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Third world?

In 2009, a "mild" earthquake (5.8 to 5.9 on Richter scale) hit L'Aquila, in the Italian region of Abruzzo [1]. I assume we all agree that Italy is a first world country.

Well, 308 people died, among which dozens of young kids in a school that has been built cheaply - the usual consequence of corruption. A real estate developer, hearing the news that an earthquake hit L'Aquila, LAUGHED on the phone with a colleague, happy for his new perspective business. [2] (note: Google Translate does a decent job, but when you read "Eagle" it means the city of L'Aquila).

The world is f&*ked up everywhere, not just in third world countries.

And sadly, no technology can fix human stupidity, amibition, and search for power and money.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_L%27Aquila_earthquake [2]: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&pr...



Indeed. There are a large number of structures in San Francisco that wouldn't withstand an earthquake of magnitude 7. The city just started a public shaming campaign to try to force property owners to come up to code, and you see the notices everywhere.

We've been lucky, but I expect that "the big one", when it hits here, will cause a lot of deaths from building collapse in older structures. I'm not really sure that the building I live in could handle a magnitude 7 quake...


I guess that is one way to get new housing built in SF.


Or the devastating hurricanes here in US....





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