I wonder if you, like me, are getting rather tired of the coverage being given to the outbreak of avian flu. Last night's BBC news devoted over 10 mins of its coverage, including having reporters on the scene, and long interviews with locals. One interview I saw was critical of Defra for (I quote more or less) "not providing enough information on what was going for people who don't have cable TV". In other words, this local was complaining to the nation about the vitally important fact that Defra had not, apparently, put leaflets through everyone's door. However, they pointed out, Defra was otherwise doing a very good job. (Well that's alright then).
Another reporter, was stationed outside a rendering plant to give us the up-to-date, vital information that a lorry full of carcasses had arrived about 15 minutes before, gone through some paper-work, and then entered the plant. Riveting stuff...I was on the edge of my seat!
In the meantime, in the real world, dozens of people have drowned, and 200,000 have lost their homes in Indonesian floods. 150 people were killed with a lorry-bomb in Iraq. The forests of Chile are on fire. And President Bush has submitted a $1.5 trillion dollar budget which includes $700bn of new military spending.
I am immensely frustrated at the 'Little Islander' mentality of the BBC over this bird flu outbreak. A bug was found, the birds have been culled. No-one is at risk. Good job, Defra. Now please can we move on?
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