Hmm...

Am I blind or is there no thread discussing the Japan earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant problems?

I think back to Music Central (was that it?)/Keyboard Corner forums when I knew many of the regulars that migrated here, the outpouring and discussion over the 2004 Asian Tsunami, the community collaborating on a song for charity towards the disaster...

Well, I think there are two issues. First of all, there are many threads about this in the Political Forum, and there's this thread in the Effects forum about contributing. So there are plenty of places to discuss what's going on; HC has a lot more forums total than Musicplayer had.

But I also think everyone is still in a state of shock. In 2004, there was an event, it was tragic, it ended, it was time to clean up.

Here, the events just don't seem to stop. The earthquake happened to one of the most, perhaps THE most, earthquake-aware countries in the world. But then the tsunami hit, and then the nuclear power issue, which continues and is not close to stopping. I think people are still trying to figure out what needs help, who needs help, and how to help.

Another issue is that Japan has always had this reputation as a super-together, self-sufficient country and perhaps people don't feel the same level of urgency - the Japanese government keeps saying the nuclear thing isn't all that bad, which gives a feeling of "Okay, they'll just cover it with concrete, and all will be well." But I'm not sure I trust that assessment. I think some people might feel that helping Japan would be like offering a 250-pound prizefighter help in a bar fight.

As the full extent of this tragedy becomes clear, then I think the relief efforts will kick into higher gear...but for now, it seems like the issue is all about preventing additional and even potential more far-reaching disasters, rather than worrying about the ones that have already happened.

Another possible problem is a feeling of hopelessness. Remember all that outpouring about Haiti? Did it help? IIRC not one cent that Congress allocated to Haiti has acually ended up there. Is New Orleans whole again? Not by a long shot. I think that perhaps some people have the feeling of "why do anything, it won't matter and the money will just go into someone's pockets."

If governments spent less on military pursuits maybe there would be some cash left in the bank to really help with this crisis. Can drop bombs, but can't drop water, food etc.

Big