What is it that makes some peeps focus on one tragedy over another?

[shitstorm]

What I mean is why do people get all worked up over a single crime, like a murder, vs. much bigger crimes, like genocide, wars, etc, which have a much greater impact on all of our lives?

Discuss.

[IMaDick]

facebook.

[Lady Cop]

in my opinion, because a single murder is something people can relate to, identify with, put a face to, unlike genocide. the sheer numbers of mass murder and genocide are too difficult to grasp.

[shitstorm]

I agree about putting a face on something. Personally, I'm obsessed with the Japan story. One news item that came out of it was about two dogs that were found, one injured and the other one protecting him. A very touching and heart wrenching story. The video went viral causing thousands of people to follow up. They were rescued with the help of man whose name and FB page were revealed by CNN w/o his permission. I've read through his posts since the moment the EQ struck - UNBELIEVABLE! Well, people started bugging him for more pics of the two rescued dogs, not taking into consideration the hundreds of other pets that were being rescued or are still out there. They became focused on that ONE story and wanted every little detail. Fortunately, he deleted those retards since they wouldn't let up. He's one amazing human being out there giving of himself, but he became quickly overwhelmed with the demands that people were putting on him.

Anyway, I don't know how people can get mired in the minutia of one murder case when entire towns were washed away by a tsunami and people are still in desperate need of help.

[Cracker]

People have their causes, or one cause, that reminds them of themselves. Animal lovers will pick the dog story, shutins will choose the crime forum murders, normal people will be concerned with war. The real question is: Why are people egotistical assholes that only care about their own particular cause and not about the whole of human suffering? Because most people suck.

It's that simple.

[melrose]

"Othering." It's human nature. The larger and more different the group from one's self, the less people care. People care about things that stick out of the news... like random crimes that happen to middle-class people like themselves. Hence, the huge drop in public interest in cases like L & J. murders as soon as there was mention of drug dealing. (Phew, it's no longer about us).

And yeah, I agree, the age of facebook. There's a weird fascination to seeing the person behind the 'victim.' Suddenly all of those boring details that people post online become part of a 'before' and 'after' story: They posted a picture of their puppy and ate an egg salad sandwich for lunch, thinking it was going to be like any other day.... Find a case where the whole cast of characters has open profiles and jackpot: shameless snooping. You can compile a list of suspects, speculate on the plot and watch a real life story unfold. Isn't that what we are all doing here?

Like craning your neck to see the scene of an accident, only without the shame that would make you turn away and walk on, if you were really present.

[shitstorm]

Agree, Melrose, yet many more pay attention to the national and international scene - IOW, people who are not "us".

[Jellybaby]

I was watching that story about the Japanese teenager and his grandmother who were stuck in their kitchen for 9 days eating yoghurt and realized that there was hardly anything about Yemen on the news anymore. A natural disaster is easier for people to relate to as well because people killing other people is unnecessary. An act of Allah is easier to justify and the suffering that ensues easier to commiserate with.

[shitstorm]

The middle east and north Africa are WWIII and is an all man made crisis. Japan NEEDS to stay in front in the news. The disaster there is still unfolding with MASSIVE misery. Reactor #3 seems to have a breech of the containment vessel. Too bad the nuclear plant doesn't have a Facebook page.

[Jellybaby]

A reporter friend of ours who flew in from Japan a few days ago says that they have everything under control. The international media is sensationalizing it while the Japanese government is downplaying it. It's somewhere in the middle.

[shitstorm]

A reporter friend of ours who flew in from Japan a few days ago says that they have everything under control. The international media is sensationalizing it while the Japanese government is downplaying it. It's somewhere in the middle.

I was reading the Facebook page of a Japanese man who has been rescuing animals. There are massive food shortages, hundreds of thousands without water or power and now the nuclear evacuation zone has been expanded. On top of all that, it's freezing cold.

[Jellybaby]

A reporter friend of ours who flew in from Japan a few days ago says that they have everything under control. The international media is sensationalizing it while the Japanese government is downplaying it. It's somewhere in the middle.

I was reading the Facebook page of a Japanese man who has been rescuing animals. There are massive food shortages, hundreds of thousands without water or power and now the nuclear evacuation zone has been expanded. On top of all that, it's freezing cold.

I was referring the nuclear threat being blown out of proportion. People and animals are definitely in dire need of assistance, that is not being sensationalized.

[shitstorm]

Water from #3 reactor is 10,000 X normal radiation level. The scale has been increased to level 6 - higher than Three Mile Island, and one below Chernobyl. Until the entire site is under control, it's very serious. Maybe not for the entire planet but certainly for Japan. I actually don't see how #3 can be "fixed" because it's in shambles!

[Cynical Ninja]

The death of one is a tragedy, the death of millions is just a statistic.