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On the one hand train derailment, chemical fire, environmental damage - it makes for a story but really not a terribly interesting one (to me). It's certainly an unwelcome event, but there doesn't seem to be anything deeper than what you see on the surface.
Is there a deeper story here? Is there some ongoing malfeasance that should be spotlighted?
I completely understand that for those who live in East Palestine this may be a life altering event. But shitty events routinely happen to lots of people every day. I guess I'm missing what makes this special.
Of course my sympathies are with those affected by this, I'm not heartless, but I'm (honestly) not sure what you hope the world's media will achieve.
This accident was going to happen eventually and all of the people who had the opportunity to stop it were either denied or were actively fighting against preventing it from happening because it might have impacted the $10 billion stock buyback[1] that lined so many billionaire's pockets.
[1] http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/news/norfolk-souther...
I don’t know why Rihanna gets way more attention than Ohio. Or Flint, Michigan.
Genuinely interested in your feedback.
Granted this is very man-made, and apparently the result of very human profit motives. Which means politics. Which means its a 5 minute topic until the next political outrage comes along.
Ultimately Rihanna gets more attention because discussing that doesn't devolve into a screaming match of the intrinsic americaness of exploitation over environment and people.
And just like Flint the media will move on, but there's not a lot of long-term progress. Just like another mass shooting, the politicians will offer hopes and prayers, but won't take any action.
I know, I'm jaded and cynical, but frankly media attention means nothing. It doesn't change minds, or votes, so ultimately events like this are just a "cost of doing business". It sucks, but am I wrong?
1) Do you think that a town getting poisoned is not "special"?
2) Do you think that the 5000 people that lived on said town are out of life-threatening danger?
3) Do you think it's only said town and said 5000 people that are threatened by this?
4) Don't you think that working conditions need to be regulated in order to be safe?
5) Don't you think that this disaster could help us prevent other ones?
1) alas, in the US context its not really "special". There seems to be an article every 5 minutes about some business prioritising profit over the environment. I agree that its terrible, but unfortunately not special.
2) probably not. But media attention won't change their danger status.
3) absolutely not. Environmentalism, climate change, the ills of profits before environment are well documented and we'll understood. Politically the nation seems divided on thus topic. In an absurd way this event adds very little to the conversation. I think that's bonkers, but I don't think this event will change too many minds.
4) working conditions are already regulated. There are people in favour of more regulation, and some in favour of less. The US has some of the weakest labour regulation in the world (in some respects.) So yes, I think better regulation would be a desirable outcome. Then again that fire is already burning well. This event does little to fan the flames.
5) short answer is, unfortunately no. The root cause of this is profit over environment, profit over people. That's a particular US condition and it is intrinsic to the American psyche. Media attention of this event won't change that, and there's certainly no shortage of upcoming preventable ecological or human disasters waiting to happen.
I'm not saying I'm happy with the status quo, but it's not like this is surprising, or frankly even newsworthy.
It's life-changing to those folk affected, but the rest of the country don't really care. Which is whacked.
Such disasters need to be heavily reported on because that's the only way for better regulation and prevention.
Furthermore, there is things that have to be done for the town to become safe and for the people to be taken care of and compensated.
And that's about it, really.
Now it’s an massive disaster that we were warned was coming and the basic measures to fix it(like hiring more engineers and letting them have sick days) won’t happen in a sane way.
Wikipedia:
> The trains were not equipped with electronically controlled pneumatic brakes, which a former Federal Railroad Administration official said would have reduced the severity of the accident.[4] In 2017, Norfolk Southern had successfully lobbied to have regulations requiring their use on trains carrying hazardous materials repealed.[4]
> About 48 hours later, the National Transportation Safety Board said it had preliminary findings that a mechanical problem on an axle of one of the cars led to the derailment.[9]
At least partly because it's not clear that it's safe to hang out there.