Americas' obsession with revisiting disasters

[Hepcat]

It's human nature, not just typical for Americans...

In New Zealand and Australia we have Anzac (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) day which is about honoring the NZ and Australian war veterens who fought in conflicts for their country, though it was originally remembering the Gallipoli campaign which was a nasty incident.

In New Zealand we also have Waitangi day which isn't exactly a bad thing but it is always the source of arguments and debates and general disagreements every time it comes along. It was a treaty signed between the British and the Maori, though it wasn't translated very well so the Maori are claiming their land back and the whole thing has become sort of a joke. There are lots of jokes about the Seabed and Foreshore agreement which means that Maori CAN claim areas of beach. Yet every year we still have Waitangi day and every year they argue over whether it should continue and whether the Maori were cheated. But the polititions are too lazy to act, they just moan about it.

That is just New Zealand, I am sure there are many more similar sorts of things in other countrys with much longer histories.

[macsen rufus]

If you didn't revisit disasters Nashville would go bust overnight...

[ezrider]

To be honest, this kinda thing is always useful for injecting a renewed dose of FEAR into the masses.

24hr news media concentrates on terror, revisiting disasters, murder, robbery, snakes, Killer bees, SARS, fnord, Bird FLU, Aids, Super Aids etc because it will keep us all of scared enough to consume yet more SH*TTY 24 hr news programs.

I challenge anyone to watch Skynews, BBC 24 or CNN and for 2 hours and not see the paranoid fnord, fearfest spewing forth. Listen to the fnord language and you will see it. FNORD

[caravel]

The news media, especially the television news media, is virtually driven by sensationalist scare stories. They like nothing better than a good old "possible terrorist attack" or a devastating epidemic that could happen at any moment, if it just happens to mutate (which is pretty much what could happen to any virus). In the case of the all too familiar, imminent epidemic scare, the masses usually want to know "exactly what are the government going to do about it?". The government then goes out and stocks up on immunisation drugs. At this point the hysteria starts to die and the media have nothing left to go on, until the next foiled bomb plot or possible epidemic comes along.

In the case of 911, it also suits the administration's policy with regard to the middle east that the electorate don't forget that one too soon.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

The news media, especially the television news media, is virtually driven by sensationalist scare stories. They like nothing better than a good old "possible terrorist attack" or a devastating epidemic that could happen at any moment, if it just happens to mutate (which is pretty much what could happen to any virus). In the case of the all too familiar, imminent epidemic scare, the masses usually want to know "exactly what are the government going to do about it?". The government then goes out and stocks up on immunisation drugs. At this point the hysteria starts to die and the media have nothing left to go on, until the next foiled bomb plot or possible epidemic comes along.

In the case of 911, it also suits the administration's policy with regard to the middle east that the electorate don't forget that one too soon.

Well, the media is always in a quest for ratings to sell advertising dollars -- and sensationalism has ALWAYS sold, as any media outlet since Gutenberg can attest to.

Yes, on one level, focusing on 9-11 "suits the administration's policy." However, you make it seem as though they are latching onto that emotion only as a convenient political tool. While some of this motivation may exist in the minds of members of the administration, I think you are painting with too broad a brush here. However many mis-steps may have occurred in enacting U.S. policy (debatable, but clearly not an endless series of perfect responses and initiatives), the motivation of preventing such a thing from happening again is and has been central to U.S. efforts.

[Mithrandir]

the motivation of preventing such a thing from happening again is and has been central to U.S. efforts.

either that or gaining more control over the citizens and as an excuse to invade countries they're not fond of under the flag of anti-terrorism...

[Seamus Fermanagh]

either that or gaining more control over the citizens and as an excuse to invade countries they're not fond of under the flag of anti-terrorism...

There may be a few with that mis-guided attitude, but I think you would agree that the vast majority of yanks -- in goverment and out -- have a far more benign motivation.

[Scurvy]

either that or gaining more control over the citizens and as an excuse to invade countries they're not fond of under the flag of anti-terrorism...

certainly as an excuse for invading countries they dont like, not so sure about gaining more control over citizens (at least on purpose) - it sounds a bit much