Minnesota Bridge
02/August/2007 10:39 Filed in: Other Nations
and Races
For two
days now, the news channels have been giving all-day
coverage to the Minnesota bridge collapse. On the
bridge were about 60 vehicles, and yes there was injury
and death. But, even more unfortunate is what this says
about the priorities and values of the United States
citizens at this point. You can't blame a news media
that is supported through advertising because it will
only show what people want to see...otherwise
advertising wouldn't work as a support system. In other
words, there is little free press in America.
The first problem with this tragedy is that President Bush has gotten another pass in the media. He had just exerted executive privilege in not allowing Carl Rove to testify before congress or hand over any documents or correspondence regarding the firing of U.S. attorneys. This, of course, is a huge news story regarding how far executive privilege can go.
But, more disturbing than this is how much Americans care about disasters like this when more horrific things are happening around the world every single day. We have millions of people a year dying of starvation, for example (yes millions, folks), 150 thousand a month of AIDS, 150 million from diarrhea every month, and 200 thousand dying from malaria every month. The malarial drugs exist to stop the deaths but America refuses to send them. If you take the starvation alone, 18 thousand children die EVERY DAY, one every five seconds (and that is just the children). Read about hunger facts at here at www.bread.org. If you add wars and attacks you get another grim picture. In fact, with the 3000 people that died on 9/11, some countries have the equivalent of a 9/11 tragedy DAILY. Do we see any of this on the news, so people can rally together to save all these people? No. Why? It doesn't sell toothpaste. And we think we have a free press? And yet, when 60 American cars are on a collapsing bridge, suddenly we all care. Why? Because Americans think their lives are more valuable that those of the rest of the world. This is why nationalism is so ugly. Why isn't this picture below on the news every day?
The first problem with this tragedy is that President Bush has gotten another pass in the media. He had just exerted executive privilege in not allowing Carl Rove to testify before congress or hand over any documents or correspondence regarding the firing of U.S. attorneys. This, of course, is a huge news story regarding how far executive privilege can go.
But, more disturbing than this is how much Americans care about disasters like this when more horrific things are happening around the world every single day. We have millions of people a year dying of starvation, for example (yes millions, folks), 150 thousand a month of AIDS, 150 million from diarrhea every month, and 200 thousand dying from malaria every month. The malarial drugs exist to stop the deaths but America refuses to send them. If you take the starvation alone, 18 thousand children die EVERY DAY, one every five seconds (and that is just the children). Read about hunger facts at here at www.bread.org. If you add wars and attacks you get another grim picture. In fact, with the 3000 people that died on 9/11, some countries have the equivalent of a 9/11 tragedy DAILY. Do we see any of this on the news, so people can rally together to save all these people? No. Why? It doesn't sell toothpaste. And we think we have a free press? And yet, when 60 American cars are on a collapsing bridge, suddenly we all care. Why? Because Americans think their lives are more valuable that those of the rest of the world. This is why nationalism is so ugly. Why isn't this picture below on the news every day?