Just a quote to complain about today's news. Ok, so I turn on my TV and expect to be greeted by some details of some interesting developments in the Middle East leading to at least some definition of peace, as the war is just fucking stupid by now. No, instead, I hear that the Israelis and Hezbollah are both claiming victory and that the future's looking bleak. Great. Now the next offensive will be over because it will be found that Hezbollah has found some more classrooms to occupy and plot their little schemes, which all shall be called a 'headquarters'/ because the Israelis are not taking the demands of the militants seriously enough and are not paying them due respect. End in sight, my hairy ass.
As well as learning these highly interesting facts about how stupidly intransigent people can be, I also got pissed off with the news for another reason.
Ok, I know it defies any economic indicators of interest and what sells news, as well as the reasoning of any media executive (I'm not complaining), but two news items that were incredibly interesting were at the end of the news programme (along with reports about squirrels who paint): the world Aids conference and the world astronomical conference. Ok I know not exactly noteworthy, but as for the latter, it is said that the fate of Pluto shall be decided. I remember mnemonics of the Solar System including Pluto, and now I hear it is supposed to be demoted to the status of an asteroid. My world will never be the same again.
Ok, maybe that's too personal, but the other conference, though, is incredibly important, or at least I think should be, given the scale of the problem. I'm not going to expound why, because it's been talked about to the death, but it just really annoys me. Somehow we all accept that the problem will be solved by a panel of scientists and activists, whereas we all have such strong views about who is more right in the Israeli-Palestinian (US-Arab) conflict and get so passionate about that one.
I don't want it to sound like I'm not offering a serious criticism of the media, and what it should offer as news, but it just pisses me off that the priorities of the world are so skewed. It brings to mind an interview with a famous Czech director who just lamented the fact that we all get so het-up about what is, isn't, could be, etc. in our food, water, building materials, etc. and entire societies bring about such grandiose upheaval waiving banners which all the caring mothers sign with the zeal of 19th Century revolutionaries. All this time we could not care what kind of garbage we are subjected to on our screens as evening entertainment. At the time, I thought that it was another example of the embedded communist mindset of the Czech intelligentsia, but I'm wondering whether I won't just join his way of thinking.
Or otherwise, there is that ambition to try and do something about it.
Hmm. Or perhaps I'll just remain as impotently apathetic as usual and just write a note in a blog about it.
1 comment:
hey nice blogs, i just caught up on the last few i missed, i have to say though, i disagree with some of the things you said, i mean yeh Aids conference wouldnt get the same coverage as a conference on Terrorism or Middleastern affiars, however i think that is because, Aids is something that is harder to combat as a problem whereas terrorism is something that can be overcome, and therefore people feel more able to discuss it and feel the ability to make a difference to the topic and therefore that empowerment allows people to become more impassioned...anyway thats wot i think...
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