We read because we care

I have been informed by my mother that my last post was pathetic. At least she's reading my blog. It shows she cares.

And while I'm in the US, I'm reading the papers because I care.

There are two stories right now that demonstrate how what gets reported reflects what's important to people in different regions of the world. The first is the World Cup currently being played for in South Africa. The second is the deep sea oil well dumping gas into the Gulf of Mexico.

In England, the World Cup is what you might call A BIG DEAL. On Friday, the large screen in one of our office conference rooms was appropriated for viewing of the opening game. The first game England played was against the US. The game started roughly about the time I landed in Boston and when I got to my hotel, I turned on ESPN to see if it was showing. There was baseball. And lacrosse. And I got lucky and caught one of those "what's going on in sports while you're watching this" screens and found out England was ahead by one goal. A friend and I went out for dinner and when I came back, I tried again. Again, no soccer, but I switched to ESPN News and found out the game had ended in a tie.

Now, before you start to think I care, I don't. Not really. But I do like to be able to talk to the people I work with about the things they care about. So my soccer efforts are obviously not going to count for much in the US office.

And, while more people in the US care about it, I'm not sure that I want to bring up the gulf oil spill. I was watching a British comedy news program (yes... comedians discussing the news) called "Have we got news for you". The oil disaster and BP's response to it were subjects of discussion. Among the observations made were the following - why are BP drilling wells that they don't know how to stop - why did BP's PR people post video of the well gushing oil into the ocean - how, after the Americans had gotten angry at the British, they turned on Obama because he hasn't walked on water and then dived down to stop the well with his own hands.

And here are my observations: there is a certain freedom that people have and a certain tone that they use when they are discussing a tragedy which does not directly affect them. It's the sort of tone that I've used to mock the failed "shoe bombing" of a flight that I wasn't on. It's the freedom I take to criticize the dearth of trash cans in English railway stations, though my friends are forever reminding me that they were removed to prevent any more successful IRA attacks. I don't joke maliciously, but I doubt that those who have lost loved ones to terrorist attacks see these things in the same detached light.

And it's the same with the gulf oil spill. Americans are watching an uncontrollable destructive force coating their livelihoods, their lands, their lives, but British coastal waters aren't immediately effected. And if they ever are, will Americans care enough to even put it in the comedy shows?