Congressional Short Sightedness Mistakes Swine Flu For Pork.

[ElFenix]

a) pandemic preparedness should be in the regular budget, not a stimulus bill which shouldn't contain much in the way of baseline government services.
b) i doubt the funding would even have reached anyone yet
c) the way it would be doled out may have been piggyriffic anyway.
d) the money was allocated in a regular spending bill last month, so anyone frothing at the mouth over this has revealed themselves as hacks.

 

[Jaskalas]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
a) pandemic preparedness should be in the regular budget, not a stimulus bill which shouldn't contain much in the way of baseline government services.
b) i doubt the funding would even have reached anyone yet
c) the way it would be doled out may have been piggyriffic anyway.
d) the money was allocated in a regular spending bill last month, so anyone frothing at the mouth over this has revealed themselves as hacks.

I'd say that's an accurate response for the OP.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: ayabe

Yes and the experts and the CDC were frothing in 1976 too, so much so that they recommended vaccinations, which then killed more people than the virus.

Here's the deal, many of the people who will die from this would most likely die from any severe strain of the flu. If you get "the flu" in Bangladesh, you're fucked whether it's this strain or any other.

So yes, unfortunately, some people will die. However, I'd be willing to bet more people died last night in auto accidents than will die in the US from this virus.

Come back and make that bet in two weeks, after it's had time to spread and give us an idea of the course it's taking. Better yet, volunteer as a crash test dummy to infect yourself to prove your dumbass position.

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil

Is having your head up your ass a problem? Because I can think of a few members here with that problem.. :laugh:

The above posted by the poster child for the affliction. :roll:

 

[Fear No Evil]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: ayabe

Yes and the experts and the CDC were frothing in 1976 too, so much so that they recommended vaccinations, which then killed more people than the virus.

Here's the deal, many of the people who will die from this would most likely die from any severe strain of the flu. If you get "the flu" in Bangladesh, you're fucked whether it's this strain or any other.

So yes, unfortunately, some people will die. However, I'd be willing to bet more people died last night in auto accidents than will die in the US from this virus.

Come back and make that bet in two weeks, after it's had time to spread and give us an idea of the course it's taking. Better yet, volunteer as a crash test dummy to infect yourself to prove your dumbass position.

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil

Is having your head up your ass a problem? Because I can think of a few members here with that problem.. :laugh:

The above posted by the poster child for the affliction. :roll:

Why would you wish disease on people for disagreeing with your political opinion? WTF is wrong with you?

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil

Why would you wish disease on people for disagreeing with your political opinion? WTF is wrong with you?

I have to take it that you're referring to my reply to ayabe. If so, my reply to him is only two sentences, and in neither of them did I wish disease on him or anyone else. He said:

I'd be willing to bet more people died last night in auto accidents than will die in the US from this virus.

I replied:

Come back and make that bet in two weeks, after it's had time to spread and give us an idea of the course it's taking. Better yet, volunteer as a crash test dummy to infect yourself to prove your dumbass position.

Translation:

1. He offered to bet on the statisical incidence of death from the current flue strain. My reply is that any such statistical measure is premature because we're still observing the beginning of whatever course the disease will take. We'll have a better idea of what it is and how it will develop in two weeks.
   
2. If he's so exremely sure of his repeated statements that this disease is not going to be a major problem, he could volunteer as a test subject to prove it.

The second sentence was sarcasm, but in nether sentence did I wish illness on him or anyone else. If you don't understand sarcasm, go home and practice.

 

[ayabe]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: ayabe

Yes and the experts and the CDC were frothing in 1976 too, so much so that they recommended vaccinations, which then killed more people than the virus.

Here's the deal, many of the people who will die from this would most likely die from any severe strain of the flu. If you get "the flu" in Bangladesh, you're fucked whether it's this strain or any other.

So yes, unfortunately, some people will die. However, I'd be willing to bet more people died last night in auto accidents than will die in the US from this virus.

Come back and make that bet in two weeks, after it's had time to spread and give us an idea of the course it's taking. Better yet, volunteer as a crash test dummy to infect yourself to prove your dumbass position.

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil

Is having your head up your ass a problem? Because I can think of a few members here with that problem.. :laugh:

The above posted by the poster child for the affliction. :roll:

Ok Harvey, and will you come back in two weeks and admit that you're trying to make a political point using fear? Fear about something as mundane as influenza?

That's a tactic of the far right, so what is this thread about again?

BTW, I haven't even had a cold in 3 years, so yeah I'm not worried, I'm in excellent health and I don't plan on changing my hygiene habits because Sanjay Gupta just shit himself on TV.

I'll be going on a business trip in 2 weeks, I'll be on a plane in close proximity to others with "teh bacon plague!" - I'm not going to wear a mask.

We'll see how close to deaths door I am when I get back.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: ayabe

Ok Harvey, and will you come back in two weeks and admit that you're trying to make a political point using fear? Fear about something as mundane as influenza?

