Over 15,000 deads in India yesterday!

[Maciamo]

While the Western world has been absorbed with news of the terrorist attacks in Brussels, people often forget to look at what is happening in the developing world.

Yet in India over 15,000 people died and no one took notice. Among them, 118 were murdered, nearly two thousands died in accidents and the rest died mostly of diseases. Yes, that is because India has a mortality rate of 7 per 1,000 people per year, which means that over 6 million people die annually, which translates as roughly 16,700 deaths per day.

This puts things into perspective when we feel scared by what we perceived as a huge terrorist attack, which resulted in 31 deaths. In fact, about as many people died in Brussels of natural causes and traffic accidents on 22 March than in the two bombings. 110,000 die every year in Belgium, which means 301 per day. For Brussels that is about 35 deaths per day on a normal day.

Worldwide 150,000 people die every day, which means over 6000 people per hour, or 100 people every minute. So every minute we are watching the news about the terrorist attack, 100 people die in the world, and not just of natural causes. Wars, murders and accidents make up a sizeable portion of these deaths. There are people dying all the time all around us, but we hardly notice it.

[bicicleur]

There are 7 billion on the planet and that is quite enough.
Some must die to make room for the new bornes.
And 31 dead in Brussels, it's a normal day, apart from the 100 that will be crippled for the rest of their life.

But it was a war crime.
And the warriors have a terrible ideologie.
It's almost certain more of it will happen in Europe this year.
And elsewhere.

[Maciamo]

But it was a war crime.
And the warriors have a terrible ideologie.

That's an important distinction indeed.

It's almost certain more of it will happen in Europe this year.
And elsewhere.

Yes, that is unfortunately likely to be the case.

[mr_y82]

Well said, both of you... My heart goes out to Brussels, but also to victims of violence, disease, and misfortune across the globe. Thanks Maciamo for that poignant reminder of the suffering endured by so many.

[LeBrok]

Good point. These terrorist attacks won't even make a dent in population dynamics of a country or being statistically relevant. They make news however, because it is a fairly big number of people being killed on purpose at one time, often by an enemy who declared war on a country. The intention makes it big, not the numbers. Even terrorists know that they can't win a war with these limited attacks. The main goal of attacks is to carry a strong message and scare population into changing their minds.
Keeping perspective, as Maciamo said, is very important. Keeps you from getting scared, paralyzed or changing your lifestyle. I remember, right after Paris attacks, all school trips from Canada to France were canceled by administration. Statistically speaking the most dangerous part of such trip is riding a school bus to the airport or crossing a street on foot. Did they ever canceled a trip due to a danger being on a bus, or cancel a school day because kids can be killed crossing a street? Of course not. But this is what happens when people make decisions with emotions and not with knowledge. Ironic when talking about educational system, isn't it.

[mr_y82]

^Indeed! The statement below resonates with me especially..

The intention makes it big, not the numbers. Even terrorists know that they can't win a war with these limited attacks. The main goal of attacks is to carry a strong message and scare population into changing their minds.

I put some more of my thoughts over here:

http://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads...port-and-metro

[Maleth]

this also reminds me of the many gun related deaths in the USA accidental and mass shootings which otherwise could have been avoided. These type of deaths seem to be of a different kind or nature and somehow 'nesessary'...in return for the freedom to be able to owe a gun. http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/

the logic of it all truly baffles me

[mr_y82]

^we are a strange breed here in the US... fighting for the unborn so we can shoot them later!