‘Tis the season for national self-absorption

Ho hum. Stories about “Christmas miracles” of long lost family reunions or seeming generosity that, really, aren’t anything other than a seasonal excuse to sell tabloids or get zombies to watch the local news, will crowd out consciousness of what should probably be the largest story of the new millenium… the humongous 8.9 Krakatoa-magnitude earthquake near Sumatra and resultant tsunami– in death toll, certainly, way beyond 9-11 (a tragedy which people from the victim nations were doubtless concerned over, something which will not likely be reciprocated from here).
The fact is, this is an unfortunate harbinger of how natural tragedies, because of heavy population density in low, coastal areas, overdevelopment in said areas, poverty, and the like, which once might have killed dozens or hundreds will likely kill tens of thousands. This may well be a progressively bigger story as global warming exacerbates and our oceans rise (even as oblivious fat cats– and American zombies– pretend that science is something can be debated like the merits of football draft choices.)
I guess its Christmas weekend, and the usual stories of airline delays and American weather and what not are more important and all. At this point, its hard to say who is responsible for what amounts to the dumming down (and self-absorption) of reporting of the news. But it infects our political coverage (75% of those who voted for the President, for example, believed that Saddam Hussein was personally responsible for 9-11 and had nucular weapons– both of which have long been conceded– by the President himself– as not true).
Well, my sympathies and prayers go out to the people of Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and all others effected. Even if, I suspect, few Americans will give it a second thought.