What? Something OUTSIDE of China? Nooooo...

There That Goes
Originally uploaded by billmcgonigle.

As I write this blog entry, my watch reads 9:43 PM on September 1, 2005. I have, in the past hour, just been made aware of the New Orleans disaster.

If you remember, it took an inordinate amount of time for word of the London bombing to reach anyone here a few weeks ago.

And this isnt the first time: back during my '97 trip, numerous big stories lost their voice before they reached the jade-lined shores of the Middle Kingdom.

Now, I'm one of the first to criticize the American media for being a little too America-centric. A good dose of international awareness would do good for the American public. It would, at least, cut back on material for Canada's wildly popular "Stupid Things Americans Say" programs.

But while the US newsagencies may have their flaws, we can't hold a candle to the PRC. Most of the news coverage here really is blatant propaganda; perhaps blaming the recent unidentified biological outbreak on a neighboring nation, or maybe a week long praise for the government seizure of thousands of kilos of opium, or the incessant attacks on the USA for everything from oil resources to undie exports.

Thank god for the internet. And my father's subscription to the Journal.