Thousands of lives have been lost or destroyed in this quake and our media takes

[Skidmore]

time to focus on *gasp*-- the almighty stock markets. They have gone down this morning. Some billionaires and millionaires have lost pocket change. I know that this is an overly simplified and possibly kneejerk reaction but the total lack of a sustained concern for the humanity of a situation we can't do in this nation without genuflecting at the altar of big bidness and banking. It is absolutely disgusting.

[malaise]

1. Disgusting does not quite describe it

but then markets are more important than people.

[closeupready]

28. Profits trump peace.

:sarcasm: Remember that gem?

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. CNN had the same crap.

The financial talking head looked like she had just attended a funeral.

[katnapped]

3. And the commercials!

Gotta SELL SELL SELL the products!

[KurtNYC]

4. it clearly isn't "our media"

the major cable news networks have audiences which are far older than the population. CNN's average viewer is about 64, MSNBC (when they had KO) was 59 and FNC is the oldest at 68 years old. They really play to that audience and there is a strong disconnect with those who get their info on the internet -- a much younger demographic.

Not to excuse it but a lot of retired people watch TV early in the day and many watch the markets.

[whathehell]

7. Clearly, you think people 59 years old and up are not part of

"our" media...Do you know the age demographics on DU?

Sounds like you think "we" are GenXrs -- at the Oldest.

You're Wrong.

[sarge43]

9. Hey, like all stereotypes, it's comforting.

It lets your own demographic off the hook, ie it's always someone else's fault.

[whathehell]

17. I think you're agreeing with me..

but I guess I would have preferred

it if you told it to KurtNYC...Peace, anyway.:hippie:

[sarge43]

20. I am. I think he got the message.

I only wish I'd live long enough to see people like him grow old.

[whathehell]

23. Thanks, and yes, I believe you are correct on

the message getting (!)

Unless, of course, his explanations were sincere

and we're just being "old cranks"...but probably not!

I'm entirely with you on your wishes for the young'uns too.

[KurtNYC]

11. they were separate points -- I took that question as 'why does the MSM talk about the stock market?'

1) MSM is owned by large corporations
2) audience is older than average

#1 is the 'not our media' point. Many here are under the impression that we are like customers for the MSM, they think we can boycott TV, etc. We can't. The customer for TV is the corporations who buy the right to sell to us in 15 second segments. We are what they sell. Calling it 'our media' is like saying the chickens own KFC.

[Wait Wut]

27. Funny story...

...only because it revealed my age descrimination tendencies.

First...I'm 46 years old.

My husband and I were going to attend our first Democratic Party event since we moved here last summer. We were concerned that we'd be the oldest ones there (he's 51). We joked about our local "hippies" and wondered if there would be brownies.

We were among the minority. The "young" minority. I would have to guess that the average age was 65 or slightly older. The oldest woman there was 94 (she sadly passed away just a few months ago). These "old geezers" had more energy and were more driven than any other group of Democrats I had been involved with.

[whathehell]

29. Yep....

I'm not surprised, really (Well, maybe about the 94 year old!)

I may be biased, but I'd say that the Boomers and their "time" were unique.

Do you remember that old Bob Dylan song "My Back Pages"?

It has a refrain which reminds me of your story:

"But I was so much older then, I'm younger then than now".


Thanks for sharing!:hippie:

[Wait Wut]

30. That song will be stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

It makes me feel ancient. I guess it's time to go hang out with my local Dems again!!!




This is my "100th comment". I would like a cookie, please.

[whathehell]

32. Well, it could be worse...

It could have been "Inna Gadda Da Vida", or something.

It makes you feel "ancient"?...It doesn't do that to me

but maybe that's because I've already accepted the reality of that situation, LOL.

