completely helpless country like Ethiopia, I don't understand why they cant get their sh*t together.

[Nobimmer 694]

Real eye-opener.

But

Wonder how long before start photoshopping them.

[Guest Ari Gold]

No different to this famous image Glenn:

http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/odds_and...e_in_unfair.htm

(NWS)

[mark247 38]

Its quite sad, some of those buildings look really nice but will most likely have to be demolished now. So our government isn't too bad, as if this were to happen here it would be a very different story. Unless all of government died there... who knows? I think its a load of sh*t really. Its not like they are a completely helpless country like Ethiopia, I don't understand why they cant get their sh*t together.

Haiti is still very much a poor country.

26th lowest gdp per capita in the World.

Edited January 18, 2010 by Mark247

[kingkarl 136]

Its quite sad, some of those buildings look really nice but will most likely have to be demolished now. So our government isn't too bad, as if this were to happen here it would be a very different story. Unless all of government died there... who knows? I think its a load of sh*t really. Its not like they are a completely helpless country like Ethiopia, I don't understand why they cant get their sh*t together.

Are you f**king kidding me?

Excuse the language, but how can you honestly believe that?

[mark247 38]

Are you f**king kidding me?

Excuse the language, but how can you honestly believe that?

I wrote something but edited it out so I bitch fight doesn't start. I cant believe it either. Ignorance.

[Braeden320 0]

Its quite sad, some of those buildings look really nice but will most likely have to be demolished now. So our government isn't too bad, as if this were to happen here it would be a very different story. Unless all of government died there... who knows? I think its a load of sh*t really. Its not like they are a completely helpless country like Ethiopia, I don't understand why they cant get their sh*t together.

Tens of thousands of people are dead and you have that to say?Peoples mothers/fathers/brothers/sisters/uncles/auntys are dead and you say its a load of sh*t?

You wouldnt say that its a load of sh*t if you had a family member invloved in it would you?

Unbelievable

Edited January 18, 2010 by braeden.

[M325is 0]

I dont think you guys understand, stop jumping to the worst.

I think the clean up and rescue is a load of sh*t! Where are they? Why are there bodies lying in wait? Where is their government? Its a f**king load of sh*t if you ask me. Do they not pay tax? Do they not have a plan in place for disasters? Its not like they have no means to have it all in place.

[laadeelaa 0]

I sometimes wonder why horrific events have to happen to poorer countries. They don't deserve it.

[mark247 38]

I dont think you guys understand, stop jumping to the worst.

I think the clean up and rescue is a load of sh*t! Where are they? Why are there bodies lying in wait? Where is their government? Its a f**king load of sh*t if you ask me. Do they not pay tax? Do they not have a plan in place for disasters? Its not like they have no means to have it all in place.

Political corruption is a common problem in Haiti. The country has consistently ranked as one of the most corrupt nations according to the Corruption Perceptions Index, a measure of perceived political corruption. In 2006, Haiti was ranked as the most corrupt nation out of the 163 that were surveyed for the Index.[4] The International Red Cross reported that Haiti was 155th out of 159 countries in a similar survey of corrupt countries.

I think foreign aid is doing the best they can. Haiti has been relying on it for years, why do you think the UN was there before the earthquake? The fact that most of the people in Haiti were living a far from comfortable life in the first place says a lot. Think yourself lucky you live in the "least corrupt" country in the World.

[DRTDVL 0]

just to put this into perspective of size (so you get an idea of how small this place is)

New Zealand total land area = 268,021 square kilometres

Haiti total land area = 27,750 square kilometres

Auckland's total URBAN land area = 1,086 square kilometres as per june 2009

so the whole country is 27 x larger than albany to manaku roughly...

give they couldn't land any aircraft for a day or two, and roads needed to be unblocked i don't think it's been too bad... It takes time to assemble, prepare, equip, and mobilize - getting bodies on the ground is the easy part.

Also from what i understand there is a very very large religious element before bodies can be moved.

[DRTDVL 0]

I sometimes wonder why horrific events have to happen to poorer countries. They don't deserve it.

Horrific events don't just happen in poorer countries, it's the conditions and elements that the richer nations can prepare for and spend the money to create infastructure to deal the best it can with.

If you look in the states - it's a very rich nation. Look at Florida and the gulf of Mexico area during Hurrican season. You have the mid-west and tornado's destorying everything they touch. In the states you don't have a house in the mid-west without a storm shelter (basically a bomb shelter) or a basement. Look at the earthquakes in LA, Earthquakes in Japan, Floods in Europe, Forrest fires in the US every year and also in Aussie...

Look at Te Papa, they had to install massive rubber pads that the building sits on to help combat earthquakes.

The richer countries are just better resourced to cope.

[M325is 0]

Also from what i understand there is a very very large religious element before bodies can be moved.

So religious that they have to burn them first?

[mark247 38]

Go on the tour of the Beehive and see what it's sitting on, and then go to a poorer country and check out their buildings. You will soon see why everything fell down. As I said, we are lucky.

DRTDVL sums it up nicely.

[DRTDVL 0]

So religious that they have to burn them first?

Burning the bodies was a very very very old way to stop disease spreading. It was extremely common during the Bubonic Plague outbreak.

Disease is the number 1 problem in Haiti at the moment, if you don't deal with it very very quickly people who are injuried are going to get very sick, water supplies are going to get contaminated, food will get contaminated, etc...