Oh, so they sent out an alert to "subscribers", and they didn't have any addresses to anyone in the region, now, who's fault is that ?
I'm sorry but this is BS, if they had something actually to alert about they could have alerted the authorities in the region very easily, it seems it was just not that important since they wanted them to "learn the lesson".
If these guys knew that a tsunami was happening, what were they waiting for ??? Were they waiting for these countries to "subscribe" to their services before they dish out this "knowledge" ? We are talking of about the lives of around 15,000 people here !!! Were their lives any less precious than those running the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The news could have easily been passed onto Television and other media which could have alerted these organisations. Consulates could have been informed. I find this information that these guys knowing about the tsunami and not being able to tell the world in time a boastful attempt with a weak excuse !!!
Repeat after me there is no free lunch . It is give and take relationship, if India or any other country do not join them and pay thru nose for services they do not care. Until then we have to survive on our own resources <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2254055.stm" target="_newWindow">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2254055.stm</a>
Had the USGS contacted TV stations, all of them would have hung up on them.
Trying to reach the embassies was actually the SMARTEST thing to do - since the local embassies DO KNOW who to contact in thier locales!
Given the two hour warning window, there is little that could have been done to start an evacuation of the affected areas. This is where EDUCATION on what to do is what would have saved lives.
Education, an early warning system, and a permanent communication system with USGS WILL save lives in the future.
It isn't USGS' fault. Commnication isn't always as easy as you folks make it appear to be.
Why is it that everyone wants to blame the US instead of themselves for thier problems? Is it our fault we wish to save the lives of our citizens and others by even having the USGS in the first place? Make your own then if you want to complain about costs and membership. Save your own people and blame your own governments when you don't. It was your arrogance and ignornace that killed those people. Not the USGS.
..."And I think this will be a lesson to them,"...
I am surprised that someone could attach their name to that comment. Thousands dead, thousands missing, thousands diplaced and all these people can do is talk of what might of been. These guys just want to get interview so they can say "I told you so". Pathetic.
An organization of this stature and a person like the Director of such body should not be talking irresponibly.
I can understand that he is ignorant of the contacts in these third world contries, but dont they know what to do in emergency?
Did they not have atleast contact numbers of CNN or BBC which are being watched throughout the world? A simple alert to them would have done the job. They do know whom to contact in India.
Let them realize that what they have done is a grave mistake and justification of that only adds wound to woe.
Is it not that US wants the entire world to co-operate in fight against terrorism? If you dont help others how you expect them to help you?
Please pass on these comments ( along with mine)to that gentleman and let him appologize for his acts!
1) Any TV station would hang upon you, if you claimed to be the USGS warning of an impending Tsunami. 2) NOT ALL undersea earthquakes result in a Tsunami - only the possibility of one. 3) USGS DOES NOT have tidal detectors in that area of the globe - so there is no way they would have known for certain. 4) Had USGS warned the media via CNN - ignorant simpletons like you would still cry foul over "favoritism" to American media outlets. 5) Two hours simply is NOT enough time to get the word out when it is 6:00 AM IN THE MORNING!
So before you start spouting your "Gentlemen" should take responsibility crap, READ AND THINK!
USGS warned the embassies to get the word out BEFORE they notified the State Department. The USGS director put his neck out on the line to breach diplomatic protocol by by-passing "proper" channels.
I personally feel sad for USGS: 1) They tried their best to warn people about it, but were still powerless to do so. 2) They get flack from idiots like you who claim that they don't care about others, when they broke protocol to do so.
Maybe, just maybe, from this tragedy, EVERYONE will learn to communicate with one another a lot better - so that we can avert another disaster such as this.
No warning system?or no $ to waste on unreliable prediction techniques
No Warning system, someone over there's gotta have a phone. The truth is that The real time tsunami prediction system sucks, and is not accurate enough to issue a Tsunami warning. The truth is that there is behind the cause of a Tsunami than a large magnitude quake. Different governments worldwide have issued Tsunami warnings, but the Tsunami doesn't always deliver. These false warnings are extremely costly
No warning system?or no $ to waste on a unreliable prediction system?
No Warning system, someone over there's gotta have a phone, or a T.V.? The truth is that The real time tsunami prediction system does not consistently have the techniques or capabilities to reliably predict anything about a possible Tsunami in the making. The truth is that there is more than sizemic activity alone to build a Tsunami. Of course for some reason we still haven't figured out exactly how to fund new research techniques. Different governments worldwide have issued Tsunami warnings, for Tsunami's that did never came. These false warnings are extremely costly and in certain areas that cannot afford to waste finances on possible dangers as we have seen do not get the phone calls of the catastrophy that might or might not be heading right for them. Unfortunatly the effected areas will have the ability to fund this research.
