Saturday, September 03, 2005

Fox News vs. reality
Neal Cavuto:
Maybe I missed it, but I have a question: Where's the global relief effort for us today?

New Orleans is under water. Mississippi is a disaster. Scores are dead. Homes are destroyed. Businesses are shut down.

When this kind of stuff happens to other folks, we're there. When this kind of stuff happens to us, who's here?

I know we're a rich country. But I think it a bit rich so few call to wish us well in this country. Perhaps some have and perhaps I've missed it.

[...]

Maybe some countries have offered rescue personnel. I just haven't seen them. I'll keep looking. I'll keep waiting. I'll keep wondering.

All I know is for now, the silence is deafening. And the water in New Orleans isn't the only thing that stinks.

Reality:
The State Department said offers so far had come from Belgium, Canada, Russia, Japan, France, Germany, Britain, China, Australia, Jamaica, Honduras, Greece, Venezuela, the Organization of American States, NATO, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, South Korea, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

There is something patalogical about this kind of behavior. He admits that the facts probably won't to back him up, but he still has to haul out he conservative persecution complex and ladle on a good helping of xenophobia. Those foreigners are picking on us. This noise might be understandable from an ill informed neighbor or relative spouting off after a few drinks, but this is professional journalist. It's his job to know the facts, especially when one ofthose facts is that the president of his country and the leader of his political faction is out there telling the world, "we don't want your help."
However, in Moscow, a Russian official said the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency had rejected a Russian offer to dispatch rescue teams and other aid.

[...]

Bush told ABC-TV: "I'm not expecting much from foreign nations because we hadn't asked for it. I do expect a lot of sympathy and perhaps some will send cash dollars. But this country's going to rise up and take care of it.''

I guess people like Cavuto just can't help themselves. What's reality compared to a good self-righteous persecution narrative?

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