« banned books news | Main | 5-1 »

bali

bali

The death toll in Bali is climbing, and what has become clear as I watch the news and read the stories is this: To Australians, this attack is their equivlant of America's September 11th.

As NZ Pundit says:

Two thousand, eight hundred and fourteen people died in the WTC on September 11, 2001. That was in a nation of 288 million people. A murder rate of one in every one hundred thousand or so.

Australia has a population of a little under twenty million. As seems likely, a sizable proportion of the dead are Australians (they make up close to 75% of the wounded) then, with the current death toll, Australians have suffered deaths at a rate similar to, perhaps a little smaller, than that suffered by the US in New York.

Tim Blair has some excellent coverage (just start at the top and keep reading down) including a quote from former Indonesian attorney-general who insists that the bombing was meant to voice disconetn towards the rule of President Megawati Sukarnoputri. However, as Tim points out, Sari is a club that bars locals.

My heart sinks every time the number of dead that scrolls on the bottom of the news channels rises. My thoughts are with those that are suffering and mourning.

Posted by on October 13, 2002 10:52 AM |

Comments

It's still an attack on the Indonesian regime if the intended target is the Indonesian tourism industy.

Fuels my belief that what we're seeing is the Islamic equivalent of the 30 years war, really a civil war within Islam. Unfortunately one side thinks the way to advance their 'cause' is to kill westerners.

Posted by: Tim Hall | October 13, 2002 01:56 PM

all war and terrorism deaths sadden me. this is just tragic.

Posted by: kat | October 13, 2002 08:27 PM

And thus the horrors of war are inflicted even in times of peace. I've been coming round to the belief recently that as living entities we are part of a collective consciousness that, through our individual approaches, responses and reactions to the world, can work towards a greater understanding of the world and help encourage our evolution.

And, boy, does it look like we need some evolution right now. So many people have to die to fulfil some despotic need for money or power, or even to allow some bully to be proved 'right'.

It saddens me that all my local press can think about so far is how many 'Brits' have died in this one, but I'm sure that once they get over missing the point completely with their narrow minded jingoism they'll realise that each death by such acts is an aberration, regardless of zip code.

Posted by: Crimson Cow | October 13, 2002 09:17 PM

I live here in Indonesia (Jakarta to be exact) - I agree with what you say - it isn't just an attack on Westerners here - a lot of Indonesians died in the attack as well.

The thought that Muslim extremists would go as far as attack their own country angers me beyond. A lot of people here can only wait to see how the Government reacts - with a history of poor, woeful action against such situations - the fear is that little will actually be done to curb the idiocy of these extremists. The government - not too long - was adament that there "were no terrorists here" - what a crock of shit.

Posted by: Billy | October 13, 2002 10:27 PM

In shock here. Friend's missing in Bali. Office dead quiet. We need news. Hopefully Megawati's seven-point statement actually makes something happen, but the reaction of her VP is woeful (he's being a complete coward).

Posted by: andrea | October 13, 2002 11:29 PM

simply horrifying. yet another bit of news that i woke up to on the television (just like 9-11). the comparison of populations and scale do make this right up there with our American tragedies.

Posted by: kd | October 14, 2002 01:54 AM

Yes, more senseless tragedy courtesy of terrorists... but I don't buy into the "it's just as bad as 9/11 because a similar percentage of the populace died" argument. The net result of such a comparison is that the lives of one group necessarily become worth more than the other. It's a tragedy when 100 innocent people of any nationality, race, etc die senselessly, period.

Posted by: andy | October 14, 2002 03:04 PM

Yes, Andy, it is. But I'm just saying that this is as much as national tragedy for them (people of Bali, Australia, etc.) as September 11 was for us.

Posted by: michele | October 14, 2002 03:16 PM