Monday, March 16, 2009

It's all a matter of perspective.....



There are several types of people, some look at life as the water glass half empty and the other look at it as half full.
Perspective is important to communicate your ideas and emotions, and I am tired of being asked about the issues of Mexico and the crime.
That's all we hear about is the dead bodies......the drug cartels, and now the US State department is warning US travellers about travel into Mexico.

First I would say that they should warn their citizens about travel into Los Angeles, Oakland, Dallas, New York City and Miami.
Check out the graph on the left and see how Oakland compares to average US city Seattle.
So, why not ask about worrying about going to Oakland?
More media hype, and there is something the media likes to do is bash Mexico. After all it says the problems in the US are contributed by Mexico, Mexico says the drug problems are contributed by the US.
So here we are, caught in a media war between two media organizations both waging war on each others prosperity.

It my eyes, the more people quit listening to the media people the better off one would be. The TV talking heads have been spewing nonsense for decades and have conditioned the viewers who are glued to the set to believe anything they preach.
I quit listening and believing the US media long ago. I get a lot of my news from the BBC. It's interesting to find out what the Brits have to say about the US and Mexico.

Then you can pick up the local newspaper like LA Voz and read another completely different story.

And I use to be in the news biz...... That was in the 60's when things were different or at least they seemed to be.....

6 comments:

Bob Mrotek said...

Ken,
I agree with you 100 percent. Sometimes when I listen to the U.S. newscasts I become really perplexed and I wonder if we are on the same planet. Like you, I find the BBC to much better balanced.

Tancho said...

You are correct Bob, they do seem to have more a more balanced outlook. I sometimes also watch some stations from South America. Funny to hear two different stories, from the same news happening.....
It would be nice to have a trusted source, but that would be asking for too much!

Anonymous said...

That's not to say that Mexico is problem free, of course???

You can read the local papers and see that Mexico has its hands full.

I could make a case that it's more dangerous in Cali, Colombia or in Baghdad.

Does that make us safer in Mexico?

Just asking.

El Fantasma

Tancho said...

El Fantasma, danger is where you go looking for it. Yes all places can be dangerous, the trick is to not purposely invite it like some people do.
We create our environments a lot of the time and do have some power in the outcome.
People up north have a false sense of security. Things have been sold to them, and it the fortunate ones understand that.

Bob Mrotek said...

Ken,
You are so right. There was a recent poll that stated 28 percent of the American people have only two weeks pay separating them from financial disaster. I read another comment that the average American is only nine meals away from acts of desperation. I think the people here in Mexico are much more understanding about the precarious nature of life and they deal with serious money problems on a regular basis. I am afraid that a lot of Americans still live in a "bubble". Social unrest is as big a potential problem in the U.S. as it is in Mexico if not more so.

Tancho said...

Funny that you mention that Bob, I was having a discussion with friends about me feeling more secure in Mexico than in the US. Mexican residents seem to understand and live with financial and life's realities. In the US most people think that everything will be fine and the government will not allow anything to happen..... Most people know that is not reality, Mexicans have lived through financial crisis, devaluations, etc , etc, etc, and for me I would rather be here than up there. But that's me! I can plant and trade food, over there you are gone if you can't drive to the supermarket. Mexico and for that fact South and Central America is better suited for survival realities than the "head in the cloud" average Joe.