Washington, New Orleans & Rove
I will freely admit that I am way too caught up in needing to knowing as much as I can about the Katrina/New Orleans disaster. Some recent things have been happening that I am concerned about though and I thought I would share them to see what y'all think.
Yesterday, the big liberal-blog rumor was that the Bush Administration (from its Rove-generated-get-us-out-of-this-mess-spin-machine) would somehow prevent the media from reporting the hurricane's growing death toll because the number is going to be staggering and will reflect badly on Mr. Bush and the Republican Party in general. I thought that was probably a bit far fetched. However, if you go to Google News now and type 'Katrina death toll' in the search box, there are no search returns that show recent numbers. There are results from yesterday and the day before because it was (and is) big news. Today, nothing.
Yesterday FEMA sent out a decree that it didn't want the news media to record pictures of the dead as they were recovered Reuters report. There are current blog rumors that the folks at the National Guard check stations into New Orleans are turning the press away all together now...not letting them into the city at all.
I have never been a big fan of the main streem media before but I'm begining to feel like someone or something is squashing our First Amendment 'people's right to know'. Am I paranoid?
Yesterday, the big liberal-blog rumor was that the Bush Administration (from its Rove-generated-get-us-out-of-this-mess-spin-machine) would somehow prevent the media from reporting the hurricane's growing death toll because the number is going to be staggering and will reflect badly on Mr. Bush and the Republican Party in general. I thought that was probably a bit far fetched. However, if you go to Google News now and type 'Katrina death toll' in the search box, there are no search returns that show recent numbers. There are results from yesterday and the day before because it was (and is) big news. Today, nothing.
Yesterday FEMA sent out a decree that it didn't want the news media to record pictures of the dead as they were recovered Reuters report. There are current blog rumors that the folks at the National Guard check stations into New Orleans are turning the press away all together now...not letting them into the city at all.
I have never been a big fan of the main streem media before but I'm begining to feel like someone or something is squashing our First Amendment 'people's right to know'. Am I paranoid?
posted by EThunk at 4:19 PM
12 Comments:
Here's a new article from Reuters.
No Ethunk, you are not paranoid. This is really happening. It has been happening for quite some time. We're never told abut GWB's sweetheart deals with the Saudis. We're never told about hoe Jeb screwed the blacks in Florida out of their voting rights. We never get to talk about why nobody found any WMD's in Iraq. We're not allowed to see the soldiers' coffins coming in from Iraq. We never hear how many Iraqui civilians have been killed, we hardly ever hear the number of American soldiers who have been permanently maimed. How much sugar coating can you put on a turd? Not enough apparantly. Pretty soon you catch the smell of it even if you can't see or taste it. Hopefully, the New Orleans fiasco will be GWB's undoing. It's the only possible silver lining in a very dark cloud indeed.
I don't think it's right for them to prevent journalists from seeking out the stories.
However, to play devil's advocate...they are trying to clear the entire city because infectious bacteria is getting worse. That may play in to part of the reason why the journalists are not being allowed in to certain areas...especially ones where dead bodies have been floating in the streets where they would be walking.
I'm just saying.
That's what they are saying Skog, but perhaps they have a hidden agenda or two or six. Take a look at how our dear pres and fema handled the 2004, election year hurricanes in Florida.
Yes, but the areas in Florida were not "toxic cess pools."
I have stopped watchign Katrina coverage. They are doing too much on "pet rescues," and those make me cry so hard, I seriously become ill.
It's bullshit. Hey, they had reporters riding on tanks storming Iraq. Reporters (like Sam Hurst) go to Africa to do stories on the Ebola and Hanta virus. It's pure political damage control.
Fair enough...but how will you convince people they need to evacuate because of health dangers when Stone Phillips is canoeing by their kitchen window.
(pause for visual)
Presumably Stone Phillips will be helping the authorities persuade, or at least showing us why the folks would rather stay. Some of those people have worked all their lives just to be able to have a refrigerator, a stove a table and a washing machine. It's literally all they have, and no hope of getting any more. one. Some of them would rather take their chances waiting it out, so they can get the first jobs, etc. Who knows what they're thinking?
I think many of them are staying until somebody can guarantee that a group of looters won't steal the hard earned washer, table, vehicle, fridge, etc...
I think many are staying because they can't leave...they are tiny children, crippled, old or forgotten...not a good time for Merica kids.
I have to put in my "props" for calling us "Mericains".
Thanks Thunk!
laxalff!
Tha's cuz Ethunk's a gud 'Mahrkun, ba gawd! Ummhmm.
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