Re: [silk] Bangladesh, Nepal, and the UN

[Heather Madrone]

Vinayak Hegde wrote:

"" Yet here’s the
paradox: the image of a dangerous world has never been broadcast more
effectively than it is now, while the world has never been less violent and
more safe. ""


I read similar quotes in English literature circa 1912.

--hmm

Re: [silk] Bangladesh, Nepal, and the UN

[Vinayak Hegde]

"" Yet here’s the
paradox: the image of a dangerous world has never been broadcast more
effectively than it is now, while the world has never been less violent and
more safe. ""

Steven Picker agued for the same in his book "The better angels of our nature"
Here is a linkto the interview with NPR.
https://www.npr.org/2016/07/16/486311030/despite-the-headlines-steven-pinker-says-the-world-is-becoming-less-violent

-- Vinayak

On Thu, Apr 26, 2018 at 3:38 AM, Vani Murarka  wrote:
> Two more excerpts from Factfulness by Hans Rosling. Not sharing graphs, but
> they are so juicy.
>
> 1---
> Thanks to better education, new affordable solutions, and global
> collaborations, the decrease in death rates is impressive even among those
> who are stuck on Level 1.
>
> Back in 1942, Bangladesh was on Level 1 and almost all its citizens were
> illiterate farmers. Over a two-year period it suffered terrible floods,
> droughts, and cyclones. No international organization came to the rescue
> and 2 million people died. Today, Bangladesh is on Level 2. Today, almost
> all Bangladeshi children finish school, where they learn that three
> red-and-black flags means everyone must run to the evacuation centers.
> Today, the government has installed across the country’s huge river delta a
> digital surveillance system connected to a freely available
> flood-monitoring website. Just 15 years ago, no country in the world had
> such an advanced system. When another cyclone hit in 2015, the plan worked
> and the World Food Programme flew in 113 tons of high-energy biscuits to
> the 30,000 evacuated families.
>
> In the same year, vivid images spread awareness across the world of the
> horrific earthquake in Nepal, and rescue teams and helicopters were quickly
> deployed. Tragically, thousands were already dead, but the humanitarian
> resources that rushed to this inaccessible country on Level 1 did manage to
> prevent the death toll from rising even further.
>
> The UN’s ReliefWeb has become a global coordinator for disaster
> help—something earlier generations of disaster victims could only dream of.
>
> ---2---
>
> The media cannot resist tapping into our fear instinct. It is such an easy
> way to grab our attention. In fact the biggest stories are often those that
> trigger more than one type of fear. Kidnappings and plane crashes, for
> example, each combine the fear of harm and the fear of captivity.
> Earthquake victims trapped under collapsed buildings are both hurt and
> trapped, and get more attention than regular earthquake victims. The drama
> is so much stronger when multiple fears are triggered. Yet here’s the
> paradox: the image of a dangerous world has never been broadcast more
> effectively than it is now, while the world has never been less violent and
> more safe.
>
> ---
>
> Maybe right-wing, left-wing, and a polarized world is a big sham? Not
> maybe. I know it is.