The Power of Images

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts the other day - Slate's Political Gabfest - and they were talking about the lack of images coming out of Myanmar in the wake of the cyclone disaster, and how that contributes to the fact that the story really isn't on Americans' minds. Above is satellite imagery showing Myanmar before and after Cyclone Nargis.

It's really horrifying how high the death toll could be. The Los Angeles Times has an article stating that 1.5 million people are in danger of dying due to food and drinking water shortages and from disease, as bodies lay decomposing instead of being cremated.

But the government won't let aid in. Why? Because they don't want to be shown up by other countries. They want to save face no matter the cost. Which is why state-run media shows pictures of soldiers delivering aid, rather than of dead floating bodies. The Associated Press has an article on how difficult it is for media and aid workers in Myanmar.

Another reminder of how powerful images - and the lack of images - can be.