This is from a publication that I receive called The "Patriot Post." Their argument is that the president and his administration are trying to gauge the publics reaction to a percieved threat. Personally I am sick of political stunts like this, we've had enough of it through Bush and his media campaign, and I am not going to participate in the fear mongering of these powerful political figures.
The same day, Joe Biden, live on ABC, stirred the panic, "I have told members of my family I would not go anywhere in confined places now -- not on airplanes or subways ... not in cars or classrooms."
Now, I do not mean to suggest that influenza is something to sneeze at. In 2006, the latest year of record, 56,326 Americans died from influenza strains in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control, and $6.1 billion was spent by the central government on prevention and treatment. (Sidebar: Comparably, in 2006 there were 12,113 AIDS-related deaths and $13.7 billion dollars for U.S. HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment -- that's twice the spending on a totally preventable disease which kills less than one fourth of the number of citizens who die from the flu.)
As of this writing, a full three weeks into the "pandemic threat," one American citizen has died of symptoms associated with swine flu.
2 comments:
I left you a little pressie over at my place :)
Nothing to sneeze at! I like that, it made me giggle. Every year we get doom and gloom about things we eat, the weather, flu epidemics, tablets that make you worse instead of better. I have lived long enough to take it with a pinch of salt! You have opinions on so many things Strawberry Girl. Good on ya!
Blessings, Star
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