Wednesday, January 2, 2008

the lady or the tiger
























I took a quick look at the major news outlets this morning and couldn't help but notice another of the odd anomalies our major media continues to propagate as something worth our continuing interest. Namely, while the assasination of a major world leader has dropped to the equivalent of the back pages on MSNBC, CNN and Fox, we are supposed to maintain concern and fascination with this:



















How did the tiger get out of its cage? If I go to the zoo, will the tiger eat me? How tall should the bars be on a tiger cage? Why didn't the zookeepers take the surviving victims seriously?

Now I'm aware that all this is interesting enough but the fact remains that people are essentially being told that tigers are a much more serious topic than the facts that lead to the world's first female Muslim head of state being assasinated. The problem we all face is that Pakistan truly is a nuclear power and President Musharraf, who is supported in his every anti-democratic action by the US government, had even arranged to have the results of Ms. Bhutto's autopsy changed. Instead of having been shot three times as she stood up her car to wave to her supporters and falling inside, we were told later that she died in a suicide bombing and had no bullet wounds and then that she died from banging her head on the lip of the sunroof (!?). The fact that these statements were taken seriously even for a moment is a big concern. It reminds me of a phrase my Dad used to use, "Let's run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it".

One last thing to mention is the beauty and rarity of the females above. Were they both dangerous creatures? Undoubtedly. Is the world a better place without them? You tell me. Just saying..

8 comments:

  1. Our priorities are fascinating are they not?

    Save the Spotted Owl, Kill the Sharks!!

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  2. Hi Susan

    Good point Fairlne~I think all life matters !
    susan
    Interesting points about the priority of our news, fortunately in Australia we have the government funded independent ABC, which is the equivalent of a BBC in the UK and I think the ABC news coverage is reasonable and generally well-balanced, superior to the privately owned news networks.

    I had a look through your blog and note your interests in science, which fascinates me.

    I sometimes muse about abtract aspects that others don’t hold much interest; theories about time and space being one and the same thing. And reality and information. Although only theories they provide answers to the the contradictions of quantum mechanics.

    I will post a link on my blog shortly to yours and look forward to your company in 2008. Best wishes

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  3. Good post, Susan.

    Happy New Year.

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  4. Fairlane - yeah, in general the priorities are very screwed. if it ain't cute.. kill it.

    Lindsay - so glad you came by and yes, I'm interested in the abstracts too.. like the concept that the universe and our minds are holographic. I'll link to you too and look forward to making better acquaintance.

    btw: Canada also has the government funded CBC but PBS (Public Broadcasting System)here in the US turned over most of its funding activities (and therefore focus) to huge corporate structures some years ago.

    Scarlet - Thanks. I value your opinion and your clarity in your own blog.

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  5. It's good to have a few creatures on the earth that can chew us up and spit us out in minutes. Gives us humans whatever humility we have.

    As for Musharraf, if he doesn't step down on his own, he's going down hard, and it won't be nice for anyone.

    Actually I just popped over to say Happy New Year on your own turf, but got caught up in the discussion. Ciao.

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  6. yeah this world is certainly becoming more & more unsafe everyday....In the last one month there were three cases of tiger injuring or killing people in three different zoos in India..I can't understand what is happening with these tigers in zoos the world over!

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  7. Hi Ben - yes, I'm most fond of them too.. keeps us humble :-)

    Kalyan - a favorite book about man's relationship with tigers is 'the Life of Pi' by Yan Martell. So far as I know nobody has written anything similar about a journey shared with a wolf or a grizzly bear.

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