Outside the Bubble: Iraq's Med Crisis

Even now, when polls show the public has turned against the war, the mainstream media in this country seem to be embubbled -- still listening to the officials returning from their Green Zone dog-and-pony shows, while ignoring the reality of life in the other 99% of the country. Evidence: this story from UK's Independent, delineating the size of the exodus of doctors and nurses. The source is an Oxfam report, pretty reputable as sources about Iraq life are concerned. The piece appeared in last Saturday's Indy, and I've waited to see the American coverage. I'm still waiting. A Google News check today shows the story surfacing in Germany and Belfast, Northern Ireland, but nowhere in the US. Some of the numbers in the Oxfam report, like the child malnutrtion rate and the percentage of the country's population in what Oxfam describes as "absolute poverty", are eye-opening, to say the least. But wait, here's a Senator just back from the Green Zone. He should know.