Brit newspapers

[Lapina]

Can someone clarify the outlook of the major newspapers so I know if what I'm reading is twat or not?

I just read some commentary in the Independent and evidently it's all the US's fault there's an earthquake in Haiti.  Also, apparently we're supposed to magically fix everything there and aren't doing enough and it's all out fault people are dying even though the who thing is being run by the UN and the aid organizations are international, plus there's only one airport and the port is destroyed. 

[Northern Monkey]

You seem surprised.  Everything can usually be blamed on America. 

[Super Monkey]

Radio 4 interviewed an American Navy something or other about the aid effort and it all came across as very impressive.  They've got an aircraft carrier in place now so it should all speed up.  From the news yesterday it sounded like a lot of aid was getting in, but there wasn't anyone to distribute it yet, but the Navy chap was expecting lots of army types to be arriving via the aircraft carrier so it would all be sorted out.  I don't read papers, but as far as the BBC were concerned the Americans were doing fine, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Commentary in the broadsheets is rant written by whoever they think will illicit the most reaction from the readers.  They like arguments on the comments pages.  It drags more people to the site and gets them more attention.  The Independent is a bit left leaning I think, so America bashing is popular, but that's the first slagging off of the US effort that I've heard.  You got there quite quickly, I thought.

[Devious E Simian]

The Indy is one of our better papers (along with the Grauniad' and arguably The Times), but is a touch left of centre and will likely have (as Super Monkey says) left-leaning columnists aiming to generate debate (the polite way of saying "piss people off")

As I understood it the big problem with getting aid into the country was the short and utterly earthquake-shagged runway at the airport (C130s only until the US extended it) and a near total lack of any remaining government structure.

[Spanner La Moo]

From the news that I've heard on the radio and telly, it does seem that the locals are angry and frustrated at the seeming lack of immediate relief aid - but I've not heard anyone blaming the Americans, or anyone in particular.

[Northern Monkey]

I've seen people blaming Americans.  But I went back to check, and it turned out it was Americans blaming Americans.

[Lapina]

People are starting to blame Wyclef Jean for having a questionable charity. This is why I donate to the Red Cross.

It is frustrating to see all the people in need of help but it's a logistical nightmare. Lots of people have stuff they just can't get there.

[Spanner La Moo]

It does seem that the aid is stuck at the ports, but the reporters can get to the stricken villages easily enough to report on how they are the first people there. One wonders if they thought to maybe take some useful stuff there instead of the tv cameras.

[Lapina]

Yeah, CNN has footage of their doctor guy working at a field hospital all night b/c the aid workers had left for security reasons.  Evidently CNN reporters travel with their own security detail. 

[Spanner La Moo]

That's good - at least some of them are helping.

[Lapina]

The BBC implied this morning on a radio spot that anyone who didn't support Obama was racist.   I'm pretty sure it's possible to just disagree with the man politically.

[Super Monkey]

Who on the BBC?

[Lapina]

Not sure, some lady. It was just a promo for a special, in-depth story to be presented later.

It went something along the lines of " last year, America was celebrating the historic occasion of electing the first Black-American president. But not everyone was celebrating .". Interspersed with quotes from people with thick sounding hick accents that were so quick they were hard to catch but generally Obama=suck. Then, they said they were going to interview people in Arkansas and Kentucky.