What's more important, medicinal supplies or political payback?

[Budman]

I'm going to straddle the line a bit, so bear with me...

Recently, some have taken to blaming the recent "Swine Flu" outbreak in the US on efforts by a Republican Senator to have funds cut from the Stimulous bill, as well as others blaming illegal immigrants from Mexico.

Are you more interested in the political fallout from a "Swine Flu" epidemic or that drugs are available in case you get sick?

I'm for the latter, to be honest. There are issues to be made political, because they are political and there are issues where politics just shouldn't be introduced, and when the health and welfare of people are on the line it shouldn't be a political stunt for "Brownie" points.

I thought that was the lesson this country, in part, learned from Katrina. But it seems those on the far left and far right both seem to want to politicize something that just doesn't need it.

[silver]

silver was here

[Enoch Root]

I'm not sure I understand the question and have not heard the allegations. I do know that the issue has been totally overblown in the States.

One "fallout" has been that there's been a run on the pharmacies for the TamiFlu and the other medication. Apparently in the L.A. and San Diego area, all the pharmacies are dry... there's your conspiracy. Who's buying up all the Tamiflu? Some say Doctors to give out to their patients, but something doesn't smell right.

Eta:

Maybe the U.S. supplies are being covertly sent to Mexico to combat the flu?

more info:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/04/run-on-tamiflu-rankles-pharmacist.html

[Budman]

I'm not sure I understand the question and have not heard the allegations. I do know that the issue has been totally overblown in the States.

One "fallout" has been that there's been a run on the pharmacies for the TamiFlu and the other medication. Apparently in the L.A. and San Diego area, all the pharmacies are dry... there's your conspiracy. Who's buying up all the Tamiflu? Some say Doctors to give out to their patients, but something doesn't smell right.

On both the far left and the far right, politicians, bloggers, and political pundits are blaming one side or the other for the "Swine Flu" epidemic.

To me now is not the time to figure out who's to blame, especially when no one you can blame actually is at fault for a flu epidemic. The majority of New York's "Swine Flu" cases are the results of a school field trip to Mexico. That's not the fault of the Senator from Maine and that's not the fault of illegal immigrants. It's legal US citizens going to Mexico and getting an illness because Mexican officials initially did nothing to identify and contain the outbreak.

Instead, you have politicians, bloggers, and political pundits laying blame on everything from pig farmers, illegal immigrants, Senators, and even the President. It's idiotic political game playing, especially when people's lives are at stake and when the likelihood is that this will slowly and steadily expand.

[saladdays]

Should not be a political issue at all.

[ZIA]

No, and we're not having any political discussions on the board either.

[LostViking]

This is like blaming someone for the rain. Sure, its nice when someone gives you an umbrella, but you can't really point fingers.

Why does our society always need someone to be at fault? Its a virus.

[sals]

There's always going to be talk about who is to blame and someone finding a way to take political advantage of any situation.

It's what people do. Always has been, always will be.

How much such talk interferes with dealing with a potential crisis is unknown but it's a safe bet that an equal amout of discussion about the finger pointing is as bad as the finger pointing itself.



And as inevitable.




Sals

[sgtdraino]

No, and we're not having any political discussions on the board either.

Agreed. I'm not sure what the objective of this thread or poll is.

[Jack T Kirk]

In the United States, the swine flu outbreak is being contained. As far as I know only one person here has died of the virus, whereas in Mexico hundreds of people have died.

Given that, I don't think we're going to come anywhere near depleting the entire national stockpile of flu medications. The problems with the pharmacies stem from the basic greediness of people buying medication they don't really need and doctors/pharmacies selling the stuff to make a quick buck. The availability of medicine is not a political problem.

What is, though, is the uncontrolled movement of people and pathogens across our borders. Our current administration doesn't want to make too much noise about it because the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States is shifting the political power base of the states to give the current ruling party a permanent majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. More people counted means more seats in the house and also more electoral votes for that state in the U.S. presidential election. While that means more votes for them, it also means a higher risk of pandemic outbreaks and other health/security hazards for us.

A flu outbreak has nothing to do with politics, but our elected officials are making it political by prioritizing political power over the health and security of our country. Threats such as pandemics are not new to us, yet for years the progressives who are now in power have kept silent about the danger for their own benefit. What's even more outrageous is that now that the media has drummed up a sufficient amount of hysteria over 'swine flu', the current administration will probably use this as an opportunity to promote their socialist health care plan. In the meantime, the Department of Homeland Security isn't protecting the borders; instead, they are harassing families and hard-working, legal citizens for exercising their Constitutionally-protected right of free speech on tax day. There is a pattern emerging in which our government is continually putting politics above human life and I know that I'm not the only person who is concerned about it.

[RoseArienh]

Closing.