American media love the hurricane damage, but

[ochazuke]

only when it's in the USA. Ivan virtually destroyed Grenada, but it barely gets a mention in the American press. If had done that to Florida, virtually the entire evening news would have been plastered with video of the disaster.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

1. No kidding.

I stopped watching tv news because of it.

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. That's been bugging me.

I have been to Grenada twice -- both times in the 1980s (NO! not with the invasion force, LOL, although I did fly into that airport) -- but it has been difficult to find photos showing the damage. It was so beautiful, St. George's was so damned interesting. But now I guess not much of it exists anymore.

The plight of the people there also gets little coverage. I do know that other Caribbean nations are sending help to keep the peace.

Once on Dominica (another island down that way) I saw the result of a hurricane. It was a big school bus (thankfully empty at the time this happened) with a tree fallen right down the center from front to back. Had children been on it at the time, they would have been dead or badly injured. The bus was kept as a reminder of what can happen.

[Warpy]

5. there aren't many ground-level photos as yet

The UK has sent helicopters in with some emergency supplies, and all the pictures have been taken from those choppers. You can find the video linked at the BBC.

It's amazing the death toll hasn't been much higher. My guess is that it eventually will be. The entire island looks like it's been put through a chipper.

[PatrickS]

3. I agree

The media is totally US-centric. But it's not just the media. I posted a story here at LBN about Ivan & Grenada and Jamaica and it only got one reply.

And it's not just hurricanes. Just look at the terrorist bombing in Indonesia. BBC had a full report on it. The US media barely mentioned it.

[hatrack]

6. Yes, we've got bigger fish to fry - i.e. the new modesty in womens' styles

Whether George W. Bush blew off his flight physical 32 years ago, or whether John Kerry got confused about who was president on December 25, 1968, or controversies surrounding General Lee t-shirts in the Atlanta area.

And, of course, when all else fails, and when actual news threatens to pop the American bubble, there's always Scott & Laci.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

7. Perhaps people are getting sick of talking about hurricanes..

and that's why not many people replied to your post. I know I'm totally sick of dealing with and being stressed about hurricanes. I am starting to not respond to many of these hurricane threads anymore because the subject makes me really tense and nervous.

BTW, I think it is awful what has happened to the people of Grenada, and I'm sure most people feel the same way.

[Bluebear]

4. delete

delete

[shanti]

8. yes

and chimpy gave grenada a whopping 50 grand to help clean it up! :eyes: