Comments on: Disasters and “the forgetting” http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/ Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:26:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Paul Gordon http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/#comment-67769 Paul Gordon Wed, 14 May 2008 17:37:35 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/#comment-67769 Neo: Regarding the tsunami ... You have Frank Martins' "VariFrank" site among your links. I first ran across it when one of the major new sites referenced 'Today, I was "Unprofessional"...' It is still there, at the bottom of his January 2005 archive If the link doesn't make it in this comment, it is well worth searching on his site. Neo:

Regarding the tsunami …

You have Frank Martins’ “VariFrank” site among your links. I first ran across it when one of the major new sites referenced ‘Today, I was “Unprofessional”…’

It is still there, at the bottom of his January 2005 archive

If the link doesn’t make it in this comment, it is well worth searching on his site.

]]> By: Paul Gordon http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/#comment-67770 Paul Gordon Wed, 14 May 2008 17:40:00 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/#comment-67770 Well, apparently it didn't. I still suggest actually looking for it on his site. You wont be disappointed. Well, apparently it didn’t. I still suggest actually looking for it on his site. You wont be disappointed.

]]> By: Sergey http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/#comment-67784 Sergey Wed, 14 May 2008 20:39:01 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/#comment-67784 Dostoevsky wrote that Lisbon tragedy was instrumental in ascent of nihilism and atheism in Russia. He had a point, and I believe that the same, probably, is true for the West. Dostoevsky wrote that Lisbon tragedy was instrumental in ascent of nihilism and atheism in Russia. He had a point, and I believe that the same, probably, is true for the West.

]]> By: expat http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/#comment-67800 expat Wed, 14 May 2008 22:50:45 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/#comment-67800 There were loads of European tourists with digital cameras in Thailand when the tsunami struck and even more who had vacationed there previously, so there was a personal connection. It probably also didn't hurt that the Euros got to show their genenerosity in comparison to the "stingy" Americans. I can still remember Germans making snide remarks about Bush sending a carrier. NGOs loved the coverage, as did the grief counsellors who were anxious to travel to the tropics to counsel people whose language they couldn't speak. There were loads of European tourists with digital cameras in Thailand when the tsunami struck and even more who had vacationed there previously, so there was a personal connection. It probably also didn’t hurt that the Euros got to show their genenerosity in comparison to the “stingy” Americans. I can still remember Germans making snide remarks about Bush sending a carrier. NGOs loved the coverage, as did the grief counsellors who were anxious to travel to the tropics to counsel people whose language they couldn’t speak.

]]> By: Laine http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/#comment-67813 Laine Thu, 15 May 2008 00:31:28 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/#comment-67813 The earthquake and tsunamis happened in December 2004. The earthquake and tsunamis happened in December 2004.

]]> By: Lame-R http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/#comment-67901 Lame-R Thu, 15 May 2008 21:08:20 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/05/14/disasters-and-the-forgetting/#comment-67901 I'm currently reading the Iliad, and it is interesting to me how many stories are interspersed through-out the story. In the heat of battle, the combatants will even stop to tell a miniature story, giving some kind of import to the situation. Stories are our collective memory; in researching genealogy, my father has mentioned relatives who died in the influenza epidemic. Without that mention, I would've completely forgotten the very brief treatment given it by my grade-school history class. The stories you tell on your blog add to my knowledge of 'our' memory. The burden rests on those that are older and wiser to choose and tell their stories wisely, that the younger ones such as myself may be able to contextualize our times and season our judgment by the experiences of our elders. In other words, keep up the good work. :) I’m currently reading the Iliad, and it is interesting to me how many stories are interspersed through-out the story. In the heat of battle, the combatants will even stop to tell a miniature story, giving some kind of import to the situation.

Stories are our collective memory; in researching genealogy, my father has mentioned relatives who died in the influenza epidemic. Without that mention, I would’ve completely forgotten the very brief treatment given it by my grade-school history class.

The stories you tell on your blog add to my knowledge of ‘our’ memory. The burden rests on those that are older and wiser to choose and tell their stories wisely, that the younger ones such as myself may be able to contextualize our times and season our judgment by the experiences of our elders.

In other words, keep up the good work. :)

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