# It is official - the rest of the world does not exist **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 20, 2001, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523 "2001-06-20T21:10:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523/21 "2001-06-21T18:36:10Z")
The military coup happened more than a year ago. The military leader already in power dissolved the Pakistan parliament and declared himself president yesterday. I’m waiting for a news analysis of how this affects Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523/22 "2001-06-21T20:45:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minty green \* > **Hey Sua? Right there on page 28 is a story entitled “Dropping the Bomb,” a three-page story about the prospects of U.S.-Russian nuclear disarmament** I read that article, and I would accept it as “international” if _Newsweek_ had included even one quote from a Russian saying “Dude, it would totally suck if the U.S. went nuclear on our asses.”[sup]1[/sup] They didn’t, so no joy. Sua [sup]1[/sup] [sub]the above is in the original Russian. The English translation is “the great Russian people are dedicated to an equitable and verifiable system of gradual nuclear disarmament.” Approximately.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2001, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523/23 "2001-06-22T06:36:04Z")
The answer, at least for me, is the Guardian Weekly. Based on the English Guardian (a bit overly lefty for my taste, but anyhoo…) plus major stories from Le Monde and the Washington Post. Keeps me going for most of the week, depending on how busy I am. I don’t know how easy you would find obtaining it in the States, but that’s my suggestion. You only have to read it for a few weeks before 90 percent of mainstream first world news stories seem like trivial filler at best or parodies of themselves (a la The Onion) at worst. ---
**Author:** ![ramesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ramesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ramesh)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523/24 "2001-06-23T04:27:00Z")
Its difficult to describe my dissappointment when BOTH Time and Newsweek had JFK Jr’s crash as their cover story, no, as their _only_ story for an issue. I understand (and like the idea) that the USA is a capitalistic society but that was pushing it. PS. I LOVE the NewYork Times. Its not that I avoid _every_ US publication. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523/25 "2001-06-23T10:03:37Z")
I have an anecdote to share about insularity. A couple of years ago when there were big riots in Seattle over the World Trade Organization meeting I got to wondering how it was being covered in news overseas, because I was naturally suspicious of American news coverage. I went looking online and found some coverage from the Czech Republic. While the rest of the world was worrying about the cops beating up the protesters, the Czechs were only concerned with one thing. All of their coverage focused on the issue of whether or not the WTO would force American breweries to stop calling their beer “Budweiser,” because that name can only properly be applied to beer produced in the Czech Republic. They can **have** the name, as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523/26 "2001-06-30T05:34:46Z")
Sorry to ressurect a mostly-dead thread, but I thought this was oddly relevant. I saw Evolution last night. The scientist is explaining how the aliens’ biosystem is going to force out native Earth life: \ In three days, they will overrun the town. \ In a week, they will have taken over Somedamnplace County. \ In two weeks, they will have overrun Arizona and spilled into neighboring states. \ In one month, mankind is extinct. Umm… Hello? Aren’t you leaving out like, four more continents? And 75% of the one you’re on? ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523/27 "2001-06-30T14:28:24Z")
I noticed that too! The red stain spread right out to the borders of the continental US and stopped right there! Funny movie though. “There’s ALWAYS time for lubricant!” ---
**Author:** ![Suo\_Na](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Suo\_Na](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suo_Na)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523/28 "2001-06-30T15:15:57Z")
Huh. I figured that was a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523/29 "2001-07-01T06:40:50Z")
**Suo Na** : Very likely. I’m not sure how much of that movie was meant to be satire. Especially the scene where Duchovny figures out how to kill the aliens. “We’re carbon based, and if you go down and to the right from carbon on the periodic table, you get arsenic. So, since the aliens are nitrogen based, if you go down and to the right, you get selenium, which there fore MUST be poisonous to the aliens.” I tried really hard not to expect too much from the science on this one, but that scene… I dunno: typical summer blockbuster stupidity, or a subtle satire of typical summer blockbuster stupidity. I can’t make up my mind. Although, over all, it was a pretty funny movie. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523/30 "2001-07-01T11:38:08Z")
The worst example I ever saw was back in 1994 (?) when I was living in New York. It was the day Joey Buttafuoco was sentenced for statutory rape. The 5.00 news comes on and the first ten minutes or so were devoted to the sentencing. Then the newscaster says “In other news, South Africa ended apartheid today…” ---
**Author:** ![psylocke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@psylocke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psylocke)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523/31 "2001-07-02T11:25:22Z")
In south africa , the political and economic situation is so dismal that the news tends to focus on irrelevant crap like the president refusing to kiss Winnie Mandela at a public function or the gorrilas at the joburg zoo getting a triple bypass - just so that people don’t panic and emigrate. Stuff like plummeting stock market prices and fuel shortages are mentioned almost as an afterthought. Whenever journalists atttempt to cover a sensitive issue like a rumour about a coup attempt, they are usually accused of being overly critical and pessimistic. Maybe we’re all just optimists in sunny SA , because even our own pres does’nt think that hiv has anything to do with aids… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-official-the-rest-of-the-world-does-not-exist/69523.md?page=1)