[extropy-chat] Dead is dead

[Amara Graps]

The tsunamis in southeast Asia caused a huge tragedy in human life,
I think we all agree. While watching the contribution efforts in the
private and governmental realm towards the tsunami/quake tragedy,
I wonder :

Why is it easier for people to contribute efforts (money, time, etc)
for tragedies caused by a natural disaster than by those caused by war,
genocides, deportations, etc? Tens and/or hundreds of thousands of
civilians lost their lives in a matter of hours/days too. The density
of dead lives is much higher, as well (Note that the southeast Asia
affected region is huge). Dead is dead. Each precious civilian life
gone is a tragedy. What is the peculiarity in the human mind-set that
lends to people feeling more compassion for the dead in natural
disasters versus people feeling compassions for the huge number of
lives lost in other (usually human-caused) circumstances?

-- 

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Amara Graps, PhD          email: amara at amara.com
Computational Physics     vita:  ftp://ftp.amara.com/pub/resume.txt
Multiplex Answers         URL:   http://www.amara.com/
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"It's not the pace of life I mind. It's the sudden stop at the end."
--Calvin