No, but if we're lucky, and the course of the disease isn't as bad as some of the worst projected possibilities, I'll be glad to offer you a beer to celebrate having dodged the bullet... this time. :beer:

My issue with you is that, unless you have a lot more expertise about the epidemiology of new and potentially virulent type A influenza, and in particular, about new mutations of such strains, you are unqualified to dismiss this outbreak as casually as you have.

As of this moment, it's potential is unknown, or at least unannounced by even the most skilled, most knowlegable people in the world, at least as far as we've been told. Yet, you're spouting off with great certainty that it's trivial.

Either cop to the fact that you really don't know, or please tell us why you're so much more qualified to make such pronouncements.

The fact is, I don't know what will happen, and it really doesn't matter. The bug is already loose in the wild, and it's going to run its course. The best we can do is use common sense and practice basic hygene.

I'll tell you I've already called my doc to ask what, if anything, I can/should do and when.

That's a tactic of the far right, so what is this thread about again?

It was originally about Congress dropping the ball regarding funding pandemic preparedness in the stimulus bill. In case you didn't notice, way back near the beginning, I already posted that I had changed my view about what at least some had done to block that provision because their objection was that it should be in another bill, and funding was, in fact, restored in later legislation.

Now, what was your point in being so dismissive about the potential dangers in an unknown, rapidly spreading disease strain against which human beings have no immunity, again?

 

[Corn]

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil
Why would you wish disease on people for disagreeing with your political opinion? WTF is wrong with you?

I can't really blame him for his personality disorder as that is simply the way he's wired. I've pleaded with him to seek professional help often, but you can only lead a horse to water.......

 

[Corn]

Originally posted by: Harvey
The best we can do is use common sense and practice basic hygene.

Well then you'd better get your will in order.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: ayabe
Ok Harvey, and will you come back in two weeks and admit that you're trying to make a political point using fear? Fear about something as mundane as influenza?

Woah there slugger, only a fool would call influenza "mundane."

 

[Mr. Lennon]

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil

Originally posted by: 0marTheZealot

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil
Maybe this will kill 100's of millions like the bird flu did.. oh wait..

People with no background in biology should not post here.

The bird flu could have killed many millions IF it made the species jump. We got lucky, as simple as that.

The swine flu is a misnomer. It's actually a strain of influenza that can infect birds and pigs, because they share the same receptor binding site. At the same time, another flu virus that can infect humans can infect pigs as well because pigs also share another receptor site with humans. If these two viruses meet, then the influenza virus can recombine their genetic material and carry properties of both bird and human influenza. This is what happened with the swine flu, it's a strain of bird flu (H1N1). It's virulent, infective and lethal. The biggest question right now is whether or not we can contain the outbreak.

Remember, just because a false alarm happened doesn't mean every subsequent event will also be a false alarm. I'm sure if the internet was around in 1918, many of you doubters would have had the same posts in the early stages of the flu pandemic.

Right.. now we should have a biology degree requirement to post about anything disease related in animals. Mods, could you please start contacting members and requesting copies of their credentials? LOL..

Ok, now that I am done laughing.. I'm sure in 1918 if we posted that the internet existed people wouldn't have believed it. If we posted about jet airplanes people wouldn't have believed it, if we posted that we would walk on the moon in 50-60 years they would not believe it. Whats your point there? 1918 is not 2009. Medicine has changed, communications has changed, everything has changed. I can point to 2009 and say that we have nearly completely eradicated smallpox as proof as to why we WON'T have another outbreak like 1918.

The point I am getting at is people keep saying THIS IS IT, and its more than likely NOT it.. and we can't jump on every media hyped pandemic as some sort of reason to spend billions of more dollars. Sure there is a role for government in researching and developing these pandemics, but there is also a role for universities and private companies. But surely in Obama's 3.5 TRILLION dollar budget there is SOME money for this? Maybe we could take the couple hundred grand it cost for the Air Force 1 photo-op and put it toward this sort of thing? Maybe instead of a train from Iowa to Chicago we should put it toward this?

:disgust:

 

[trooper11]

Originally posted by: nobodyknows

To fight the epidemic, the Obama administration is asking Congress for $1.5 billion. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the president was requesting the funds "out of an abundance of caution" to "enhance our nation's capability to respond to the potential spread of this outbreak."

Wow, $1.5 billion. I'm all for being prepared, but remember the stroy of the boy who cried wolf.

...what in the world is that much money for exactly? well they better spell things out, otherwise that sounds like alot more money we dont have

 

[imported_Lothar]

To fight the epidemic, the Obama administration is asking Congress for $1.5 billion. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the president was requesting the funds "out of an abundance of caution" to "enhance our nation's capability to respond to the potential spread of this outbreak."

WTF?

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Harvey
Add this to the list of short sighted Republican demands. It wasn't that long ago that Republican governor, Bobby Jindal was laughing at funding for monitoring volcanoes... just before the Vulcan deities reminded him of his idiocy when Alaska's Mount Redoubt erupted.

I thought he just said that it shouldn't be part of a stimulus package.