Editor's note: Thomas O. Falk is a London-based political analyst and commentator. He holds a Master of Arts in international relations from the University of Birmingham and specializes in U.S. affairs. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

A serious train accident in the U.S. has become a toxic catastrophe for people and environment. But the White House doesn't seem to care.

What occurred in the small village of East Palestine since February 3 is not a nuclear catastrophe such as in 1986 with the Ukrainian Chernobyl, but the fear of local residents over dangers to their health is understandable. Five of the derailed train cars contain vinyl chloride, a dangerous gas linked to various cancers and used to make plastics. Although East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway said on February 18 that he believes the town's water is safe to drink, the people directly impacted have reported health problems – including headaches, irritated eyes and rashes. Oily streaks run through a stream near the accident site, and hundreds of dead fish and frogs have been found in the area.

Apparently, many people only heard about it after the derailment occurred. This was not a coincidence. The media has only reluctantly started to cover the topic – albeit still sparsely. Moreover, the Ohio accident has also played a minor role at daily press conferences in the White House.

Joe Biden has not shown much interest either, despite carcinogenic chemicals being released over an area of hundreds of miles and an unprecedented public health crisis. Biden could have at least recognized it in order to offer the federal resources necessary.

But he has not.

Worse yet, Biden's Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg took 10 days to comment on the crisis. And that was only due public pressure. When Buttigieg finally commented, he was more concerned with affirming that the government is ensuring safe rail traffic than to tell Ohio residents that help is on the way. To date, he has not visited East Palestine. He'll visit "when the time is right," he said.

What sounds like an apparent two-tier citizen system, in which a town such as East Palestine does not matter, is not new to Americans living in rural communities. The coastal bias defines who matters and who does not.

When a crisis transpires in a major coastal city, it's front-page news nationwide. But when something tragic occurs in the heartland, it's often largely ignored by the media, public and politicians alike.

If the same derailment had happened in the state of New York, Buttigieg would have visited there already. All major newspapers and TV stations in the country would have been covering the scene 24/7. The U.S. government would have deployed their best scientist to ensure that toxins do not threaten the area. The answers the people in East Palestine are seeking so desperately right now would have been given. 

Accordingly, the media and the White House's lack of interest and political instincts impact voters. The message getting sent: Rural Americas are less important than those living on the East and West coasts. It's hard to feel valued and appreciated when repeatedly reminded that your emergencies and struggles don't matter. 

This leads to a disconnect between politicians and their constituents, resulting in a loss of trust in government and democracy.

We've seen this play out in recent years with the rise of populist movements and a growing distrust of the political establishment. Many people in non-coastal areas feel their voices are not being heard, and they're either becoming apolitical or turning to politicians who promise to represent their interests.

This explains why Donald Trump won in 2016. He knew how to make rural residents feel appreciated again. And Trump is ready to fill the void the Biden administration has created by visiting East Palestine this week. What matters to these people is that someone appears to care and shows up to tell them, "you'll be fine."

But for America's cohesion and its fabric as a democracy, this is only a temporary fix, since one side does not care, and the other only pretends. In the end, people outside New York, Washington and Los Angeles matter only during election night.

And the disaster in East Palestine has reaffirmed this belief.

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