Some of these countries have nukes, But cannot afford a warning system!!! These countries are at fault they are in an earthquake and volcano area, They get Billions in vacation dollars, Yes they can afford an warning system. You cannot go behind these goverments backs that would be a total insult to these peoples. You have to go threw proper protocol.
I wouldn't mind the insult to my nation if it could save me my life- if the gentleman contacted the US authorities, those authorities could have contacted the affected countries- I think the US authorities are to blame for not having shared the data with the affected countries. However, if the data is not perfectly reliable, I can understand their not sharing it. But if that's the case, why does any country subscribe at all?
well..it certainly feels guilt to see countless souls washed away for no deal.its easy to put up a blame n call it indifference but i would more appropriately call it "ignorance of foresight"
These countries are never accustomed to these kind of disasters. When you have knowledge of these happenings, if you don't share the knowledge to the needy then there is no meaning in having aquired the knowledge of prediction. If it was not 9/11, would the Americans be prepared for any such evantuallity in future? Would they have formed National Security Council? All comes after an experience. But knowing before ahnd and not conveying is utter negligence. It shows the face of the Commericial exploitation. It shows where America have no interest, they will treat those countries indifferently. Share your knowledge your knowledge will grow. If you confine it, you will also be confined. One gentleman has said that the BPOs will come back to america. Is it that Indians took away them from you? No it is your demand for money lead to them being shifted to India by your own bosses. They where unable to pay for the huge expenses you ask for. So help others and get helped. You people should learn certain lessons wile teaching others.
call it ignorance, but ain't it kill thousands of people and more. tsunami's devastating killing effect could nt be stopped by anyone, yet an early warning could ve atleast saved one life or 2. wont a life worth more than dollars could? who knows, a call or a mail could ve initiated the crisis. does a "lesson to them" needs to cost those lives? so the next time how many lives need to emulate for "another chapter"? If its the ignorance of those asian countries, you can call it the negligence "making a difference in alarming 'part of the world' that has worth more money than lives for a center in this part of the world. huh i bet u can call it a negligence over life of those ppl. Atleast with those lives let these ppl learn their own lesson, i dont wanna c anyone die in 'any part of the world' to learn a lesson.
All these eloquency about US doing the right thing by not warning these countries , about these countries getting what they deserve,etc. etc. is so typical of American talk. They could not stop their own twin tower disaster, HOW THE HECK CAN THEY HELP ANYONE ELSE? Anyway, USA has only attacked thirld World countries on some pretext or the other, they will be the last jokers who will volunteer any help. All they care is their own selfish interests.One joker is thinking of call centres when 50,000 have died; another talks of billions of vacation dollars.... Not even God can help these claybrains who think they are alive...........
If someone said "We did the right thing by NOT warning these countries.", then they need to go crawl back under a rock and expire. The US did make attempts to contact people "over there". How has a NATURALLY OCCURING EVENT become the blame of the US?? If you believe the US is the cause of the deaths from this tragedy you are severely brain damaged. And the 9/11 attacks was not a natural event. It was caused by scum-sucking biggoted racists that didn't care who they killed. And there is NO country in the WORLD who gives more than the US. Period. Food aid, disaster relief, military aid from the government AND from PRIVATE citizens. Just think how much harder it would be if we didn't give those people any help. You need to get off your high horse sir.
A business deal could not even happen it an hour and a half it would still take weeks maybe more so think about what you want to say and start over please.
I cannot believe the arrogance of these people accusing the US of not even trying to warn the affected regions, when the entire article is about how we DID try, and how circumstances prevented the warning from getting out.
The agency interviewed was the *Pacific* Tsunami Warning System. You wouldn't expect India or Sri Lanka to be on this list any more than you'd expect Germany to be on a hurricane warning list. So they sent out a bulletin through normal channels (the one to their "subscribers" in the Pacific), and they tried to find someone in the area that they *could* call, or at least someone who would know who to call -- Australia, US embassies, etc.
I don't know where the communication broke down, but it seems to me that it wasn't the USGS. It sounds like they did everything they could.
