Satellite photos of coastlines eradicated, images of utterly bereft mothers who had lost their children, accounts of how people’s daily lives halfway around the globe had been destroyed—all these brought out the best and the worst of the U.S. media. They also dramatized what we can learn, see and feel when the news media break out of their U.S.-centric mode… return to article
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Reader Comments (14)Page 1 of 1 pagesSusan- I like how you were able to start off with the greatest natural disaster we have ever seen and try to turn it into an Anti-Bush tirade! The inclusion of Pell grants, of all things, was genius!
By the way, how much total assistance has the US government provided in aid and military support now? Maybe we should compare that to every other country on the planet (China? They have 4 times as many people as we do and live right next door, what have they done again?). Do you know who the TNI are? Do you know what the Navy and Marines have been doing?
House of Saud donations to Indonesia so far -$15 million
Cost of King’s last vacation - $100 million
I just think that’s funny ‘cause they brag about supporting their “Muslim Brothers”. Of course, snippets like that would never make it into this paper. EVERY SINGLE story has to involve some kind of Bush rambling tirade at the end. Even a freaking Tsunami.
By the way, I have a great Anti-Bush article on the next solar eclipse if you want to read it. It’s got Pell grants in it too!
Posted by Sir Master High Top Coventry on Jan 19, 2005 at 9:08 AM Methinks thou dost protest too much, SirMasteretc. The truth must be pinching you to bring out the snarky remarks you came up with.
My personal experience of our National news reflects all that she claims. I end up having to get news of the world from NPR.
And Dubya was being a jerk. He missed yet ANOTHER opportunity to do the “right thing”—AGAIN!
Posted by auntikrist on Jan 19, 2005 at 12:25 PM Keep up the good work. Hope to get more information about the Caribbean, especially some good news about Venezuela, which Condoleezza Rice was hard pressed to find. . . Also, it seems that as we are rather picky about which democratically elected regimes we will support, (as well as non-democratic ones), it would be interesting to see some global survey about this in chart form, for ex. - name of country; political process(es) for selecting leadership; how US supports/ed or hasn’t in the past 25 years or so. . .
Posted by Carolyn Nisinson on Jan 19, 2005 at 12:25 PM Hey Susan,
California was buried with rain this month, Florida was hit with four hurricanes this season and Mt St Helens erupts. I wonder what Mr. George did to make these events unfold. Your liberal, biased, unbalanced banter reminds me of a circus monkey. Typical liberal “cry and complain” but never solution based. Whaaaa whaaaaa
Posted by not antibush on Jan 19, 2005 at 3:29 PM Sir Master High...your comments and rebuttal to Susan were OUTSTANDING! Susan is pathetic. What she fails to mention is the support we have provided to date versus the initial pledge which was simply that...an initial pledge until a more comprehensive evaluation of the situation could be made. Remember the first reports that came in stating 10,000-15,000 feared dead? That number is now 210,000 and growing. Susan falls right in line with our liberal media quick to attack America but slow to report the positives. Why is the media not reporting on the progess made in Fallujah clearing the insurgents from this city? Because they would rather report on suicide bombers in other parts of the country in order to keep up the anti-Bush sentiment. Think the insurgents are in support of the anti-Bush media? That is why most of their strikes happen in the wee hours of the morning so that the east coast news media can report it. How about a little, just a little less anti-Bush rhetoric Susan. You are a disgrace.
Posted by anti susan on Jan 19, 2005 at 3:41 PM blah blah blah...enough with this crap about the liberal media! It’s just not true!
no matter how often you say it does not make it so!!
find a new one kiddies, cause that one’s pretty worn out.
hey-I don’t think you’ve used up all you “kerry is married to a billionaire lunatic” quotes yet..work that one in somewhere!
or maybe “Michael Moore is a freedom hater, and he’s really fat!” I haven’t heard that one enough yet...c’mon guys! Lets get creative here!
p.s. Anti-susan nice work on somewhow changing the topic from disaster relief to some chest-thumping Iraq banter! Nice!
