Where are their minds?

[ciphergoth]

All TV channels have been interrupted to show some people playing the bagpipes.

I don't remember this coverage for the anniversary of the Turkish earthquakes, in which 10,000 people died.

Comments

[nisaba.livejournal.com]

They weren't American, duh!

More seriously, the earthquake was a natural disaster, Sept 11th was the very deliberate cold-hearted attempt to murder at least 20,000 people, succeeding with thousands of them... not to say that the media hasn't gone overboard (they wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't, after all...), but I do feel some form of tribute is justified, at least on this first anniversary.

What I would like to see more a much more balance view of affairs, for example, coverage of the damage America has done to Afghanistan since then. Wishful thinking, I know.

[nickys.livejournal.com]

> I would like to see more a much more balance view of affairs, for example, coverage of the damage America has done to Afghanistan

Absolutely.

And wouldn't it be great if the Americans finally stopped trying to get out of cleaning up after Union Carbide's little episode of corporate manslaughter in Bhopal?

Many examples exist

[pavlos.livejournal.com]

There are many places around the world, such as Uganda, Kurdistan (Eastern Turkey), Sierra leone, Colombia, Algeria, and East Timor where many thousands of people have been deliberately and brutally killed or mutilated, during the past couple of years. The difference is:

• They were not American, so it doesn't matter, and
• At least one side in the hostilities was a regular army, so it's OK.

Sigh! Personally, I had exhausted my 2001 "sympathy for victims of violence" budget before September, and so I was only concerned about civil liberties, etc, when the regrettable incident happened.

Pavlos

Re: Many examples exist

[nisaba.livejournal.com]

I don't know.. the difference is, those attrocities aren't relevant to the lives of those living in the UK. Which doesn't mean there should be no coverage, no information whatsoever, doesn't mean we should pretend it's nothing, but what happened a year ago has changed world politics dramatically. Its given the US an excuse to blatantly interfere with the Middle East and declare open warfare, and many people in the UK were personally touched by the deaths in the US. It was an important day, for all the worst reasons.

Australia remembers the 25th April, a day when hundreds of soldiers were slaughtered in WWI. The UK doesn't think twice about it because it's not relevant here. Sadly the same goes for lots of past tragedies the world over - only the locals care enough to remember.

Something should be done about all those thousands who die of hunger while we throw away uneaten mcdonalds, something should be done about the ongoing wars and violence everywhere, but those issues don't lessen what happened a year ago.

I'm not saying the press aren't overkilling it, but it was a tragedy, it was all those evocative words the press are throwing so blithely about, but I don't want to become cold-hearted about it just because the press is abusing the emotions for their own ratings. I'd rather extent my sympathy and save my rants for bemoaning the actions the US took after Sept 11th, and other real issues.

Sorry for rambling on, this whole issue and people's reactions to it fascinates (and scares) me :)