When u are very advanced than any other country in all the field of technology, are you not ashamed of for telling that we tried to contacted all nations that would have been affected? I makes my blood to boil. We are not blaming the US as a country but the narrow/money mindedness of some people like who tell we tried, we donate, we do this and we do that. If you had warned these nations then there would not be a situation for you to send your money. So the people must have respect for all human beings. You cannot get a life lost with the millions of donation you send. We have a saying " Pricking the baby and rocking the craddle", like that you people have left us without warning and then making loud noise that we tried and we donate. So make your heart of flesh not of rock. Show your mind the value of human life not of money. Will the attitude of people change here after?
GOD only has to say.
So my dear Kelson Vibber, don't tell that they tried to contact this person or that person, if u really wanted to help, at any cost it could have been done.
Quote of the Day: "And I think this will be a lesson to them" Waverly Person, U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information
A lot of people have been responding to this one and I have to admit, it sounded really bad given the context of the article. One person referred to it as a form of "I told you so." In a way it is, and Person forgets how fortunate he is to be living in a place like the United States where the technology not only exists but is readily available. Places like Thailand and Sri Lanka don't have the financial resources to instate a "what if" system. Many sites give you all kinds of data on tsunamis - some hit every decade, some every century, some never at all. This so-called system that Person refers to is, in laymans terms, a form of fire insurance you buy "just in case" something happens. So lets be realistic here is Thailand or Malaysia or Sri Lanka going to invest millions of dollars into a system that may or not become useful someday, or are they going to invest in luxury hotels and entertainment for willing and paying foreign patrons to visit year after year? As foreigners, we are these peoples livelihood in many cases. I read one article about a native who had lost not only members of his family but his fishing boat as well. He went on to say he has nothing. There arent exactly a lot of job opportunities in Malaysia save for the ones provided through tourism. And for Person to turn the blame onto a country that barely struggles by is a shame in itself. And lets face it, finances are always an issue. Beside the senseless deaths of thousands of people killed by the tsunami, its prudent to mention the futility of what an advanced world we live in. We have the power and technology to save the lives of millions of people everyday. We possess the means to end hunger and the suffering for people everyday. But, (and there always a but ) there is no profit in charity. In most instances, were a civilization of takers, not givers. Lets be honest here there just isnt enough humanity to go around its strained beyond redemption and people die as a result. Now tell me: Is this what Mother Nature intended?
I should sincerely bless you from the bottom of my heart.
Some technologists talked about hypes and some thought it is war of Nations, but many forgot the human compassion.
Living in that part of the world, you understood rrightly the human sufferings.
The need of the hour is to apply balm and not to rub chilly on the wound!
Hats of to you..
Let us create a world of love and compassion and not of hatred, that is the New world order which could stand the test of time.
Even when I commented about the Director of USGS, I talked about his ignorance and his team's mismanagement and not US as a whole. I have no enemies in the world.
May God almightly heal the broken and let all right thinking people unite to help the victims!
Your immense understanding of a human life and its value has made me to salute you. The dead are not the people who expected this? The people who died are Babies, Children, Women, Young, Old, Disabled, Sick, Tourist, Pilgrims and they are from all walks of life. One has lost his wife, one his son, one her husband, one her children. We must see the suffering in their face, unfortunately I'm one of the witness. I feel no one should suffer in this world. When your neighbour is not happy you too cannot be happy. He will spill his troubles to you. So we must pray that everyone must be happy. This is a selfishness in a way. But atleast everyone will be happy because of this prayer. So all the people including Mr.Pereson must respect the others life, so only peace will come in our life. I pray to GOD the almighty that all the people in the world live in peace atleast for the sake of self.
God is mad on hbow these cockaroches take our jobs and he stepped on then with one big 9.0 shoe and washed them away and there islam practicing ways. If I was god I would be mad at the greedy ceos as well and did this during an offshoring conference but at least it happened
This message is from a saddist. If you tell that due to BPOs it ahs happened, then what about the blast of twin tower? You think you live so securely, but I wish to tell you in this mind set you live dangerously. You must be treated by a Psychologist. It is your over zeal for money has taken off the jobs from you. So atleast hereafter be a man with brain. Not a crooked one.
Not making an attempt to save quarter million life (including that of hundreds of Americans, and thousands more of other westerners) is a not crime that one should think of defending. Even if one were to give the benefit of doubt to USGS, what kind of a moron or scum bag would make such statements like "let this be a lesson"?
I have no doubt in my mind that US is the greatest nation on earth by virtue of its power and its natural resources, and undoubtedly it is the biggest donor country to world cause, whether it is good enough is arguable. However, it is people like these though who contribute to diminishing its greatness. Statement like these help Osama instigate rest of the world against US to pursue his own cause.