Posted by neil on Jan 19, 2005 at 4:52 PM Nice try Kneel,
Anti Susan was a bit off track with his/her Iraq attack...but the points are valid...believe it. Pick up a NY Times or LA Times and look at the headlines. How many insurgents were killed in Fallujah? Don’t know cuz they don’t report it. But they are quick to report the US deaths.
The democrats can never leave behind their differences for they become their platform.
Posted by shakinnrollin on Jan 19, 2005 at 7:04 PM As important as leadership may be, I suggest that news coverage, compassionate action, and government policy can be motivated even more powerfully by the views and efforts of regular citizens. The resources that a government can bring to bear in disaster relief are formidable, but when it comes to sustained, long-term help like the years-long assistance the tsunami victims will need, it will likely be NGOs and the people who work for them who will do the real carrying on. If those groups and their many donors were to hypothetically lose interest in helping (just pretending for the moment that they would), that would have the most devastating effect upon extended relief efforts. The point is, the day hasn’t passed in America when regular folks can make huge differences in the world by putting their money and their work where their mouths are, even compelling desireable government action abroad if they perceive a deficiency in it. As for news organizations, when TV ratings and circulation decline, that’s when they’ll change. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear as though enough people are willing to turn off their TVs, cancel their subscriptions, and demand more objective, informative news, rather than always worrying about whether journalists have a liberal or conservative bias (which, in a way, is to insist that they adopt the bias of the one doing the partisan complaining). This may seem like a tangential comment, but I’d like to see more happening in schools to build an appetite for clear, objective information in young people, and of course parents will have an even greater impact if they raise their kids with that priority. Those of us who already have that appetite know that we aren’t content with less. We can also see the results of teaching kids to identify with people from other countries as a foundation for disaster relief or any other kind of beneficial work. Obviously public and corporate leaders have a big role to play, but millions of hardworking people who can think critically and who demand hard information as they make their decisions will really have the greater force, whether it’s helping destitute people or influencing any sort of government policy.
Posted by Kuya on Jan 19, 2005 at 7:59 PM To:
Sir Master High Top Conventry, not anti bush, and anti susan. Or perhaps to the one person who wrote these postings I think your comments prove a long held belief of mine, ergo: Man, God’s beta version of humans.Michele
Posted by Michele on Jan 20, 2005 at 5:51 AM Hey Shakinnrollin
The real reason we don’t know how many “insurgents” were killed is because the american public doesn’t care...A-rab deaths just don’t matter to most yankees.
remember: foreigners aren’t really people. haven’t you learned that lesson yet?
Posted by neil on Jan 21, 2005 at 10:48 AM The problem we have in the US with the media reporting the news the way they want to is deadly serious. It saddens me to read silly talk by people who are unwilliing to DO SOMETHING. We no longer have democracy, but, in effect, a dictatorship, with the collusion of big bucks media owners. I am doing all I can in my own town to get the word out about this because most people have no idea how bad it has gotten. Listening to independent media is a start & demanding our representatives do something & spreading the word.
Posted by Charlene Cheek on Jan 23, 2005 at 8:01 AM I don’t understand how an article about how much the media sucks can turn into another anti-Bush tirade. What good does proving the media sucks do? Why not do something about it? Why instead of complaining about the lack of World news, actually report on World news?? Or maybe I simply missed that section of the website and have gotten stuck in the section dedicated solely to the hatred of Team Bush. Yeah, they do really suck, the media really sucks, but as far as I can tell, complaining hasn’t really helped much.
Posted by Future Canadian on Jan 24, 2005 at 11:06 AM Great job, Kuya. Thank God there were enough citizens voicing outrage at the US’ initial 15mil pledge to shame our leaders into digging deeper. If we’re embarking on a crusade to spread (our) “moral values” around the world, we should lead by example and give until it feels like a real sacrifice.
Posted by Chris D on Jan 25, 2005 at 12:22 AM Carolyn Nisinson - If you’re the Cary Nisinson I went to Jr. High and H.S. with in Forest Hills, could you drop me a note? I’ve been wanting to get back in touch for some years.
(Sorry, for not posting comments on the thread.)
Barbara Spark
Posted by Barbara Spark on Feb 4, 2005 at 3:01 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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