If you ever had any doubt that public health officials, government-paid researchers, and companies in the business of selling drugs have an interest in ginning up fears and encouraging hysteria, you need no better proof.
Sure, the regular flu already kills boatloads more people than this one particular variation among countless variations. Sure, this one of the many, many variations of the flu virus still has yet to do much better than random lightning strikes at killing people (I’m not sure it’s even eclipsed lightning strikes yet). Sure, the vast majority of people in the developed world (read, the world with decent sanitation, nutrition, and access to immediate reasonable-quality health care) who contract this one not-particularly-unusual strain of the flu virus recover just fine, just like they do with every other strain of the many, many different flu viruses.
But no, it’s got a catchy name, and it is (like many other flu virus strains, but never mind) related to the flu virus that killed a bunch of people in World War I when public infrastructure was devasted, medical care was primitive, and there was massive population dislocation in incredibly unsanitary conditions. But hey, it was 1918! The 1918 virus! And this is related! We therefore need to spend massive amounts of money “educating” (i.e. terrifying) the general public and move critical resources from all sorts of other projects just so we can fight off this one. Because it’s important.
Wake me when the hysteria ends, will ya?
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Dean,
Why do you hate the British? Sure, they talk funny and put gravy on everything… wait… those are Canadians. My bad.
Dean,
Why do you hate Canadians?
I reckon the operative word is “could”:)
Other recent headlines:
–Madonna could sleep with 50% of British males over the next 10 years.
–Obama could end all strife and suffering in the world with a bright smile and eloquent speech.
I reckon a lotta things could happen — but are they likely to happen?
Happy Papa’s day!
–HB
You won’t think it’s so funny when eleventy trillion billion people have DIED!!!!
Thought I’d amp it up a touch.
eleventy trillion billion people!
Sakes alive! That just means we need more funding!
Money quote:
Among other budget items, the measure provides 79.9 billion dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 7.7 billion dollars to combat the A(H1N1) flu virus, and eight billion dollars for the International Monetary Fund.
$8 Billion dollars for the phantom pork flu! Thatsa lotta shekels!
Not to inject any rational observation into this comedy routine, but does anyone out there looking for a job, or generally hurting due to the economic downturn, think it a good thing that mediocre scientists are getting $$ Billions of taxpayer money to study a flu virus that has virtually ZERO clinical relevance?
Those boondoggles add up. If anyone were able to connect the dots between $Billion dollar gov’t snipe hunts (there are lots) and the poor medical services and care we get in the country at the mid level, hey, maybe we could do something productive about it.
–HB
“Thatsa lotta shekels!”
I’ve read that a billion is an even larger number than a million, but neither is meaningful within the framework of Government spending. Science!
Why do you hate Canadians?
Two words: Bryan Adams.
Dean,
If you recall Canada apologized for Bryan Adams several times. They said so in the South Park movie.
Empty words. Where’s the restitution, where’s the reparations? My God man! The Humanities!
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