LA is NOT Gaza, and Other Bad Media Takes
From bad comparisons to outright exploitation, the media is missing the bigger picture.
The media coverage around the California fires has been troubling, to say the least. From bad comparisons to outright exploitation, it’s missing the bigger picture. Let’s break it down.
1. LA is NOT Gaza
The comparison between the California fires and Gaza is both harmful and absurd. In Palestine, Israel and the US are directly responsible for an ongoing genocide of decades of systemic violence, apartheid, occupation, and destruction.
In California, the fires are the result of gutted public services, ecological collapse, and a handful of billionaires hoarding resources (the Resnicks, for example, control 60% of California’s water supply and lobbied to sanction Iran and profited from it. More on these Billionaire Oligarchs later). These comparisons don’t just mislead—they erase the real accountability in both cases.
This isn’t about bad metaphors—it’s about how these narratives shift attention away from the systemic issues that demand real solutions.
2. Rich-Centric Narratives
Most of the coverage is focused on wealthy people losing their multi-million-dollar mansions, completely ignoring the everyday folks who’ve lost everything. Where are the stories about the uninsured, the displaced working-class communities, or the people already struggling to recover from past disasters?
This reporting feeds into the idea that disasters only matter when they affect the rich, erasing the struggles of those most affected.
3. The Blame Game
Lately, I’ve seen a ridiculous narrative blaming DEI hires and women in leadership for the failures in handling the fires. This is pure scapegoating.
The real culprits are decades of systemic neglect, underfunding of public services, and policies prioritising profits over people. But instead of addressing these, the blame is conveniently shifted to marginalized groups.
4. The Exploitation of Incarcerated People
Over 800 incarcerated people have been called in to battle the fires, earning as little as $5.80–$10.24 per day, with an additional $1 per hour when responding to active emergencies.
This exploitative system relies on prison labor to save costs, while these same individuals are often barred from joining professional firefighting forces after their release due to their criminal records. It’s a brutal reminder of how deeply broken our systems are, where even disaster relief becomes an avenue for exploitation.
The Real Story
The California fires aren’t just about natural disasters—they’re about systemic failures:
Years of gutting ecological protections.
Billionaires hoarding resources.
Underfunded public services.
The exploitation of incarcerated labor.
Yet the media focuses on million-dollar homes, makes bad comparisons, and plays blame games. We deserve better reporting— sharp, and honest coverage that holds the right people accountable.
We’ll be expanding on this more in our podcast, but for now, let’s start calling out these bad takes for what they are.