Avian flu: next Big Diversion?

It's diversion time for Rove and Bush — their usual MO in times of political crisis. The terror alert today in New York's subways, based on a "specific" threat from a "foreign" source, seemed to have fallen mostly flat. Some of the media sheep bit, most didn't.

We've had more than three years worth of elevated security alerts (usually coinciding with the Republican campaign agenda), followed by frantic warnings to go shopping. The color-coded scare bars have been retired, for the most part, as a psychological WMD by BushCo.

Add *'s fifteenth attempt to frighten the nation with a speech about the forces of evil in Iraq -- also a non-starter, and Karl's testimony tomorrow and pending indictments before the end of the month, and you have all the ingredients of a desperate White House.

Call me Alcoa Chapeau, but I have a theory that avian flu is the next Big Diversion.

It has much to recommend it as an enemy. It's a real threat, posing serious consequences. It's international -- meaning it is a threat from FOREIGN nations. It's a great excuse for draconian measures, with the U. S. Army to back them up. There is money to be made. Whole regions could be quarantined (blue states, for example) "just in case". It could be a result of bio-terrorism, which gives it even more credibility as an enemy. And it offers the cachet of 'major disaster', allowing the Bushies to atone for (read: make people forget) the Katrina disaster.

Remember the germ detected in DC during the protests last month? Could that have been a dry run of some sort?

Okay, so avian flu as GOP plot might be a little over the top. But frankly, so was the invasion of Iraq. The total lack of outrage over its dishonest rationale and execution is evidence that insane political actions can succeed -- at least as diversions.

The political welfare of the Bush administration is THAT important. And the media won't investigate the poltical rationale behind a pandemic.

and i don't even want to think what the heck was going on with W wanting to repeal posse comitatus. The germ found at the protests was tularmeia. (rabbit fever) nasty stuff but very very different from birdflu and if there was to be an outbreak of that it would have to be from a released agent meaning that somebody did it.

in the pharmaceutical industry. I wonder how many doses of small pox vaccine we purchased when the W told us Saddam was going to use biological warfare against us.

been discussed here - I hesitate to say ad nauseum, but a lot, myself involved included. Bottom line is, whatever this admin says or does, no one believes them or trusts them. Likewise with the NY 'threat' tonight. I think the boy who cried wolf did it too many times.
But I love the alcoa chapeau reference!

http://www.scmp.com/

Friday, October 7, 2005
Pandemic could hit 1m people in HK, says expert

In the worst-case scenario, a bird flu outbreak would leave the city paralysed

One million Hong Kong people could be hit by bird flu in an eight-week pandemic that would grind the city to a halt, a top local disease expert warned yesterday.

...He refused to speculate on the number of people who might die but previous bird flu waves have killed as many as 55 per cent of the people infected.

His comments follow statements on Wednesday from Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food York Chow Yat-ngok that what he feared most was bird flu. "It's difficult to say what would be the worst scenario ... perhaps the whole world will collapse," Dr Chow said.

http://www.scmp.com/topnews/ZZZO8BQXEEE.html (subscription)

Science I still trust. :)

NY subway. (Seems debunked)
Bird Flu. (Over hyped)
Bush Speach in Terra. (Broken record)
"Protest Plague" (Dud.)

A lot of attempts at using fear to get our attention off of SOMETHING. Hmmm, what could that be...?