http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/22/jon-stewart-wisconsin_n_826384.html
Jon Stewart had a particularly good segment here, covering the union protests in Madison, Wisconsin. One part of it caught my attention in particular, regarding the tendencies of the major news outlets.
Most of the news stations are comparing these protests to the recent protests in the middle east, the one exception being Faux News, who are comparing it to -- spin the wheel of insane comparisons -- I'm guessing Nazi's. Now, in regards to the statements about the similarities between the protests, Jon said exactly what I was thinking. "Uh, they're not the same in any f&#%in way, shape or form."
The major news outlets can't seem to help it, they make hyperbolic statements like they're going out of style, and the best part is they're completely oblivious to the fact that they do so. Lets compare the situations, Egypt was under the rule of a dictator for 30 years, with severe repression of their freedoms, and under the rule of a government who could and would essentially kidnap you at gunpoint for any reason at all, without the benefit of a trial. The protestors in Madison are fighting against what amount to budget cuts in comparison. The protestors in Egypt were shot, the rough count is 400 dead. There is little to no chance of loss of life at any of these protests in Madison, unless you happen to be allergic to drums. The protestors in Egypt overthrew a government, and kicked a ruler of 30 years out of office. The protestors in Madison are just trying to stop a bill. Do you see what I'm getting at? To draw parallels between the two is absurd. Not everything in the universe is related, unless you're playing 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, and Kevin Bacon the protests are not.
Okay so I read the article, and I watched the segment on Jon Stewart. I'm inclined to agree that major news networks are insane. I actually laughed at the desperate parallels the biased media stations made.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree that the people in Egypt are extremely inspirational, and I love my fellow Americans, but I'm positive that the common 42 year old middle school teacher in the 21st century banging a drum has no idea how it feels to watch the people they care for around them get massacred because you wanted to fight for your rights by overthrowing a savage dictator. It's ridiculous that the media would go to such lengths.