Why does it take a Disaster for the World to Unite?

So Haiti was in an earthquake and we all come running to help and give aid, whos gonna get their firstto gain boasting power?

it seems the only time the world decides to unite is when there is a major disaster, and then when everything is all over and fixed, we decide to go back to hating eachother, and violence, so it makes me wonder what the motives are?

this world needs unity, all the time, not just when something bad happens.


THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS TO THE VICTIMS OF THE QUAKE

Out of chaos comes order. These are the words that this planet is run by.

Many of us take for the granted the luxuries of modern life and don't realize how truly blessed and priviledged we are, we are all about our individuality but in times of disaster we look beyond our noses and we are reminded of our humanity.

I believe there is a growing minority who is always united in helping those less fortunate than themselves. Those people donate year round to charities and are active in their communities and elsewhere..they don't wait for disasters to happen, they're trying to help victims of disasters long forgotten

reply to post by worldwatcher


Well said!

So by your statement you mean you are more bothered about the help or the disaster itself?

Im hoping the latter.

We are at our best during the worst, but no matter the disaster prople will still help even without pay, or boasting. Don't they?

My prayers go out to the victims as well, it IS a tragedy.

Coz deep down inside everyone remembers where we began

I agree though with you OP.

I think we should be like this every day.

I mean seriously, what other purpose is there to life if it isn't to help people in need?

This type of mindset should be the central focus of our entire civilization.

reply to post by l neXus l


Thats not always true. Just look at what happened in hurricane Katrina. Hardly any help there but to be fair I dont think the president cared about the victims otherwise there would be more help at the time then when things were dying down.

Thats why somethings needs to happen to shake us up. We will not change for the better out of our selves.

People live in a cycle and have clowded minds, they have no time to think about the world as a whole they have no time to think about other peoples problems because they them selves have alot.

this cycle needs to be broken and suddenly you see totally diffrent people.

Example:

When my father works he is a very stressed person, and can get very upset for practicly nothing, I curse at him for being as such at those times. But wen he is home for vacation or because of illness he is totaly calm and can tollerate so much more. I like him and we get along very very good.

Its amazing what the stress of life will do to a person.

[edit on 13-1-2010 by colloredbrothers]

Because Man is a reactionary creature. We don't proactively do anything. If we did things would be much better. We have come to rely upon hindsight, rather than develop our foresight.

When something atrocious goes down, its flips the switch in peoples minds, that that must be a horrid experience. But noone ever tries to stop problems before they start.

If the structural integrity of the Haitian Infrastructure was more solid, more stable, we wouldnt be having this problem. But watch, after the fact, nations will be attepmting to help Haiti restabilize their country and rebuild.

Despite having hindsight as our teacher, we will still not learn the lessons provided. Other poor nations wont be rebuilt to withstand such natural disasters, especially considering that they will be getting stronger in intensity.

As in all things, there should be a balance. Use hindsight to learn your mistakes and foresight to prevent the mistake from happening again.

Unfortunately, individuals are genius but masses are hella retarded.

Love and Peace

[edit on 13-1-2010 by M157yD4wn]

[edit on 13-1-2010 by M157yD4wn]

Originally posted by redeyedwonder
So by your statement you mean you are more bothered about the help or the disaster itself?

Im hoping the latter.

We are at our best during the worst, but no matter the disaster prople will still help even without pay, or boasting. Don't they?

My prayers go out to the victims as well, it IS a tragedy.

of course i am more bothered about the disaster, the help is amazing, i just wish we weree like this all the time

reply to post by worldwatcher
Obama said something similar in his own way today. Where I am there are Earthquakes although I have never been aware of them and I don't know anyone who has been aware of one, but they are there, as is in London and Dublin major cities with a major fault. People uniting like this is to do with compassion for others in mortal peril, if you don't have compassion for others then there is a problem with your DNA makeup, that is my view. In reality then, it is not the whole world uniting, it is those who are concerned, and better still, have an abilty to help and to do so.



[edit on 13-1-2010 by smurfy]

My god. It's times like these I can almost envy the religious, and those who believe in better places for us after this life. There is a magnitude and tragedy to the plight of those afflicted which strike the same human chords in the heart of all of us, but to the non-believers it can take on a potent added significance by not being able to muffle it's reverberation. The religious may wonder how this could possibly be necessary to a divine plan, but it seems their grass is awfully green from where I stand.

What we're seeing in Haiti are two sides of a common coin of globalization. Industrialization and infrastructure which, while still stricken with corruption and abject poverty, has risen the standard of living in Haiti above it's previous levels while providing basic infrastructure. Pushed the trend towards denser urbanization in communities with sub-standard building materials and codes. The destruction we're seeing in Port-au-Prince now is analogous to what happened in the Sichuan province of China a few years back.

However, the level of suffering we're seeing now in it's obvious and concentrated tonnage upon our senses only represents a level of suffering which once existed in greater magnitude; rendered in smaller and nearly invisible ever present sufferings. If the pilot on your water heater extinguished, and the room filled with gas which ignited to significant structural damage to home and the health of your family... would such an event constitute a level of suffering and pain significant enough to forgo heated water in your next home?

While corrupt and broken to a point where it can evokes an primal altruistic sense of guilt and shame, or anger at the dichotomy, in comparison to our own... the good it did (however inefficient) is evident now in the chaos resultant of the breakdown of that infrastructure.

And of course, I can't be the only one who's seen the uprising of international aid and disaster relief being poured out from almost every corner of the world. The U.N., Japan, China, Estonia, Russia, Pakistan, Turkey, Chile, Brazil, Cuba... from not only the European Union as a whole, but from virtually every member of the EU above and beyond what was already offered via the Union. Canada and America organizing the largest devotion of resources and transport... just to get started. A dizzying variety of International Aid organizations offering relief contributions, as well as corporate businesses, banking industries, and wealthy philanthropists... to say nothing of the global internet as a whole spreading news and organizing fund raising efforts from individuals across the spectrum of social classes.


A global outpouring of resources, money, peacekeepers, and manpower.... for the sake of the poorest nation in this hemisphere. And nary an oil field in sight. It's enheartening, when all you hear from members here is how "they" are inhuman beasts with no concern for life beyond that which they can take from them. How they just want to depopulate the Earth and enslave the desperate survivors. Sure, there will be corruption involved. I can all but guarantee that the days to come will see stories of opportunists who filled their pockets instead of the bellies of the survivors. You're not going to avoid that, and it happens on every level... from identity theft via mass email Disaster Relief frauds, as well as from those in the mobilization efforts. But that there is ill-intent in the world, does not good and noble expression of good will at the calling of our better angels.

[edit on 13-1-2010 by Lasheic]