Explosions in China

[Baron Von Crowder]

I know you guys make jokes, and most don't really mean to come off as offensive, but you really should be more careful about who you might offend. I'm not trying to censor you or stop you from doing it, just think you should be a little more sensitive so soon after something like this happens.

Tianjin is a MAJOR port city in China. My wife has friends and family that are from or currently live in and around Tianjin. We haven't heard from some of them, and are hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. To be honest, I'm really surprised that the Chinese government hasn't tried to quash a lot of the pictures and videos that are surfacing, and so far it seems as though they haven't tried to downplay the casualties. You never comprehend who you might know that has ties to this area until you say something that hits too close to home for someone, and while I'm not easily offended by most of the stuff on this site, you just never know who could be reading or listening.

My wife showed me a video last night that I wished she hadn't. It will haunt me for a long time. It depicted a child, no more than 3 or 4 years old, crawling on his parents' lifeless bodies after the explosion, shaking them and yelling at them to wake up, all while heart-breakingly sobbing. All I could think of is how much safer I need to be to keep my 6-month-old son from being in the same scenario.

Maybe you should be bitching at the Chinese government for their lack of give a fuck about their people?

[Craizie]

Maybe you should be bitching at the Chinese government for their lack of give a fuck about their people?

Way to say fuck it and keep rolling with it.

[Ratt]

Maybe you should be bitching at the Chinese government for their lack of give a fuck about their people?

People have been doing that for the last three decades. At best, the complainers are ignored, and at worst, they're never seen or heard from again. I wasn't trying to come off as bitching; I just wanted people to realize the short-sightedness of their potentially offensive comments vs. the effect that a far-reaching tragedy like this actually has, especially so soon after it's taken place.

Edit: Also, thanks for your concern about my extended family members, jackass.

[Baron Von Crowder]

People have been doing that for the last three decades. At best, the complainers are ignored, and at worst, they're never seen or heard from again. I wasn't trying to come off as bitching; I just wanted people to realize the short-sightedness of their potentially offensive comments vs. the effect that a far-reaching tragedy like this actually has, especially so soon after it's taken place.

Edit: Also, thanks for your concern about my extended family members, jackass.

fuck you too.

[Moose242]

Everything is fair game on this site dude. You have been here since 2004 so you know this. It will not change.

[Big A]

Everything is fair game on this site dude. You have been here since 2004 so you know this. It will not change.

That's a bullshit cop out, and no justification for being an ass.

[Moose242]

That's a bullshit cop out, and no justification for being an ass.

It is what it is dude. This forum is pretty damn brutal by any metric.

Hope the family is ok ratt.

[cool cat]

Many thought and pwayer to those inovolve.

[Baron Von Crowder]

That's a bullshit cop out, and no justification for being an ass.

Nope, he's 100% spot on.

The sad reality is that the Chinese government doesnt care about it's people, they are a low cost workforce and expendable. Nobody wants to do anything about it, and with China owning a large amount of other country's debt, plus the huge amount of cheap manufacturing that they do for the rest of the world, nobody will.

I didnt say anything to any effect close to what he accused me of, just that he should be throwing a fit about the working conditions and general attitude of the Chinese government.

[Big A]

Nope, he's 100% spot on.

The sad reality is that the Chinese government doesnt care about it's people, they are a low cost workforce and expendable. Nobody wants to do anything about it, and with China owning a large amount of other country's debt, plus the huge amount of cheap manufacturing that they do for the rest of the world, nobody will.

I didnt say anything to any effect close to what he accused me of, just that he should be throwing a fit about the working conditions and general attitude of the Chinese government.

The Chinese government has nothing to do with your complete lack of empathy. Justify however you like, you're being a insensitive dick.

[Baron Von Crowder]

The Chinese government has nothing to do with your complete lack of empathy. Justify however you like, you're being a insensitive dick.

How's that?

[silverranger]

How's that?

damnit DJ
Just say hope everyone is ok

[jw33]

I hope everyone is OK.

[Ratt]

Nope, he's 100% spot on.

The sad reality is that the Chinese government doesnt care about it's people, they are a low cost workforce and expendable. Nobody wants to do anything about it, and with China owning a large amount of other country's debt, plus the huge amount of cheap manufacturing that they do for the rest of the world, nobody will.

I didnt say anything to any effect close to what he accused me of, just that he should be throwing a fit about the working conditions and general attitude of the Chinese government.

I get your point, and I see its relevance to the explosion, but it has no relevance to me and what I posted about. It's just callous and brazen to come in here with political views in a time of worry and mourning.

I would bet a large amount that the fire that led up to the explosion was caused by unsafe practices that aren't regulated properly by the Chinese government, and that the government will either find a way to pawn it off on the executives of the logistics company or just cover up the investigation's results, altogether, depending on how incriminating it is for them; however, that has nothing to do with being insensitive towards the victims, families, friends, and loved ones affected directly by the explosion or by the collateral damage resulting from the explosion. If, and when, the results of an investigation come back and it proves to be related to China's inept safety regulations and abhorrent labor laws, then I'll be one of the first to start joining in with people and pointing fingers, but now is not the time for that.

Nobody made fun of the people affected in the West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion, and nobody made fun of the people affected by the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, so why is this any different? Regardless of the motives behind any of these disasters, it tells a lot about a person who can come away with no guilt after making racist, prejudiced, or just plain derogatory remarks about a culture who has just gone through, and especially is still going through, a situation like any of the ones above.

I have nothing against you, hold no ill-will towards you, and generally think you're one of the more level-headed people that hang around here. I just wanted to explain why I felt the need to post what I did.

[Baron Von Crowder]

I get your point, and I see its relevance to the explosion, but it has no relevance to me and what I posted about. It's just callous and brazen to come in here with political views in a time of worry and mourning.

I would bet a large amount that the fire that led up to the explosion was caused by unsafe practices that aren't regulated properly by the Chinese government, and that the government will either find a way to pawn it off on the executives of the logistics company or just cover up the investigation's results, altogether, depending on how incriminating it is for them; however, that has nothing to do with being insensitive towards the victims, families, friends, and loved ones affected directly by the explosion or by the collateral damage resulting from the explosion. If, and when, the results of an investigation come back and it proves to be related to China's inept safety regulations and abhorrent labor laws, then I'll be one of the first to start joining in with people and pointing fingers, but now is not the time for that.

Nobody made fun of the people affected in the West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion, and nobody made fun of the people affected by the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, so why is this any different? Regardless of the motives behind any of these disasters, it tells a lot about a person who can come away with no guilt after making racist, prejudiced, or just plain derogatory remarks about a culture who has just gone through, and especially is still going through, a situation like any of the ones above.

I have nothing against you, hold no ill-will towards you, and generally think you're one of the more level-headed people that hang around here. I just wanted to explain why I felt the need to post what I did.

I understand that you are emotional, I would be too. I would like to point out that I wasnt making fun of anyone's death, nor did I even post in this thread, until you posted up about everyone being insensitive.

You know as well as everyone else how this is going to go down. The question is: are you willing to put in some work to do anything about it? What are you DOING? If it stops at calling people on the wild wild west of internet forums how insensitive they are, I cant help you. Dont misplace your anger.