Media and the US over-dramatalization

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I am still trying to figure things out… so dont flame… explain! (hey that rhymes!)

Is the U.S. media and Goverment over-dramatlize things?
As I looked at the subject its seems to me the USA is build on that… for example: When the revolutionaries where doing the “taxation without represintation”… Now as I looked closer it seems to me: A group of slave-owning, self elected white officials… decide to have their own country… Because the taxation was so minescule, it was nothing… but it got the country going. Then the Boston masaccer… like a couple of people died after somebody attacked the guards… and that guard was punished… but it was still called a massacer!.. and when they sent Benjamin Franklin to negotiate with the King of England they told him, dont accept any representation!

Today there is plenty of stupid scares going that came around Y2k, killer bees etc…
But lets stay to with whats at hand…

  • A bunch of soldeirs die in combat … and its like they are the greates people who ever lived…[They are soldeirs!!]
  • The friggin dangero-meter… the stupid threat meter from homeland security
  • Bombshelters…
  • WMD’s!
  • Terrorists…
  • Why is america the strongest country in the world afraid of Iraq?
  • the “in case of a terrorist attack” routine…
  • More terrorists

Now how come I never hear of this:

  • People killed in cas accident :41,821 (Car statistics)
  • In 2001, women experienced an estimated 588,490 rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault victimizations (Bureau of Justice)
  • 7,950 homicides were committed with guns in 1999 (USA Today)
  • 432,000 rapes of women estimated to occur each year by the (National Crime Victimization Survey. )
  • 29,350 suicides per year (iusb.edu)
  • 710,760 die of heart desease each year (iusb.edu)
  • Increase in pollution… the US pullout of the Kyoto accord, The Clean Water Act cutbacks… smog problems… Global warming… Ozone layer…
  • Patriot Act

Thats my opinion… and thats what it seems to me…

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Hey RussianBeer,
A large reason is, when was the last time you watched CSPAN or CSPAN2 :slight_smile: Now, when do you think the average American watches those two channels?

More than likely, the average person flips through those channels quite quickly. The average person is irked when their favorite sports game or sitcom is interrupted for something called the “State of the Union” address. Majority of today’s kids couldn’t find Iraq on a world map.

As people in today’s world grow up, they are losing a great deal of a certain quality called patience. People want something right here right now because that’s supposedly what their favorite music channel says - and of course, one’s viewing preference plays a large impact on their views.

Now, regarding your question, the news has to adapt to accomodate the new generation of viewers. People are not interested in car crash statistics, number of people killed by drunk driving, etc. People are interested in topics such as Russel Crowe’s wedding more so than the number of women raped. After all, I’m sure there is someone else who will solve all the world’s problems - as long as it doesn’t interfere with my lifestyle.

So, the news tries to cover topics of national interest interspersed with cool catch phrases that make the unwitting believe they are watching an action movie instead of news. Because, after all, how cool would you be if you told your friends that you watched the news? :slight_smile:

One need no go very far to discuss this. Simply find an average person, and ask them what their views are on any certain topic. Remember, you will either get:

A.) A reasonably sound answer.
B.) Something completely off-topic that will make its way onto Jay Leno

The public’s attention span on something such as saving the Caribou in Alaska is less than finding out the latest tank’s main armament and which computer game best combines that tank in a role-playing adventure.

Gone are the days when children are encouraged to watch the news. No longer are political issues discussed at popular hangouts. Very few parents in today’s world have any time to spend time with their children - much less have an impact on their views (personal, political, religious, etc.).

This is a larger societal problem, and the news falls victim to it. After all, in 20 years, it’ll be the people who can’t locate Iraq on the map who will be covering the news - who will we blame for that?

Note: I’m trying to be part satirical and part objective =)

Cheers!
Kirupa :rambo:

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- A bunch of soldeirs die in combat … and its like they are the greates people who ever lived…[They are soldeirs!!]

Vietnam war syndrome. The US citizens can no longer stand having their soldiers dying.

- The friggin dangero-meter… the stupid threat meter from homeland security

It kinda helps cops (I guess). Red day, put twice as many NYPD cops on the statue of liberty as you would on a green day. I guess green’s one of the colors.

- Why is america the strongest country in the world afraid of Iraq?

Only takes one WMD to kill thousands of people. And Iraq might have (had) them and give(n) them to terrorists.

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*Originally posted by NaliWarCowZ *
**- Why is america the strongest country in the world afraid of Iraq?

Only takes one WMD to kill thousands of people. And Iraq might have (had) them and give(n) them to terrorists. **
… so does that mean that in a way, america isnt the strongest country in the world…? :P:trout:

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Very , very good points everyone…! Kirupa and Warcow…, nice…
Vietnam syndrom… I completle forgot that thanks… and yeah not many people whatch CSPAN…

But Phil… I still dont understand The U.S. has never been attacked by chemecial or any other kind of WMD, we’ve been attacked by box-cutter wielding terrorists! U.S. Is the only country to attack someone else with nuclear weapons and not once but twice, on a civilian target!

  • According to UN statistics for 1996-2001, the US is the world’s largest weapons manufacturer and exporter, with 45 per cent of the sales. In 2000, the US netted $14 billion (US) in arms sales, double its closest competitors, Britain and Russia. -
    We are the ones using clusterbombs which are illigal under the geneva convention… we make more chemical weapons than anyone…! Even the anthrax scars was from a U.S. lab! I know the treat of the weapons if they hit… but the chances are so small… and the effects that all these hype on the general public is horrible, think of the stress alone! And when the “threat” level been put on the highest level did anything happened , no!
    And are you saying we are going to go after all those countries after iraq! Don’t they have a right to be sovreign?

