From razor blades in the Halloween candy to shark attacks to teen “super-predators,” the media love a good scare. Such stories—a staple of the newsweeklies and local news broadcasts—are high on drama and low on facts. But they’re a big reason why Americans are afraid of the wrong things. As Barry Glassner demonstrates in his book The Culture of Fear,… return to article
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Reader Comments (14)Page 1 of 1 pagesI agree with you on how the media overdoes almost everything.
But in terms of fear of being sued, that is very real. People are scared to fire minority workers because of the chance they may be accused to be racist. People go to work on construction drunk and settle for a few hundred thousand.
Are there bad doctors, racist employers and irresponsible managers? yes, but there are so many people suing how have no right to the money they want, frequently asking for tens of millions. So companies settle for a lot less, but still give undeserving people money. This is money that would otherwise go to someone else.
Aaron, you even point out how insane this stuff is getting with the Rev and nurse
Posted by brad on Jan 23, 2004 at 1:28 PM Do you know what malpractice insurance rates are at right now?
Insurance costs are exploding at an unsustainable rate. If we’re going to attain coverage for more people common sense legal reform is a blindlingly obvious step.
“Denied any recourse”? Who has ever suggested that? That’s funny.
People should “be afraid, very afraid”, of not having insurance and access to the best medical treatment in the world - And having their paychecks continue to shrink as rates climb ever higher.
Posted by Ty on Jan 23, 2004 at 4:39 PM national health coverage. england, canada, germany, scotland. etc. do you 2 not understand that everybody has a right to medicine? you think money should decide if you’re healthy? that’s how the ruling class rules- keep the workers sick.
you’re OBVIOUS idea is rank. let’s make the corporations and the government pay for medicine and hospitals instead- not the workers busting their butts. DUH! your so worried about paychecks? how about NOT take that out of their paychecks and have them have universal health care? how about they get what their government and corporations owe them? sorry to have a bright idea in the crowd of dimwits.
Posted by K-CT on Jan 23, 2004 at 10:15 PM Greetings,
Afraid. Yes, what I’ve been saying for years - in the face of “No Fear” bumper stickers.
And then, how can the masses, injected with media hysteria every minute of every day, behave any differently? I’m watching over my 85yr. old Mom and her favorite shows are the “Judge” and “Cop” shows. What’s _reality?_ Whatever the lobotomy box says it is, including “legal fear.”
Tis sad, for the children....ananda
daigu
Posted by daigu on Jan 24, 2004 at 1:28 AM I think that the fear of being sued is real but, I personally can not say how many of those cases are actually processed and have awards paid out. Any idoit can tell me that he is going to sue me for offending him by having a pink flamingo in my front lawn, but I highly doubt that this sort of case would result in me paying for any emotional damages caused by said flamingo. It is said that we live in a society that our first thought is to sue, but with the way we are all so media and fear driven most people sadly dont know any better way of resolving problems.
Posted by alisha on Jan 24, 2004 at 7:25 PM Having failed to adequately police the bad doctors in the ranks, the medical profession then complains about expensive malpractice insurance. It falls to the civil courts to do the policing.
Posted by Paul on Jan 25, 2004 at 1:34 PM “? how about NOT take that out of their paychecks and have them have universal health care”
Speaking of dim-wits - who do you think pays for “universal health care”. It comes straight out of the paycheck, either through deduction, taxation, or just plain lower pay to cover the employers’ cost.
An Ohio man is suing his neighbor to prevent her from smoking cigarettes on her back porch.
“you think money should decide if you’re healthy”
Better than someone else or the government deciding if I am.
If I am paying for your health care, I want you to live in a healthful manner. What right do you have to not do so if it is my money that has to pay for your mistakes? You will eat what I think is best, exercise for a half-hour a day, go to bed early and absolutely no skiing or motorcycling.
Posted by Nus on Jan 26, 2004 at 11:39 AM “? how about NOT take that out of their paychecks and have them have universal health care”
Speaking of dim-wits - who do you think pays for “universal health care”. It comes straight out of the paycheck, either through deduction, taxation, or just plain lower pay to cover the employers’ cost.
An Ohio man is suing his neighbor to prevent her from smoking cigarettes on her back porch.
“you think money should decide if you’re healthy”
Better than someone else or the government deciding if I am.
If I am paying for your health care, I want you to live in a healthful manner. What right do you have to not do so if it is my money that has to pay for your mistakes? You will eat what I think is best, exercise for a half-hour a day, go to bed early and absolutely no skiing or motorcycling.
Posted by Nus on Jan 26, 2004 at 11:39 AM “? how about NOT take that out of their paychecks and have them have universal health care”
Speaking of dim-wits - who do you think pays for “universal health care”. It comes straight out of the paycheck, either through deduction, taxation, or just plain lower pay to cover the employers’ cost.
An Ohio man is suing his neighbor to prevent her from smoking cigarettes on her back porch.
“you think money should decide if you’re healthy”
Better than someone else or the government deciding if I am.
If I am paying for your health care, I want you to live in a healthful manner. What right do you have to not do so if it is my money that has to pay for your mistakes? You will eat what I think is best, exercise for a half-hour a day, go to bed early and absolutely no skiing or motorcycling.
Posted by Nus on Jan 26, 2004 at 11:40 AM This information has to get out to the public and elected officials. But the problem is that media is also corporately owned and, therefore, probably limited in its ability to be “objective” in these matters. Someone should mail this article to Rep. John Conyers (Dem.--Michigan)--He is DSA-- and ask him to read the article into the Congressional Record.
Thank God for In These Times, the Internet, and E-Mail.
Posted by Steven C. Hill on Jan 27, 2004 at 4:39 PM “This information has to get out to the public and elected officials”
What information? Please be specific?
Posted by Nus on Jan 30, 2004 at 10:51 AM It goes without saying, there are many answers, there are no answers. I ask you this, “ if the proletarian has only his labor to represent his capital, then what capital does he use to make this expensive change?” I’ve come to realize that, “ like the poor”, the media will be with us always.....work with it, against it or around it....
Posted by lynage on Jan 30, 2004 at 11:41 PM I have a huge and realistic fear. Fear of an Amerikka without a jury system. Jury’s make descisions in court not lawyers, not congress, not rush limbaugh.
If someone sues me and a jury of twelve of my peers agrees with the plaintiff then too bad for me.
seems like only the losers complain about being sued. I’m not out fucking people over so I really dont have a fear of being sued. Oh so scary. The sky is falling.
TY from chicago.....Lots of us already dont have medical insurance and my paycheck has already shrank to close to nothing and I’m supposed to be worried about some doctor being sued?
Posted by dingleberry on Feb 5, 2004 at 11:58 PM I enjoyed Craig Aaron’s great perspective on this issue. This piece is a well directed blow to the media hype that clouds most people’s (myself included) judgement on this issue.
Coming from a nation with universal healthcare, I can tell you that there are also high medical insurance premiums here.
The scare tactics are the most concerning thing, and I strongly advise people to rise above them and keep the right to fight for fair and professional treatment through their legal system.
Posted by James on Feb 6, 2004 at 6:34 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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