United States is a blessed country with all its wealth and has unique adavantage of not having the baggage and problems rest of the countries have, simply because they are tens of thousands of years older than US. It is easier to start from scratch and achive greatness, not every body is so fortunate. If by virtue of ones birth here, if he/she think they are any superior than people in rest of the world, god save them, they are thinking so only at thier own peril.
No matter how powerful US is it cannot survive without world co-operation, recent history is a strong testimony to it and there will be several such occasions in the future where US would like world help. I am sure majority of the country understands it, which is the only reason why this country remains to be the greatest on earth.
One cannot underestimate the will of human time and again we human beings have demonstrated the ability to withstand and survive the worst of crisis, help or no help. So it is OK not to help others, it is even OK not to reach out but it is definitely not OK to think you can teach others a lesson. As someone aptly said, what goes around comes around. It is in ones best interest to keep such attitude to oneself.
For all your information this is the way many americans feel. We have enough problems in this country with poverty and disease that we need to help. It is unfortunate people died over there but also it is unfortunate that we have poverty and disease here "Charity begins at home" When it comes to offshoring of course these tech companies are sending money over there it is there responsabilty since that is there cheap labor.
Most Americans feel this way but now will admit it, it the damn foreigners and liberals that say your so wrong and sadist well may be I am but at least Im honest.
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I'm sorry but this is BS, if they had something actually to alert about they could have alerted the authorities in the region very easily, it seems it was just not that important since they wanted them to "learn the lesson".
It already happened. Talking about what should have happened is pointless, and pathetic.
Have a heart.
The news could have easily been passed onto Television and other media which could have alerted these organisations. Consulates could have been informed. I find this information that these guys knowing about the tsunami and not being able to tell the world in time a boastful attempt with a weak excuse !!!
:(
Moses
Trying to reach the embassies was actually the SMARTEST thing to do - since the local embassies DO KNOW who to contact in thier locales!
Given the two hour warning window, there is little that could have been done to start an evacuation of the affected areas. This is where EDUCATION on what to do is what would have saved lives.
Education, an early warning system, and a permanent communication system with USGS WILL save lives in the future.
It isn't USGS' fault. Commnication isn't always as easy as you folks make it appear to be.
I am surprised that someone could attach their name to that comment. Thousands dead, thousands missing, thousands diplaced and all these people can do is talk of what might of been. These guys just want to get interview so they can say "I told you so". Pathetic.
I can understand that he is ignorant of the contacts in these third world contries, but dont they know what to do in emergency?
Did they not have atleast contact numbers of CNN or BBC which are being watched throughout the world? A simple alert to them would have done the job. They do know whom to contact in India.
Let them realize that what they have done is a grave mistake and justification of that only adds wound to woe.
Is it not that US wants the entire world to co-operate in fight against terrorism? If you dont help others how you expect them to help you?
Please pass on these comments ( along with mine)to that gentleman and let him appologize for his acts!
1) Any TV station would hang upon you, if you claimed to be the USGS warning of an impending Tsunami.
2) NOT ALL undersea earthquakes result in a Tsunami - only the possibility of one.
3) USGS DOES NOT have tidal detectors in that area of the globe - so there is no way they would have known for certain.
4) Had USGS warned the media via CNN - ignorant simpletons like you would still cry foul over "favoritism" to American media outlets.
5) Two hours simply is NOT enough time to get the word out when it is 6:00 AM IN THE MORNING!
So before you start spouting your "Gentlemen" should take responsibility crap, READ AND THINK!
USGS warned the embassies to get the word out BEFORE they notified the State Department. The USGS director put his neck out on the line to breach diplomatic protocol by by-passing "proper" channels.
I personally feel sad for USGS:
1) They tried their best to warn people about it, but were still powerless to do so.
2) They get flack from idiots like you who claim that they don't care about others, when they broke protocol to do so.
Maybe, just maybe, from this tragedy, EVERYONE will learn to communicate with one another a lot better - so that we can avert another disaster such as this.
You cannot go behind these goverments backs that would be a total insult to these peoples. You have to go threw proper protocol.
Anyway, USA has only attacked thirld World countries on some pretext or the other, they will be the last jokers who will volunteer any help. All they care is their own selfish interests.One joker is thinking of call centres when 50,000 have died; another talks of billions of vacation dollars....
Not even God can help these claybrains who think they are alive...........