It just seems to me, that we’ve been hit by primitive wield weapons, and now are acting like there is going to be a massive invasion! How many people feel safer with GI’s with m16 walking around town? Like a terrorist is going to jump out of a trashcan and attack someone!

It all looks to me very Orwellian (read ‘1984’), we are overlooking the social problems of our country… just to make it more entertaining for the people who watch CNN.

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We don’t use the chemical weapons or nuclear weapons (except when EXTREMELY necessary, like for the sovreignty of our nation). We’ve had them for 50 years, and we don’t just walk over to some other country and use them because of their race or religion. The AoE have said they will do this when they get the weapons.

What if an ex-KGB agent is elected president of Russia and he decides to re-install the Soviet Union. If he sees he has 1000 gallons of anthrax, and we have 1,000,000 gallons, he’s prob. not going to use his. Our weapons are mainly defensive.

Personally, I feel 100x safer seeing a marine with m16 at the metal detectors in the airports. I know, that if I was trying to hijack a plane, and I saw that guy, i’d be scared ********. And what’s better? Being stressed, or having your lungs collapse as your skin melts off your body?

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holly long replies and posts

i did not read anything from those but every single one of them is huge and long :stunned:

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*Originally posted by Phil Jayhan *
**too phunny Nali…But in all honesty and phairness america is not white robed when it comes to chem/bio weapons; Napalm, Agent Orange and even a large scale test of VX nerve agent was used against the Viet Cong, many of them women and children. So we need to take our lumps when we deserve them.

The effects of the VX in Vietnam was so great that they at once decided against using it again in Vietnam. But the point is that we used it; And it was barbaric. Personally I am not comphortable with even our government possessing these weapons, a the anthrax letters show; Had our government no anthrax, this would never have happened; 5 dead and an ounce of white powder cost our government 8 billion dollars in cleanup costs;
pj :stuck_out_tongue: **

Oops, forgot about Vietnam. That was very bad, but that whole war was just wrong in my opinion.

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KIRUPA: I PM’ed you about keeping the content mature - don’t have me warn you again.

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without a bid…

Rev

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Phil, I PMed him earlier about his immaturity - if he acts up, I don’t mind having to take “unwanted” measures. His previous thread before I warned him is in Forbidden.

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just a side note… the Russian president is ex-KGB!

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woo hoo!!!

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Original by NaliWarCowZ

What if an ex-KGB agent is elected president of Russia

Just answering his post, because the president is ex-KGB.

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So, the news tries to cover topics of national interest interspersed with cool catch phrases that make the unwitting believe they are watching an action movie instead of news. Because, after all, how cool would you be if you told your friends that you watched the news?

Kirupa,
You bring up a very good point here. Out of all my friends that I hang out with, there is one other person that I can hold a conversation with regarding current events. I am not just talking about military operations.

I know this one girl who was quoted as saying to my friend Marie; something to the effect of “Dont bother turning on FoxNews, I can only understand the news anchors on MTV. They dont use such big words”

This is comming from a girl who is 22 years old.

Its incredibly disturbing that the soon to be decision makers of this nation do care more about “Russel Crowes Wedding” than weither or not North Korea ends a cease fire and has capibility to launch a thermo-nuclear warhead at thier country.

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there aren’t many people i can talk to about news. i like to read a wide variety of news sources. for example i’ll read the french and croatian newspapers online to see what they’re saying. reading U.S. only news gives me just one side of the story. the news sources aren’t objective at all, rather one sided and it bothers the hell out of me.

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*Originally posted by Phil Jayhan *

As Nali pointed out, WMD can do an awphully lot of damage; A single solitary mortar shell that is loaded with VX and a proper dispersal system and shot over a phootball game, will kill every person who gets a drop on them–30,40,60 thousand people. Within minutes they would be dead.

cheers~
pj :stuck_out_tongue: **

Way to steal the plot from “The Rock.”

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*Originally posted by Phil Jayhan *
**… I have no doubt that Dubya has other nations he is going to send our Marines phor an extended vacation; He has 6 years to accomplish this;

He spelled out the roadmap of war to the world when he called Iraq, Iran and North Korea ‘part’ of the axis of evil. Syria and Libya most likely will be small cliphnotes to the axis; I have no doubt whatsoever, that if Iran doesn’t start whistling a whole new song real quick, that Dubya will take his army and turn right, right into Iran. Or left into Syria, whichever suits our interests at the moment. Dubya has started a new board game in the Middle East and it called ‘Regime Change’ and all the dictators in the area have to play. The ones with WMD programs like the Iranians get to roll twice. It’s not just about oil and money. It is also about geopolitics and a repositioning of America’s long term interests; Its all of these things rolled up neatly into phor now, but two short wars; Afghanistan and now Iraq. Wheres the dice…? :sigh:

cheers~
pj :stuck_out_tongue: **

Sorry for barging in but i couldn´t help myself.

I guess that Phil´s post sums up pretty well what has been going on in USA international politics.
the only thing that i disagree is that dubya isn´t the game master…America is. Dubya is just the scape goat for now.

America is playing this hard and dangerous game for decades now. And i´m afraid that there will be no winner at the end.

Let me re-phrase that:

America has expanded it´s board game in to the Middle East and it´s called ‘Regime Change’ and all the countries in the area have to play. The ones with WMD programs like the Iranians get to roll twice. It’s not just about oil and money. It is also about geopolitics and a repositioning of America’s long term interests. It´s about hegemony…

Again, i´m sorry for posting thi off topic reply, fell free to erase it.

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*Originally posted by Whippersnapper *
**Way to steal the plot from “The Rock.” **

chris i love you.

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chris i love you.

I love you too Christ! :love:

waiiit…

still…


ehehehe JK… no worries