And, So, Another World Crisis Passes

I find it interesting that, once again, we have another world crisis that has completely fallen on its face with "Chicken Little" accuracy.

That crisis? H1N1 -- aka the swine flu.

Like a Nuclear World War, the Destruction of the Ozone Layer, Y2k, the Avian Virus, and so many other impending disasters, we wind up finding out that H1N1 is another non starter of a catastrophe. In fact, H1N1 is about 8 times less likely to spread than the normal flu and is 9 times less likely to kill; although children were 20 times more likely to die from this strain than the normal seasonal flu.

Certainly, the world's leadership is caught between "crying wolf", having nothing happen, and having people get complacent about any future grim predictions; or, saying nothing and winding up with a massive and horrific disaster on their hands. That's a big problem. The worst thing that can happen is to have people ignore warnings because they have been conditioned by so many false alarms in the past.

I really think that it is important for the same world leadership that declared H1N1 a pandemic and potential disaster, to get out the word that they had to take a "better safe than sorry" posture to make sure that the worst possible outcome could be avoided. They need to make everyone aware that they were unsure of what H1N1 could morph into. To simply let this non-disaster pass and, then, say nothing will only coarsen peoples attitudes towards ignoring future warnings.

Our Planet Is Now Doomed!

On October 20th, Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, declared that the world only had 50 days left to save itself from a complete catastrophe if carbon dioxide output and global warming weren't curtailed (Click to See Full Story: Brown: Fifty days to save the world ). In making this "50 day" statement, he was referring to the climate change summit that would be held in Copenhagen in December.

Well, I guess we're all doomed. Last Sunday it was reported that Obama and other world leaders have decided to put saving the planet on the back burner for now (Click to See Full Story: World leaders back delay to final climate deal ).

I think we should all assume a fetal position and just wait for either H1N1, the 2012 end of the world, the recession, or global warming to kill us! I can't remember any time in the history of mankind when our society was so completely in danger of extinction. And, remember, when they're throwing dirt on your coffin -- if there is anyone left to throw dirt on it -- it was Gordon Brown that warned us all! God save the Queen!

Another Emergency?

I just don't know how many times chicken little has ventured out; looked at the sky; and declared it falling again. For someone who "ducked and covered" every month or so in preparation for the "bomb" being dropped on us, I can't tell you how many impending, but never happened, emergencies I have seen in my lifetime. It seems as if we, and the rest of the world, are always on the edge of our seats, with sure death just around the corner.

Does anyone remember the vanishing ozone layer and how, by the turn of this century, we would all be in our protective suits to avoid solar radiation. That threat resulted in the elimination of freon as a refrigerant and aerosol spray bottles. Then, there was the Millennium Bug associated with the advent of the year 2000. In that emergency, planes were sure to fall out of the sky; electrical power plants and water pumping stations would just shut down as the calendar moved from December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000. Just, 5 years ago, the bird flu was going to kill us all. G.W. Bush stockpiled millions of doses of Tamiflu in that non-existent pandemic. And, of course, there is the ever-presence of Global Warming.

Now, Obama has declared a National Emergency associated with the H1N1 virus (or, also known in "underground circles" as the forbidden-term: "Swine flu".).

Certainly, it is wise to prepare the nation in the event that things get out of control. However, the numbers don't really stack up to the requirement for an actual "emergency" declaration. In the United States, about 1000 deaths have occurred due to H1N1. It is estimated the 1 in 5 have already either contracted the disease or have been exposed to it and the symptoms, in many cases, were either minimal or insignificant. Worldwide, the death toll is about 5,000. However, in a normal flu season, there are about 36,000 who die each year in the U.S. and, worldwide, there are approximately 1/2 million deaths each year. In the countries "Down-Under" (Australia and New Zealand), they have concluded this year's flu season with very few ill effects. By all accounts, this is not a "killer" virus; although, children seem to be at the highest risk for death.

The only problem that I have with the declaration of H1N1 as a National Emergency is that it could, unto itself, create panic in the minds of many. Then, that panic could result in an unnecessary swamping of our heath care system. I really think that Obama should have gotten in front of the cameras and explained what he was doing. Instead, he simply signed the declaration and the news media had to fend for itself to try and figure out what this "emergency" declaration really meant. When you think about it, this whole thing was so un-Obama. In any other situation, Obama would have gladly stuck his nose in front of the cameras. But, in this case, there was no teleprompter; there was no news conference; no doctors in lab coats; no nurses holding syringes; there was nothing! He didn't even use his Saturday radio address to explain it. This, to me, makes no sense at all. Couple that with the benign effects of this flu and it makes me think that this emergency is being used for some other reason. Then, I keep going back to the words of Rahm Emanuel who said: "Never let a good crisis go to waste." I guess it's the conditioned skeptic in me that seems to think there is something else afoot here. I hope I'm wrong and that this emergency declaration is just what it is; and, nothing more.