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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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:
MovingGal · 14/01/2011 07:36

I'm on the Gold Coast.

saturdaynightpants · 14/01/2011 07:37

People just dont understand the enormity.....when I have mentioned Ive been up all night watching today and the other news and on the phone etc...they have just looked disinterested

saturdaynightpants · 14/01/2011 07:40

I was 9 in 1974....I mostly remember the smell afterwards, and the poor horses near coorparoo state school

MovingGal · 14/01/2011 07:53

I wasn't here in 1974 but it must have been heart-rending.

I was thinking the other day about all the livestock and also wild animals that must have been lost.

Rillyrillygoodlooking · 14/01/2011 08:02

I don't want to comment on the aid, or lack of, or the deservedness of it etc. I am commenting here as this thread is current.

We seeing a lot of news coverage in NZ and it is the first time in years that the news has made me cry - I hope that all of the Queenslanders on MN are ok.

The stories of rescues or not able to rescue are heartbreaking.

echt · 14/01/2011 08:03

Sorry for you, saturday. :(

saturdaynightpants · 14/01/2011 08:06

Thats very kind.
Everyone in my family has been so lucky. They are in Mt Gravatt. Camp Hill, kedron, coomera, cleveland, greenslopes, dutton park and auchenflower - so very very fortunate.

Punkatheart · 14/01/2011 08:11

100storiesforqueensland.submishmash.com/Submit

Strange how much debate this is stirring up. I even had an email from an Australian relative - shaking his head in horror at the idea of raising money. Australia is rich, he said.

Can't we as human beings feel pity - regardless of the state of their finances?

Cartoose · 14/01/2011 08:47

I feel a bit better about the direction of this thread now. A bit of kindness and understanding goes a long way.

saturdaynightpants · 14/01/2011 08:51

Where in brisbane are you cartoose?

is your place ok?

Cartoose · 14/01/2011 08:57

I'm in the CBD, Queen Street. All ok and we have electricity. Just so sad to see what's happening all around me and to many friends. Thanks for asking.

Cartoose · 14/01/2011 08:59

I'm glad you're family are all ok saturday.

saturdaynightpants · 14/01/2011 09:00

You live in queen street? I cant imagine that.

saturdaynightpants · 14/01/2011 09:00

My sister in auchenflower was pretty close to getting swamped but it stopped a metre away.

Cartoose · 14/01/2011 09:04

Yes, in an apartment. The views are usually pretty nice but haven't been so nice lately Sad. Wow. That's a near miss for your sister!

stuffthenonsense · 14/01/2011 09:04

i have found the news of these floods very upsetting and have also wondered why there have been no calls for relief.
i have never been to australia but when i am told the flood area is as large as france AND germany it just beggars belief, how on earth were people supposed to avoid this damage? i dont think insurance is relevant at this very moment as NOW is when people need food, shelter, clean dry clothes etc, and i dont care how rich or poor you are, when something like this happens everyone becomes equal, whether you have a little or a lot, if you lose everything, you lose everything! i appreciate that sooner or later insurances may well pay out to the insured, but RIGHT NOW in the wet and the dirt and the trauma and the distress, EVERY single person affected by this needs assistance, stuff race, religion, poverty, location, these people ARE PEOPLE!

katsh · 14/01/2011 09:15

Thinking of all you Queenslanders. My dh is from St.Lucia so we too have been glued to the news reports and facebook updates of our friends. Terrible situation. Please don't get upset over people's views on this thread. I think the thing with forums like mn is that people can comment on anything in a totally objective way and yet for those who are not objective it's all pretty raw. Hang in there. saturdaynightpants sorry no-one has asked you. My dh was so touched when someone we know less well remembered he'd said he was from Brisbane and contacted us to find out if his people were ok. Hope your family and friends are ok.

Original poster
SalvadorDalek · 14/01/2011 10:16

Blimey . You have been busy
I posted this thread because after a disaster on this scale (floods the size of Germany and France) on the 24 hour news channels the writing that scrolls along the bottom of the screen usually as an appeal by the disaster emergency committe and it as been four or five days since the floods started and I have not seen anything
The only aid I have heard of is from HM Queen, the England cricket team and Sri Lanka giving lots of tea
Even though the flooded area is vast does anybody know the size of the combined agriculturel,industrial and township areas?

OP posts:
KnittedBreast · 14/01/2011 10:17

well if they dont start building better flood prevention eventually they will become uninsurable and some areas will become wastelands

differentnameforthis · 14/01/2011 10:19

how on earth were people supposed to avoid this damage?

That's just it, it couldn't be avoided. So sad.

Astrophe · 14/01/2011 11:12

Knitted, you don't seem to understand the situation.

There is a dam, it got so full it was at 200% capacity, and so they have been slowly letting water out, to prevent it bursting.

The dam got to 200% capacity before this needed to happen so, essentially, the dam is already twice as big as it needed to be (based on usual predictions of seasonal rains).

How big should they build dams? 4 times bigger than nessesary? 10 times? Because you just never know?

If a huge dangerous blizzard were to happen and entirely cover britain in 3 metres of snow, could we then argue that really, its Britains own fault for not being prepared? Of course not, it would be a freak occurence, unavoidable.

FabbyChic · 14/01/2011 11:26

Disaster appeals are for poor countries. Australia is not poor.

Animation · 14/01/2011 11:41

Bloody Hell what an INAPPROPRIATE thread title - and hardly the point when they're in the midst of a huge tragic event right now.

Original poster
SalvadorDalek · 14/01/2011 11:51

FabbyChic
Disaster appeals are for poor countries. Australia is not poor
In the list of richest countrys Brazil is higher up than Australia
Shall we not give aid to Brazil then

OP posts:
StewieGriffinsMom · 14/01/2011 18:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.