WOW, I would like to give a standing ovation to this very statement alone.
I was wondering about a different scenario than the tsunami disaster.
Let's see, there's just a, JUST A news about the possibilities of business worth, say $ 5 bn with a business group.
Then you wud have the contact information of even the officeboy of the concerned business entity, wouldn't you ?
The agency interviewed was the *Pacific* Tsunami Warning System. You wouldn't expect India or Sri Lanka to be on this list any more than you'd expect Germany to be on a hurricane warning list. So they sent out a bulletin through normal channels (the one to their "subscribers" in the Pacific), and they tried to find someone in the area that they *could* call, or at least someone who would know who to call -- Australia, US embassies, etc.
I don't know where the communication broke down, but it seems to me that it wasn't the USGS. It sounds like they did everything they could.
GOD only has to say.
So my dear Kelson Vibber, don't tell that they tried to contact this person or that person, if u really wanted to help, at any cost it could have been done.
"And I think this will be a lesson to them" Waverly Person, U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information
A lot of people have been responding to this one and I have to admit, it sounded really bad given the context of the article. One person referred to it as a form of "I told you so." In a way it is, and Person forgets how fortunate he is to be living in a place like the United States where the technology not only exists but is readily available.
Places like Thailand and Sri Lanka don't have the financial resources to instate a "what if" system. Many sites give you all kinds of data on tsunamis - some hit every decade, some every century, some never at all. This so-called system that Person refers to is, in laymans terms, a form of fire insurance you buy "just in case" something happens. So lets be realistic here is Thailand or Malaysia or Sri Lanka going to invest millions of dollars into a system that may or not become useful someday, or are they going to invest in luxury hotels and entertainment for willing and paying foreign patrons to visit year after year? As foreigners, we are these peoples livelihood in many cases. I read one article about a native who had lost not only members of his family but his fishing boat as well. He went on to say he has nothing. There arent exactly a lot of job opportunities in Malaysia save for the ones provided through tourism. And for Person to turn the blame onto a country that barely struggles by is a shame in itself.
And lets face it, finances are always an issue. Beside the senseless deaths of thousands of people killed by the tsunami, its prudent to mention the futility of what an advanced world we live in. We have the power and technology to save the lives of millions of people everyday. We possess the means to end hunger and the suffering for people everyday. But, (and there always a but ) there is no profit in charity. In most instances, were a civilization of takers, not givers. Lets be honest here there just isnt enough humanity to go around its strained beyond redemption and people die as a result.
Now tell me:
Is this what Mother Nature intended?
Some technologists talked about hypes and some thought it is war of Nations, but many forgot the human compassion.
Living in that part of the world, you understood rrightly the human sufferings.
The need of the hour is to apply balm and not to rub chilly on the wound!
Hats of to you..
Let us create a world of love and compassion and not of hatred, that is the New world order which could stand the test of time.
Even when I commented about the Director of USGS, I talked about his ignorance and his team's mismanagement and not US as a whole. I have no enemies in the world.
May God almightly heal the broken and let all right thinking people unite to help the victims!
I pray to GOD the almighty that all the people in the world live in peace atleast for the sake of self.
I have no doubt in my mind that US is the greatest nation on earth by virtue of its power and its natural resources, and undoubtedly it is the biggest donor country to world cause, whether it is good enough is arguable. However, it is people like these though who contribute to diminishing its greatness. Statement like these help Osama instigate rest of the world against US to pursue his own cause.
United States is a blessed country with all its wealth and has unique adavantage of not having the baggage and problems rest of the countries have, simply because they are tens of thousands of years older than US. It is easier to start from scratch and achive greatness, not every body is so fortunate. If by virtue of ones birth here, if he/she think they are any superior than people in rest of the world, god save them, they are thinking so only at thier own peril.
No matter how powerful US is it cannot survive without world co-operation, recent history is a strong testimony to it and there will be several such occasions in the future where US would like world help. I am sure majority of the country understands it, which is the only reason why this country remains to be the greatest on earth.
One cannot underestimate the will of human time and again we human beings have demonstrated the ability to withstand and survive the worst of crisis, help or no help. So it is OK not to help others, it is even OK not to reach out but it is definitely not OK to think you can teach others a lesson. As someone aptly said, what goes around comes around. It is in ones best interest to keep such attitude to oneself.
Most Americans feel this way but now will admit it, it the damn foreigners and liberals that say your so wrong and sadist well may be I am but at least Im honest.