This Is Why We Don't Love American Newsweeklies [27 March 2007 Edition]

[image mashup courtesy Eat The Press]

[disclosure, blah, blah, blah -- Ed.]

Time has joined Newsweek in determining that Americans who are retired or go to the dentist can't handle the truth. Or, perhaps, would rather read about Paris Hilton than, yaknow, things that might be like, all bad-news and shit.

Read all about it after the jump...

The image montage above shows covers from Time US and three other international editions of Time. One of these things is not like the others, eh???

What do Time editors from around the globe think their readers need to know? The cover story everywhere else is that Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders [mostly] in "the tribal regions" of Pakistan have succeeded in creating their own virtual "non-state" "state" free of control from either the Pakistani or Afghan governments. "Remote, tribal and deeply conservative, the border region is less a part of either country than a world unto itself, a lawless frontier so beyond the control of the West and its allies that it has earned a name of its own: Talibanistan." It's a very interesting -- and disturbing -- story, and you can read about it on US Time's website -- but not in US Time magazine -- here.

Sadly, this is not the first time our newsweekly overlords have determined we in the US just can't handle the truth. Back in September, Newsweek did the same thing with a related story and cover that postulated that the NATO allies were "Losing Afghanistan". Here's that cover montage fun:


[image courtesy Wonkette]

Here are Wonkette, Gawker, and TruthOut on the "Losing Afghanistan" cover story...story.

Then, Newsweek did it again in October, with an international story about the effects of global warming that was, well, apparently not hot enough to make the US mag. Here's that cover montage fun:


[image courtesy Wonkette]

Here is Wonkette on the Global Warming story.

Oh, and just because they wanted to be dicks, apparently, Newsweek did it yet again in October with a story about North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

Rachel Sklar wants you to know that she's had enough of this bullshit.

Why does the American media think the big depressing stories need to back-burnered in favor of stories about celebrity and "social controversy"? Sadly, I think we all know the answer to that question.

Whatever moves the most copies. Sigh.

*****

Take a look back at that first montage above. The international editions feature a story about "Talibanistan". The US edition features a story titled "Why We Should Teach The Bible In Public School".

Maybe one of these things really is like the other things after all.