This city has a population of over 5 million. If you have never been to or read about China the total population is 1.4 billion in 2007. I have been lucky enough to travel there. It has 171 cities with over 2 million people. This devastation while terrible is only a blip in the overall population. They could lose 20% of their total population and it would be equal to the U.S. (John posted on this yesterday). If you at times feel inconsequential, unwanted and unloved in America imagine 6 times as many people around you. Over 600 people a day are killed in traffic accidents every day (220,000 a year). Buildings are constructed with no building codes, no inspections and collapse routinely. Losing this many people so far is probably severely understated or misreported.
OlderAndWiser
· 1 year ago
lynchie, regardless of the numbers, every person's death diminishes me (to paraphrase John Donne).
Numbers are meaningless when it is a mother, a daughter, a son or father, a relative, neighbor or close friend. The personal losses are real--as real as the 22 people in the US lost to tornadoes. Melissa Block of NPR was already in that region, and she reports just the grief itself is staggering.
lynchie
· 1 year ago
I in no way diminish the loss of life. My point which was not made very well was that the value of human life there is very small and the government ignores the living conditions. I meant no disrespect to the chinese people who have perished.
devis1
· 1 year ago
The numbers are overwhelming and unfortunately the natural disasters just keep coming. Very sad.
Nannie
· 1 year ago
According to the Earthquake website there have been over 40 quakes yesterday and today in that area with a magnitude of 4.3 to 7.8.
The earth must be constantly shaking. It is causing landslides also. Devastating...
All Comments
Forbes' sunny assessment seems a bit premature, IMHO, and they did mention the money to be made on such a disaster:
http://www.forbes.com/markets/2008/05/13/china-...
This devastation while terrible is only a blip in the overall population. They could lose 20% of their total population and it would be equal to the U.S. (John posted on this yesterday).
If you at times feel inconsequential, unwanted and unloved in America imagine 6 times as many people around you. Over 600 people a day are killed in traffic accidents every day (220,000 a year). Buildings are constructed with no building codes, no inspections and collapse routinely. Losing this many people so far is probably severely understated or misreported.
Numbers are meaningless when it is a mother, a daughter, a son or father, a relative, neighbor or close friend. The personal losses are real--as real as the 22 people in the US lost to tornadoes. Melissa Block of NPR was already in that region, and she reports just the grief itself is staggering.
The earth must be constantly shaking. It is causing landslides also. Devastating...