[LearnsFromMistakes]

Blackouts are not part of our daily life. You learn to deal with what you need to deal with. Dump a couple of feet of snow in Manila and what would happen? America wouldn't sit back and laugh, I know that much...

[Onelifetogive]

"If it happened here, it would be nothing out of the ordinary."

If we didn't have ANYTHING that required electricity, we wouldn't have any problems with blackouts, either...

[TheBigB]

Dump a couple of feet of snow in Manila and what would happen?

It would melt. :)

[Huck]

"I hope it lasts for 20 years. Let them feel our suffering," George Ruweid, 27, playing cards with friends on a Baghdad sidewalk, said of the U.S. blackout.

Nice.

[Lucy Lake]

Oh, good. Maybe now they will stay home instead of migrating here in droves.

[gedeon3]

'"Look at their response there in New York," popular radio commentator Joe Taruc wondered aloud in his Friday morning talk show in Manila. "If it happened here, it would be nothing out of the ordinary."

Because their countries are nothing out of the ordinary. What a bunch loosers. They are used living like hell, so to them is not anything new.

[NC Conservative]

DO THEY HAVE INDOOR PLUMBING YET?

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

I guess its easy to laugh when everything they have was either made possible or given to them by us.The rest of the world should have a church where they have to go and worship the United States because without us they would have nothing!

[theDentist]

I dunno. I was amused/disgusted when I heard about 5 mins of Savage last night and some woman was on whining about being frightened because she hadn't heard Bush address the issue yet. And Savage was whining along with her! Jeez!

Come on! Do you fall apart when electricity on the street goes out? No. You light a few candles, break out the cards, and try to keep the kids warm/cool. You perservere. Do you fall apart when the building electrical fails? No, you accept it's a matter of inconvenience (and the rest of the day off) and make due.

Yes, this was a lot larger, had greater impact, but that's no reason to fold up like a beach chair. We make the best of it. Treat it like the aftermath of a snowstorm. The electricity will be back on, life will return to normal, and you'll have a story to tell the kids in 20 years or so.

[Lazamataz]

Blackouts are a way of life in India, occurring several times a day over most of the country, particularly in the summer, when electricity demands are high for water pumps and fans.

Remind me again why we should outsource our precious computer information?

[r9etb]

Third world: "You guys ain't got no power... HAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

Eastern Seaboard: "And you guys have no stable governments, not to mention rampant venereal disease and filthy water."

And in the morning, the Eastern Seaboard will have power. The third world, however....

[hemogoblin]

"Blackouts are a part of our daily life. I can't understand why there is such panic in America," said Unal Karatas, 44, a pretzel vendor in Ankara, Turkey.

Only ones I saw panicking were in the media. As usual. Actual Americans just got through it.

[battousai]

I think the problem is these people see the few whiners on TV, prompted on by storyless, airhead, reporters so they think the whole nation is full of whiners, whereas its just the opposite and the majority of people just did what they had to and got on with life.

[finnman69]

"Look at their response there in New York," popular radio commentator Joe Taruc wondered aloud in his Friday morning talk show in Manila. "If it happened here, it would be nothing out of the ordinary."

That's because you live in a third world cesspool Joe.

[Moby Grape]

Yes, they laugh by candle light while sharing a bed with their camels.

[FixitGuy]

Third world countries will think differently as they get used to modern conveniences and come to regard them as necessities!

Well pumps, computers, lighting, air conditioning, television, vibrators..oops...

[newguy357]

"Blackouts are a part of our daily life. I can't understand why there is such panic in America," said Unal Karatas, 44, a pretzel vendor in Ankara, Turkey

What panic was that pretzel boy?

[RightWhale]

"Look at their response there in New York,"

We watched, but knew NYC would handle it. Did everyone grab their few belongings and form columns of refugees? Did mass rioting ensue? Did anyone worry this might be permanent? Did the streets fill with frightened people screaming 'terrorists, terrorists'? Did the government fall or the military roll out to guard every streetcorner?

No? Maybe the Americans aren't such soft sheep after all.

[FixitGuy]

So what's the point of this authorless piece of tripe?

Is the author saying that none of these poor/backward countries would NOT have it better,if they could?

I really doubt it!

I also doubt that they are revelling in their poverty.

[gorush]

Every time I see a kid riding a bicycle wearing a helmet I get this wierd feeling, something on the order of "what has happened to us as a culture?" We (once again, as a culture)seem to be raising little wussies...after all, I was an exceptionally daring youth, yet I know of noone that ever received a serious head injury. This is anecdotal, I understand, but still...somehow this story reminded me of that.

[LaGrone]

Do any of these countries produce anything but poverty? Thought so.

Sometimes in order to get help from someone else, you begin by helping yourself.