A cookie for your 100th post?...Nah, that comes with your 1,000th.:toast:

[peopleb4money]

34. Yah, you old fogies from the baby boomer generation have always been staunch cultural conservatives

What was that decade called, the tepid 60's or something? I don't know, I didn't learn much in school about the 6000 year history of the planet. All people from even older generations were even more in love with big business. If it wasn't for the greatest generation abandoning the labor struggle, we wouldn't have won WWII against the Communist/Nazi/Liberal/Democrats and had the greatest standard of living in the 50's. hat's why we need to have another great leader like Eisenhower and Reagan, who never spent large sums of money on anything. Reagan never spent over a trillion dollars on anything ;). Of course, when hippies invented liberalism and labor unions in the disco era under Carter, that's when it all went down hill.

[whathehell]

36. Allright!!

I am an old hippie from the sixties and my parents were both pro-union FDR democrats..

To be honest, this is the most "conservative" time in America I can remember.


..Good satire, Peopleb4money!

[Mnemosyne]

5. Beyond disgusting, Skidmore. Word. K&R n/t

[Drale]

6. WGN had the earthquake as their top story with just little bit.forother stories

I was supprised as anyone

[sarge43]

8. Their golden rule: Money is more important than lives n/t

[doc03]

10. I see an oil storage facility is burning so I suppose the

Wall Street speculators will drive gas prices up another 25 cents.

[Jamastiene]

13. I can see them now...

watching the oil storage facility burn with dollar signs in their eyes and evil grins on their faces. It's truly disgusting.

[Jamastiene]

12. One of the news stations I was watching online in Hawaii

was talking about how tourism might be affected.

You can always tell the haves from the have nots by how obsessed they are with money in a devastating tragedy. They don't think about lives that have been lost or the damage the survivors might have to deal with. They think about $. It's atrocious.

A hearty K&R.
I wish I could rec it a million times, just because I'm glad I'm not the only one disgusted by it.

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. About a third or more of Hawaii income depends on tourism - it's an issue for EVERYONE there.

Fucking hell.

[WinkyDink]

22. As the shocked nation was exhorted on 9/20/01: SPEND MONEY!

I ask your continued participation and confidence in the American economy. Terrorists attacked a symbol of American prosperity; they did not touch its source.
http://articles.cnn.com/2001-09-20/us/gen.bush.transcript_1_joint-session-national-anthem-citizens/6?_s=PM:US
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/03/AR2008100301977.html
But he simultaneously urged Americans to carry on as if there were no war. "Get down to Disney World in Florida," he urged just over two weeks after 9/11. "Take your families and enjoy life, the way we want it to be enjoyed." Bush certainly wanted citizens to support his war -- he just wasn't going to require them actually to do anything.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

15. I can't totally blame the media on this one.......

because there are people in this country who don't give two-shits about the folks in Japan and are more worried about their portfolios. The media is just responding to a perceived need. Now if it were me, I'd have wall-to-wall coverage of the human issues, but alas, the advertisers profit margins hold sway with our current info-dispersion scenario.

edit: I just heard some damage estimates on the news. In the multiple-billions.

[footinmouth]

16. At least we are not hearing about Charlie Sheen

[doc03]

21. Charlie Sheen does have that house on the beach I hope

him and the goddesses are safe.

[NESASK]

18. much better coverage by Al Jazeera

Much better pertinent coverage of the event by Al Jazeera than by CNN. Stock markets? The 400 richest Americans are now richer than the bottom 50% of households combined.

Al_Jazeera_English live stream

[Blue_Tires]

25. welcome to the site!

[peopleb4money]

33. Welcome to the forums

[Shining Jack]

37. I've been watching Al Jazeera

more often than CNN lately.

[WinkyDink]

19. Corporate masters decide the "news."

[TheCowsCameHome]

24. 12 noon, the Dow is up 17 points

What do these talking head experts know, anyway? Answer: Nothing.

[Blue_Tires]

26. Try the BBC...

definitely worked for me...

[Hannah Bell]

31. kr. japan one of our closest allies.

[defendandprotect]

35. +1000% --

[PhillySane]

38. Human Flesh

can always be sacrificed for profits. That is the perversion of capitalism.