Bird Flu the Right Wing talkign points and a golden oportunity

[nadinbrzezinski]

Ok folks was listening to Rhandi... and then came home and turned on fox for ten minutes... and I have some good news for you.

First there are some rules that folks need to realize... the first warnings came in 1995... the WHO has been working intensely on this since 1998... and yesterday I downloaded and read the strategic plan from the WHO. The first actual patient was found in 1997 in Hong Kong...

SO there are several points that need to be made... and it is a real threat.

1.- Pre infectious, we are supposed to monitor areas where this is endemic and where the mutations are happening (check)

2.- Patient zero and early clusters, WHO recommends that nations have a delivery system and they cover 25% of their populations with Tami Flu or other generic anti virals... we don't have this capability... here is where you all come in... the science is solid on this... you realize what we need? Can you all say National Health Care? This is a golden opportunity to make a case for national health care in the United States, for if we are missing that capability, patients may refuse to go see their doctor within the first 48 hours. Any body has heard the right speak of this? NO, embrace the science and get going with letters to the editor

3.- Pandemic: National health care systems are expected to be under severe pressure and recommendations from the who are for health care system to try the old stand byes including influenza wards... again without a national health care it will be very hard for local officials to enforce some things that will be critical, such as the ever so popular indigent care. This is a non issue under national health care. Now will the system be under extreme duress? Worst war games tell me yes... but no indigent care... it will only exacerbate it

So here is your golden opportunity to shoot down the lets scare people (which is Fox's talking point) scenario. Yes, the right is going to tell you... WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!

Well duffus, the strategic plan exists, lets talk national health care as one of our tools to deal with the emergency.



Now how bout them letters to the editor and your Congress critters? Fire up the idea of national health care and remember, them socialist french have 20% of their population covered by Tami flu, and the Brits have 25% of the population (this is WHO's standards), and we have less than 1%... see how this works?

Oh and by the way kudos to Sam for doing a rational job of this.

[JJackFlash]

1. bird flu is a real danger

and the RW is obviously trying to generate political capital off it.
I think our letters to the editor should always make it clear how far behind the 8-ball we are as compared to every other developed nation in the world, as a result of our incomptetent "leadership."
BTW, I heard on RW radio today that Hillary Clinton shut down all the vaccine production facilities in the US except one, so it's all her fault.
Unfuckingbelievable.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Exactomundo and emphasize why we NEED

national health care to deal wiht this, everybody covered.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Oh and true to form my letter to local fish wrap

To the Editor,

We have been told what the plan from the Feds is to deal with Bird Flu. Problem is, we are way behind every developed country in the world. If it should strike this year, what the Feds have planned is too little, too late, in classic form. Moreover the Marines will not help, and it is only an excuse for martial law and suspending Posse Comitatus, which has served the nation well since the 1870s.

That said, if we have longer to prepare, part of our strategic plan should be the implementation of a single player National Health Plan that must cover 100% of the population, no iffs, or buts about it. After all, how do we expect those without health insurance (45 million last count) to go see the doctor to receive Tami Flu within the first 48 hours as recommended by health authorities? Of course the benefits to the nation will go beyond dealing with Bird Flu. So it is time to finally join the rest of the developed world with a national health insurance plan

Sincerely,

[Skink]

4. Bird flu take me now..

This slow financial death is taking it's toll on me.

[Karmakaze]

5. 10 years, and nothing bad has happened?

In the meantime Human Flu has killed 2.5 to 5 MILLION people. I agree with the Nationalised Health care, but I disagree that Bird Flu is any kind of "real threat"

Hell, even Dengue Fever has killed more people in that time than Bird Flu has.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. The science does not agree with you

think of this like an earthquake ... most of the time quakes come and go and do little to no damage to structures and kill nobody, or a few from heart attacks... insert here your 122 dead so far. Hell the great majority of quakes are not even felt by people but registered by seismographs.

Now when you have a killer quake, (or the final change in the genetic code takes place and it is finally able to go from human to human no problem), then the damage will be akin to a killer quake. It will just last anywhere from a single flu season to a couple years, depending on who is doing the war gaming.

As I said, most quakes, yeah whatever, we don't even feel them... it is the Mexico City or the Pakistan event you have to worry about... (or the tsunami caused by a 9.2)

And even if you don't believe in this, take advantage of a golden opportunity to ahem insist in national health care. This is what the right always says, see they have no plan... really we offer national health care only way to more or less get ready.

[kestrel91316]

8. Thank you. Excellent analogy.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. you welcome, feel free to use

it, and magical thought, can be great IN FICTION!

[kestrel91316]

7. Avian Flu (H5N1) is not yet spreading p2p, so its 50%+ mortality

rate has only taken a few people. It is the propensity to mutate that makes it so POTENTIALLY dangerous. Study of the newly reconstructed 1918 flu virus showed it was also avian flu, and needed only minimal mutation to become highly contagious among people. And it only had, what, a 5% mortality rate?

Sooner or later it's going to happen. We have no idea what the mortality rate will be at the point it becomes easily spread p2p. But it isn't going to be pretty.

Those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
Magical thinking is not helpful.