Friday, September 16, 2005

Not More on Katrina but More on Katrina Coverage

It's late in the evening and late in the week, so SWNID is tired. We are taking the easy way out here. Gentle readers! Look at this dandy article by the Times of London's US Editor Gerard Baker on how the European media has misreported on Katrina. Or if you're as tired as I, just read a few excerpts:

On Barbara Bush's remarks about the evacuees in the Astrodome liking it there because they are poor and not used to much: "But in the disgust that greeted her remarks in Highgate and the Upper West Side no one stopped to consider the possibility that Mrs Bush was, in fact, dead right."

On an underreported factor in relocation of evacuees:

Forty-two local businesses participated in a job fair for the new homeless at the [District of Columbia] Armoury on Tuesday; more wanted to take part but couldn’t because there was limited space. Twenty of the 150 or so evacuees were hired on the spot. An official at the District of Columbia government involved in organising the event said that more were expected to be offered jobs in the next few days. The exercise was such a success that employers are demanding another one. If there’s anyone left still to hire it will take place in the next couple of weeks.

On European coverage of America in general:

Anything that doesn’t show Americans as stupid, selfish, warmongering, religious bigots, half of them living in pampered luxury in garish purpose-built Italianate mansions, the other half downtrodden in the ghetto by Halliburton stock-owning fat-cats, isn’t going to make it to the front pages or the Ten O’Clock News.

And so to bed!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a great column! It's encouraging to read something like that from the other side of the "pond". I wish more on this side would see what he sees as America's strength. I think he "gets it". (Barabara never was much of a politician.)

Raymond