WJ: Is the US overreacting to swine flu?

[njlib]

First caller says President Obama isn't closing the border with Mexico in order to pass healthcare reform! :wtf:

[malaise]

1. Now they're discussing Beauty Queen v Gay marriage

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Over at GEM$NBC

Has Fox hired Miss Prejean yet?

add

[njlib]

4. I'm sure talks are in the works

and she'll be signing a contract shortly!

I've been unemployed for 2 1/2 months now, so once Washington Journal is over for the morning, I switch over to MSNBC. I noticed it when I used to watch on the weekends, but since I watch during the week now it's really getting on my nerves how they rush from story to story and rehash the same handful of stories all day long! If you're a 24 hour news channel, why do you give a guest 30 seconds to speak every half hour? Why can't REAL NEWS be covered and discussed in depth, without all this jumping back and forth? Why rush someone who's providing information or engaging in intelligent conversation just so you can cut away and give a 10 second blurb about something frivolous, then move on and spend 45 seconds on another topic? It makes me crazy!

Sorry for the off-topic rant, but I just don't get it...

[malaise]

9. Absolutely correct

Better they do sensible interviews rather than stupid sound bites.
I hate GEM$NBC on Saturdays anyway. Alex deTwit is a vexation to my spirit. :evilgrin:

[njlib]

10. She's the worst!

There's another blonde, think she's from CNBC, that comes on mid-afternoon during the week. She's usually paired up with Contessa Brewer and I can't remember her name...she's a close second to Alex! She's not very bright and extremely condescending.

[iamjoy]

2. Maybe We Should Close The Border

You know, forbid Americans from taking business or leisure trips to anywhere in Mexico. Maybe our government should only allow us to visit "approved" or "safe" countries. Yeah


Oh, and this isn't really sarcasm, but there's no "irony" emoticon. If we stop and think about this for a moment, most of the H1N1 cases outside of Mexico are people who either visited Mexico or had some one close to them take a trip. Maybe the anti-immigrant crowd is trying to use this outbreak as an excuse to try and push draconian immigration reforms.

[mwb970]

3. The US overreacts to *everything*. We are scaredy-cats.

So, yes.

[njlib]

5. I agree

but think the media has a lot to do with it. I just went out last night with some people I used to work with and the flu only came up in conversation when we were talking about how it's being blown out of proportion by the media. The restaurant was full of people, lots of families with little kids, so nobody seemed to be concerned about the cases that have been reported here in NJ.

[mwb970]

7. You can definitely trace it to the media.

How else do people find out about anything beyond neighborhood level? The fact is, the media blows everything out of proportion, not just scary things like 9/11 or swine flu but also lesser matters like Natalee Holloway and the Runaway Bride and shark attacks, etc., etc.

So, your point is well taken.

[njlib]

11. I can see updating headlines every hour or so

but to keep beating the same handful of stories to death is NOT NEWS! Why can't they do some investigative reporting? Or report on what's going on around the world and explain to the befuddled masses how it affects us and why it's important for us to pay attention? Do we really need re-runs of their primetime shows well into the early morning hours? Don't even get me started about MSNBC's prison/crime weekend marathons!

[mwb970]

13. Part of it is the 24/7 news channels, no?

Back in the day, the news was: (a) the morning newspaper; (b) 5-minute radio reports at the top of each hour; (c) a 30-minute summary on TV at dinnertime; (d) weekly newsmagazines. That's it! That's all there was. Period. Time and space constraints forced the purveyors of news to mercilessly edit out repetition or non-newsworthy content.

Now, a half-dozen all-day cable news channels represent a gaping maw that demands constant "new" news 24/7. But there isn't enough newsworthy content out there to satisfy the beast! So we get trivia and endless repetition, sometimes both at once.

I don't really see a "solution" to this, the problem seems inherent in the very idea of the 24/7 news channel.

[njlib]

14. Yes, you're absolutely correct and I remember those days

but with so much going on in the world, how can there not be enough news? Look at all the information and news posted on this site that never makes it to the MSM. They could do so much more to provide information to the public regarding government, science, world events, etc. Maybe throw in a little C-SPAN-like coverage of Congressional activity, explaining what the goverment is doing on any particular day, what's up for a vote. Maybe they could actually investigate and report or, if that's too difficult, they could interview actual investigative reporters for more than the standard 3 minutes here and there.

[Echo In Light]

6. Nothing innate, per se, but via culturally orchestrated manipulation of innate traits

Historically, governments control their populations through two measures, The Big Stick, and/or The Big Lie. Since our govt has to maintain the illusion of democracy, this of course necessitates implementation of The Big Lie on various levels.

In other words, it's not enough to suggest there's something fundamental or unique to the American gene pool which suggests inherent "scaredy-catism," (haha) it's because the populace is strategically conditioned to it as part of the overarching, mainstream indoctrination that tends to result in many perceiving "reality" through a particular lens that favors the aims and goals of the society's power establishment.

[rucky]

8. I never understood why call-in shows have screeners until I saw WJ. n/t

[geckosfeet]

12. Does one really need to ask this?

It's the flu for christs sake.