Blame America First (Again)

The blame blame is coming on harder and faster than I ever dreamed. In today's LA Times, (liberal columnist--or is redundant) James Rainey chastises Fox News for not more extensively covering the Haiti earthquake disaster, in contrast to CNN Cable News who had the tightly T-shirted Anderson Cooper on the scene with 18 hours covering the rescue of a 13 year old girl. Rianey calls the Haitian earthquake "the biggest crisis in the world."

Look, we all know about the earthquake. The US government has pledged $100 million in quake relief, as well as sending a hospital ship, aircraft carrier, coast guard vessel and peacekeeping troops. US Air Force controllers are directing planes trying to land at the crowded airport and troops are keeping the aid packages from being looted. We are doing our share. We know how bad it is. We know about the inability of anyone to get in relief supplies, given the non-presence of the Haitian government or its ability to do anything anyway. But Rainey wants us to make sure more of us see the "painful realities."

I'm afraid I subscribe to Henry David Thoreau on this one--once you've read about one train wreck, you've read about them all. Reading additional stories about new train wrecks doesn't make you smarter, better informed, more compassionate, or otherwise enhance your character.

The Internet is now carrying stories of Diane Sawyer saying she was surrounded by a mob demanding to know where were the relief workers and, more importantly, all the donated supplies. She didn't feel her life was in danger, she said, but the mob was clearly pissed. At America, of course. Why don't they blame their own government (and reserve a little blame for themselves for voting such people into office in the first place.)