What`s new, people?

I believe he means those little heartbreaking news clips about some "rapid" dog biting Joe Schmoe. The inevitable result killing the dog checking it for rabies, showing the poor schmuck all distraut, the point of which should be to that people should tease strange dogs, pissing 'em off. Instead, it's just another media tool for getting people to park in front of the tube, message going over their heads. I could mention this classifies as worthless news...Did I read you right?
 
Quarto: "'man bites dog' and 'boy born without brain' crap."
This is such a coincidence! Just recently at TheForce.net they made a mention of some guy biting his dog and claiming it to be some sort of training method. Somehow some SW fan tied it in with the Sith. And not more than a half hour ago, on the televised news, a man was shot by his dog. He was out hunting pigs, put down his shotgun, then his dog stands on the trigger and almost blows his foot off!
 
Actually, I did mean 'man bites dog', though at the same time 'dog bites man' would apply too. What DH said is half of it - pointless 'human interest' stories, while thousands of things far more important (for example, revolutions, mass starvation, civil wars and other such occurances - now why aren't those considered 'human interest'?) go unnoticed by anyone except the people directly involved.
The other half of it is the 'man bites dog' half. Stories which are shown simply because they have 'entertainment value'. Those include bizarre stories like... well, like 'man bites dog' or what Penguin just brought up, and 'feel-good' stories.
 
If you think that's bad, I've just saw my local news, and instead of talking about the condition, or the up comming PM elections, they talked about the PS2 that just hit our land :eek:! Talk about important news...
 
The news reports stuff based on how interesting it is to their audience. Wars, mass starvation, etc, may be more important but more often than not people are more concerned with stuff that actually affects them. I mean let's be honest - there are wars and starvation going down all over the world but do you really care? If the news had an item on the civil war in Sri Lanka do you really care? Does it affect you? Do you have an opinion beyond the usual peace is the best solution mentality? If they had a big article on it in the newspaper would you take the time to read it all and think about it?
When PS2 arrived in Hero's country - it probably affected more of his countrymen then some war in a backwater African nation that nobody's heard of.
Not very nice is it? :(

Out of sight, out of mind...

[Edited by Penguin on 12-11-2000 at 18:29]
 
I mean let's be honest - there are wars and starvation going down all over the world but do you really care?
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You're asking the wrong person. Damn right I care.

But yes, for the average person it does't matter. Yet, I wonder. Does it not matter because it's so far away, or does it not matter because s/he doesn't know anything about it? Why is it that the public reacts with total outrage when we tell them of genocide in Rwanda or Srebrnica? Is it because Rwanda is such a significant country (yeah... right), or simply because, for once, the public knows?

When PS2 arrived in Hero's country - it probably affected more of his countrymen then some war in a backwater African nation that nobody's heard of.
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Ah, but did it affect his countrypeople more than the... conditions... he mentions? Or the upcoming PM election? Why did Hero not see those on the news?
 
The only thing worse than people who don't care is people who do so simply for the act of sounding good.
 
Good point, but what good is caring when

1. You can't do anything yourself
2. If you do, you'll be seen as the enemy, as an intruder
3. You look like you're just doing it to show military superiority to the world

Might as well just mind your own business, the way i see it
 
When PS2 arrived in Hero's country - it probably affected more of his countrymen then some war in a backwater African nation that nobody's heard of.
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Ah, but did it affect his countrypeople more than the... conditions... he mentions? Or the upcoming PM election? Why did Hero not see those on the news? [/B][/QUOTE]

Probably because I see can the PM canidates 'bout 24 hours a day, and when something like that (PM election) is on the schedual, people only care about having their canidate as the Pm, so they use the current condition as a reason for getting more votes. As for me, I care about what's going on, but I really can't change much: The elections will take place 'bout a week before my 18th B-day (which means that if they were a week later, I could have voted), my army service is months from now (not to mention I'm still being tested for a unit to go to), and my school work takes about 90% of my time.
I try to be infomed as much as I can, but being involved (not quite the best word for it, but I can't think about a better one...) is quite another thing alltogether.
 
Johann:
1. Not yet, of course. But what you choose to do with your life once you finish learning and get out into the real world, it's your choice what you do.
2. It depends on how you choose to do it. If you decide to drop a few thousand bombs in that general location, then yes, people will hate you :).
3. If you're accused of that, it's generally with good reason. People aren't paranoid - they do know when somebody's really trying to help them, and will respond positively. Well, not all people, but most.

Hero: Don't you just hate that? These days, the candidates don't even try to elaborate their views - they just pound the public with propaganda.
 
Originally posted by Quarto

Hero: Don't you just hate that? These days, the candidates don't even try to elaborate their views - they just pound the public with propaganda. [/B]
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Heh, I think I'm already used to that :).

Since I know (or atleast think I *know*) each candidat's basic point of view, I tend not to listen and watch propaganda rallies like the ones I see if I open the TV. To be honest, I think either way we'll get $crewed, but we got to get by with the situation as it is.
 
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