What the US Media Isn’t Reporting
Yesterday Colin Powell mentioned, almost in passing, that there are four to five thousand US citizens missing in the areas struck by the tsunami. Apparently a State Department spokesman had mentioned this a few days ago. I can’t find this fact being reported, only the 15 confirmed dead.
The BBC Foreign Victims box has the same disconnect for the two largest donors:
Germany: 60 dead
1,000 missing
Sweden: 52 dead
2,322 missing
Britain: 41 dead
159 missing
France: 22 dead
99+ missing
Norway: 16 dead
91 missing
Japan: 21 dead
Italy: 18 dead
540+ missing
Switzerland: 23 dead
105 missing
US: 15 dead
Australia: 12 dead
79 missing
South Korea: 11 dead
9 missing
[Figures include those feared dead but not all unaccounted for. Sources: Reuters, AP]
Digby mentioned this lack of reporting this morning.
Doesn’t the M$M think the American public would be interested in that fact? Doesn’t Acme, Inc. think this would strike a chord with people, and perhaps encourage Americans to be more generous towards relief efforts?
If the worst case comes true and up to five thousand Americans have died in Asia, how are Americans going to react to Dubya hanging around at the ranch cutting brush and his initial $15 million dollar aid package?
