the lady or the tiger

I took a quick look at the major news outlets this morning and couldn't help but notice another of the odd anomalies our major media continues to propagate as something worth our continuing interest. Namely, while the assasination of a major world leader has dropped to the equivalent of the back pages on MSNBC, CNN and Fox, we are supposed to maintain concern and fascination with this:



















How did the tiger get out of its cage? If I go to the zoo, will the tiger eat me? How tall should the bars be on a tiger cage? Why didn't the zookeepers take the surviving victims seriously?

Now I'm aware that all this is interesting enough but the fact remains that people are essentially being told that tigers are a much more serious topic than the facts that lead to the world's first female Muslim head of state being assasinated. The problem we all face is that Pakistan truly is a nuclear power and President Musharraf, who is supported in his every anti-democratic action by the US government, had even arranged to have the results of Ms. Bhutto's autopsy changed. Instead of having been shot three times as she stood up her car to wave to her supporters and falling inside, we were told later that she died in a suicide bombing and had no bullet wounds and then that she died from banging her head on the lip of the sunroof (!?). The fact that these statements were taken seriously even for a moment is a big concern. It reminds me of a phrase my Dad used to use, "Let's run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it".

One last thing to mention is the beauty and rarity of the females above. Were they both dangerous creatures? Undoubtedly. Is the world a better place without them? You tell me. Just saying..