Thomas Sowell: Two earthquakes -

Townhall.com ^ | December 30, 2003 | Thomas Sowell

[steveyp]

No. Our giant Buddas are shopping in the Walmart Superstore. (And traversing it with the electric shopping scooters provided by Sam Walton, et al.).

[RightWhale]

Iranians should be very wealthy

Yes, indeed. Iraq, too. Iraq is on the right track now, but one would think that Persians, smart as they are, would not wait any longer to take matters into their own hands. Afghanistan was wealthy once, and, if they get it together, should also be wealthy again. When Musharraf of Pakistan pointed out education as one of the keys to digging Pakistan out of its economic malaise, all the other countries in that part of the world should have seen that he is right and begun to change their systems fundamentally. It can be done even if it means walking all over those who want to keep the people down for some, probably unrealizable, spiritual gain in the next life.

[DannyTN]

Wealth certainly plays a role. But there is something to be said about building techniques and earthquake precautions.

My guess is that probably as many lives were loss due to negligence in building design as were loss due to wealth.

I saw one article that said the buildings weren't built according to even the local codes. This implies they knew what to do, but just didn't do it.

[ElkGroveDan]

Sorry but his thesis is ridiculous. This Iranian city was built of mud brick a VERY VERY long time ago........is he suggesting it ought to have been leveled and rebuilt to modern specifications?

I have news for you, Paso Robles California WAS built from mud brick (adobe) long ago too. Wealthy people tore those buildings down over time and replaced them with modern sheer-paneled, steel reinforced foundation housing.

(As a footnote the two deaths occurred from the collapse of an unreinforced masonry clock tower dating back to the 1890s -- the kind of construction that killed all those Iranians)

The Iranians would have done the same thing over time too, if they had a thriving capitalist society as long as we have.

[Taliesan]

If it was your mud hut, and you were wealthy, you would have been living somewhere else while storing your lawnmower in the hut. Not because someone passed a law requiring your hut to levelled and re-built, but because you don't have to live there if you have more money.

Difference between cultures: family dead, or lawnmower dead.

Then again, I feel silly explaining this.

[CyberCowboy777]

someone needs to check my history on this but I think the mass population centers in Iran are relatively new construction from the early 20th.

I know a lot of old buildings are around (ones that have survived more than a few earthquakes - this is a common earthquake area) but these homes are newer construction by very poor people.

[altura]

But don't go today ... I just got back (I forgot kids are still out of school)

Major ear damage.

[DannyTN]

As much as we might hate to admit it. This is a strong argument in favor of safety regulations like building codes.

No doubt the libertarian sect of freepers would rather have the roof cave in on them, than to put up with the slightest regulation. However, there is a balance. Some level of regs is good and perhaps that's nowhere better demonstrated than in an instance like this.

[U S Army EOD]

But if we had a powerful quake in a large city, we would loose a lot of people also. Like they said most of the buildings were built a long, long, time ago. Which means they stayed around for a pretty long time in an earthquake prone area.

[weaponeer]

Sorry but his thesis is ridiculous. This Iranian city was built of mud brick a VERY VERY long time ago........is he suggesting it ought to have been levelled and rebuilt to modern specifications?

If the people living in them don't want to die in earthquakes.........

[EggsAckley]

Q: How come Afghanistan doesn't have any WalMarts?



A: Because there's a Target on every corner.


sorry, couldn't resist.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Those are not Buddhas those are Phat people.

[CyberCowboy777]

The Loma Prieta (6.9) caused 63 deaths, 3,757 injuries, and an estimated $6 billion in property damage. It was the largest earthquake to occur on the San Andreas fault since the great San Francisco earthquake in April 1906.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Target. I'd make my own stuff before I'd shop there. I went into a Target once, dang near had a panic attack. Walmarts scare me from a distance.

[CyberCowboy777]

The SF quake (7.8 - 1906) caused an estimated 3,000 deaths and $524 million in property loss. Damage in San Francisco resulting only from the earthquake was estimated at $20 million; outside the city, it was estimated at $4 million. The sensible duration of the shaking in San Francisco was about 1 minute.

[RinaseaofDs]

Um, that's what happens in free market countries. I thank my God that some of the old 70's style Safeway stores here in the West have been razed and replaced with much newer and more classically styled architectual looks.

That's his whole point. They wouldn't be living in old mud-brick buildings if it were a wealthy country.

We still have old buildings in the US too, some that we preserve for historical reasons. We just don't feel it necessary to preserve ALL the old buildings.

His thesis has merit. I was thinking about all of this the other day. Even a volcanic explosion like Mount St. Helen's would probably not take as many lives as it did in 1980 for all of the reasons he is stating.

[It's me]

A an excellent article!

[EggsAckley]

I've never been in a WalMart, since our little county has managed to keep them from coming here. Stuck with Target. And you almost have to be bi-lingual to shop at our Target.

[cake_crumb]

THAT is a good article.

For what it's worth, some Iranian papers are saying basically the same thing. Three differnt editorials in three different papers accuse the government of being responsible for the substandard housing that caused so many deaths. Peopel are demanding the government take responsibility for screwing up the rescue and relief efforts and implimant change. There have been no arrests yet, but expect them to come.

Iranians were not fooled by Khatemi's and Khameni's joint crocodile tear show of feeling their pain.

Khatemi appealed for people to donate to a government fund which he said was to help the injured and homeless.

Instead, Iranians are donating to PRIVATE funds and/or loading their own vehicles with supples and driving out to Bam to distribute themselves.

The szhizophrenic government of Iran looks to be in trouble.

[cake_crumb]

"This Iranian city was built of mud brick a VERY VERY long time ago........is he suggesting it ought to have been levelled and rebuilt to modern specifications?"

Why shouldn't he? The Iranians are.