[QUOTE=Wee Bairn]
Americans, like other countries I would guess, seem to focus more on events that happen to them, instead of others. Not terrorism, but look at the Thailand tsunami- news for a week or so, then pretty much off the front page. In 1975 or 76, an estimated 250 THOUSAND Chinese were killed in flooding- I would guess 99% of Americans are not even aware of this. Typhoons in Bangladesh have killed over 100,000 people a few times in the last thirty years, but again, average Americans are oblivious to this. Not trying to offend anyone here, just making an observation.
[/QUOTE]
Was this even well-publicized and documented? Or did the Chinese government downplay the extent of the disaster? I’m asking because I don’t know if during that time how the Chinese gov’t did things, but if they choked off pictures and interviews from going to the outside world or their own people, it would lessen the memorability of the event due to not having shocking pictures or testimonials.