AOG
There was a fantastic programme on Tuesday night called Charlie Brooker's Newswipe.
Charlie Brooker is a very acerbic media commentator who, in his new show, reviews the way the news media deliver information to us.
To summarise - we all love a good panic, we all love drama, and we all love horror. Over the past 25 years (from the beginning of AIDS, through to this winter's big freeze) we have got used to horror/panic.
The events in Haiti follow that particular narrative. There is no way the news media can continue reporting on the dead bodies littering the street...so mob violence now forms the main push of their stories (apart from that miraculous rescue 24 hours ago).
The thing that Clinton said really hits home - "When you consider," explained Clinton, "that these people haven't slept for four days, haven't eaten and have spent their nights wandering the streets tripping over dead bodies, I think they've behaved pretty well."
On top of that...these people have lost literally everything they've ever owned, watched their children, mothers, fathers etc killed.
And they also have the knowledge that their internal systems of government and transport have practically disappeared, which may leave them adrift for a generation.
Oh, and during the earthquake, 5,000 prisoners escaped...that could've only added to the problems.
I doubt very much that any one of us could remain 'tickety boo' under those circumstances. These are people pushed to the brink, fighting for their lives.