Missing planes and media misdirection

Before I start on today’s topic, there is a free presentation about Common Core by John Eppolito on Monday at 6 p.m. at the Convention Center. If you have questions about Common Core and want to hear from those who oppose it, this is worth an hour or so of your time.

For the past several days it seems we have heard nothing on the news except coverage of the missing Malaysian Airlines plane. There have been theories ad nauseum, from common sense to absurd in nature. Certainly, the probable loss of the airliner and its passengers is a tragedy and I feel for those who have most likely lost loved ones.

Media coverage has been repetitive, mainly because there is nothing new in the plane search. It is said that CNN tripled their viewer ratings with this coverage. This raises two questions. First, why is the American public so enamored with the missing plane, and second, what is the media ignoring to cover it. In true government style, to the second question first.

The missing plane coverage is intentional. After all, look at what was not covered. There was barely a mention of Putin amassing military resources on the Ukraine border. Why? Because Putin makes Obama look like the wimp he is and we can’t have that, can we?

Also, you barely heard about the two Koreas exchanging gunfire. Again, it makes our ineffectual leader appear to be just that. After all, isn’t he buddies with North Korea’s leader? You know, the one who had his uncle assassinated to eliminate competition.

The fact that we may be drawn into a war over one or both of these issues seems irrelevant to the media. That takes a back seat to protecting the President. The fact that Obama just retired seven more warrior type military leaders also has no bearing on the situation.

We certainly can’t forget Obamacare. The missing plane was an excuse to remove focus on the foundering health care program until some good news could be found. It is now reported that the goal of seven million enrollees was reached on March 31, the extended deadline. Is there any doubt that the program deadline would have been extended until their goal was met?

Of the gleefully reported number, there is no other data available. What is the source of the data? Has it been independently confirmed? How many of those enrolled have actually paid? How many are under age 35? How many did not previously have health care and how many are replacing previously canceled policies? If Ebay or Amazon couldn’t obtain that kind of data, they would be out of business.

What was ignored was that Maryland’s state enrollment system is under investigation by the Feds. Also largely ignored was Harry Reid’s two outright lies on the Senate floor. The first was that the numerous horror stories of lost and denied health care coverage from 50 states were “made up by Republicans.” The second lie was that he denied committing the first lie. There is this stuff called video, Harry.

There is no doubt in my mind that most of the media is still solidly supporting and covering for Obama as the rest of the nation is awakening to the fact that he is largely a figurehead with no real substance.

Now to the first question. This is much harder to answer. I can only speculate about the fascination of the American public for a missing foreign plane. Maybe we are simply so shallow that a missing plane is an overriding crisis. For a few (I can only hope) that may be true. It could be the view that because the media covers it, it must be important. For a few more that may be true. That takes care of the liberals.

I think for most it is a diversion from the cesspool our government has become. We are regularly lied to by the President and his minions. Not to be outdone, the Senate and House lie to us too, but only Republican lies seem to get reported. Since no one listens to Middle America anymore, the missing plane is a nice change of pace from slow economic growth, high unemployment, bad foreign policy and constant lies. The American public is getting jaded, and that is too bad when action is needed most.

Tom Riggins is an LVN columnist who appears every other week.