Nine days after the earthquake and tsunami that caused a crisis at the Fukushima nuclear complex in Japan, the headlines are reduced to this: Misguided millions all over the world have over-dosed on iodine pills. The World Health Organization is concerned. Then we have the G-7 intervening to stabilize currencies around the world. Would this ordinarily helpful attempt be cause for another paralyzing and destructive demonstration against the G-7? One could never guess. And finally, in the current Fukushima news, a slew of headlines to the effect that, well, the Japanese seem to have done a pretty good job in an awful situation and it looks like we’re all going to be okay. Oh. Gee. That’s good. You mean all the hysterical hand-wringing about The End! wasn’t necessary? Or sensible? Evidently, friends. And you knew all along that you didn’t have to be indifferent to the problems of the Japanese to also know that you were getting a load of news orchestrated primarily to terrify you. Thanks to our friends in television for that.