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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Australians,Wrong colour,wrong religion or too rich

165 replies

SalvadorDalek · 13/01/2011 20:04

I have not seen a disaster appeal for the floods in Australia (I dont know if there is one so forgive me if there is)
Are they not worthy?

OP posts:
TattyDevine · 13/01/2011 21:15

Yep, its true Baroque, its all that money generated by their waxing industry.

TattyDevine · 13/01/2011 21:16

Oz isn't as rich as a lot of people think, but (correct me if I'm wrong) I dont think their debt is terribly horribly bad either...

StewieGriffinsMom · 13/01/2011 21:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hockeyforjockeys · 13/01/2011 21:17

I'm extremely sympathetic towards the plight of Queenslanders, quite frankly what some are going through cannot be eased by money alone. However I won't be donating for this, due to the massive vet bill I've just been presented with due to not having insurance (oh the irony). I did though donate to the Victorian bushfire funds a couple of years ago, and donate to other disater appeals as well as monthly to donations both here in the UK and abroad.

I take the point about insurance though, there are those who are uninsurable or won't be covered, but many will which is the difference between there and the developing world.

As for cholera, yes it is a risk. However Australia has the resources and desire to try and prevent an outbreak, as the escalation of the cost of the disaster would be huge + the political cost of allowing their own citizens to die of a third world disease.

What has annoyed me though is the implication that there is some sort of reverse racism going on here. It is going to very hard journey for the people of Queensland and for some I suspect and going to face a very bleak future. But it just can't compare to what those who live in the poorest countries have to face where there is literally nothing without internatinal charitable donations.

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 13/01/2011 21:20

very true SGM - I thought I put that in - should actually be trying to rest not flapping around on the computer - that the gap between the rich and the poor is astronomical.

But they are incredibly rich so going by some of the posters theories - they "should" be able to pay for it themselves.....

Absolutely agree with you about the Red Cross etc.

StewieGriffinsMom · 13/01/2011 21:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

saturdaynightpants · 13/01/2011 21:26

nancy I am a brisbane girl and had flood insurance

Cartoose · 13/01/2011 21:28

I don't think you can sum up all of "the Aussies themselves" after one facebook comment by one person.

I realise it was just a light hearted remark but it did grate.

TattyDevine · 13/01/2011 21:30

I'm not Cartoose but there are some shocking comments flying around. They have eased off a fair bit in the past 24-48 hours though and a lot have been deleted.

I am an Aussie by the way, so I am not trying to misrepresent an entire country, just saying they still do know how to laugh at themselves and make light of a situation from what I have seen.

Cartoose · 13/01/2011 21:32

OK Smile things are just a bit raw for me right now.

saturdaynightpants · 13/01/2011 21:33

God Im not offended.....you could just post that its just as well considering how most victorians move to qld anyway

saturdaynightpants · 13/01/2011 21:53

flash flooding i victoria now...grampians

saturdaynightpants · 13/01/2011 21:54

in

Punkatheart · 13/01/2011 22:13

Some writer colleagues I know are setting this up:

WRITERS - we need YOU! "100 Stories for Queensland" is a charity anthology to assist the victims of the Queensland floods.
‎100 Stories for Queensland Submission Manager
‎100storiesforqueensland.submishmash.com
‎100 Stories for Queensland Submission Manager - Categories - Powered by Submishmash

We have contributed to books for Haiti and Pakistan in the same way.....

Appletrees · 13/01/2011 22:59

SGM is right: the Australian government has invested more of its wealth in its people: established appropriate building standards; discouraged exploitation etc etc.. so, yes, they are better equipped, but not by serendipity or good fortune. Because of planning.

Cartoose · 14/01/2011 00:05

Punkatheart, do they have a website?

Cartoose · 14/01/2011 00:11

Actually, (sorry, grumpy again!) what a silly thread title. There are people of many colours and religions in Australia.

Cartoose · 14/01/2011 00:13

AIBU is prob not the right place for me to be at the moment. Blush

Appletrees · 14/01/2011 00:19

Hockey if you are saying there is literally nothing in Brazil were it not for international charity you are deeply mistaken.

CraigRevelPan · 14/01/2011 00:21

at least we haven't heard "12 times the size of Wales" or some such being used. It's always Wales that gets flooded, plagued or bushfired in the reporters comparators.

Appletrees · 14/01/2011 00:21

And not just Brazil either.

CraigRevelPan · 14/01/2011 00:23

no apples, you are right, there is more in Brazil than just Brazil.

Cartoose · 14/01/2011 02:05

Terrible floods now in Sri Lanka as well Sad

Astrophe · 14/01/2011 03:01

Some weird attitudes on here Hmm

Of course Aust have better resources than Pakistan, but even 1st world countries don't usually have a lazy few billion dollars sitting around for this sort of unprecedented disaster. It is needed all at once too, or very quickly - not over 20 years. The Dam was designed to protect Brisbane (and did actually - things could have been far, far worse without it), but this sort of flooding is well beyond the usual seasonal rains. As others have said, it is at 200% capacity. How big should we build our infrastructure - 4 times bigger than nessesary - "just in case"?

Remember also that Australia is a very smallc ountry population wise, with a small(stable, yes) economy. There are 25 million inhabitants - probably fewer than 15 million tax payers - who will fund this clean up. The UK has about 60 million inhabitants does it not?

Some may have have been uninsured by choice, some may not have been able to afford it, others were uninsurable because of proximity to the river. But who cares anyway? There are people who have lost everything - their homes, posessions, businesses, cars, children - its a horrible tradgedy in itself, does it have te be worse than someone elses tradgedy to be worthy of sympathy?

The stories that are coming out are just heart wrenching. Did you read about the 13 year old lad who said "save my little brother first" and then was swept away with his mother before they could rescue him?

Donate or don't donate as you see fit, but I don't think theres any call for comparing this tradgedy with other 'worse' or 'more deserving' ones.

drfayray · 14/01/2011 03:05

As someone who is in the suburb that is the worst hit along with the CBD(St Lucia where 1114 residential properties have been flooded), I have to say this sort of thing is rather unpleasant.

I do not believe Australia has asked for funding from other nations. Our Prime Minister Julia Gillard said earlier that offers of help have come from New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia etc. There are Qld Flood appeals here, at home, where people are donating generously.

People are also donating their time to clean up the horrible mess left behind. There are now fears for health because the mud and silt is full of potential infections not to mention the mosquitoes.

Just a couple of hours ago, the PM said that 1200 of the ADF will be deployed. That is the largest since Cyclone Tracy.

I guess it is easy to make off hand comments when you are not here.