Something to ponder

http://www.counterpunch.org/soldz10192005.html

I like to look back on old hyperbole. Helps to know where we've been and where were headed and how so many make statements that vanish in the quicksand of rhetoric and conjecture and what could be personal agendas. I personally think its fascinating to look back occassionally to help me gauge where I'm at. It'll be interesting to look back someday (hopefully) and see how accurate the reports from the media and the experts were after the fact. I think everybody has to admit, the power of the possibilities of a pandemic as a powerful social movement. Bird flu has become religion to many of us. Utterly fascinating.

This is my attempt to be fair and balanced.  Tho the world is spinning wildly and I'm not sure of my stance....President Bush has taken many actions that have made me think that  he has given some thought to the possibility of pandemic influenza.   First, he has signed an executive order that places pandemic influenza on the list of internationally quarentinable diseases.  Right up there with Yellow Fever, Cholera and Small Pox.  The same executive order delegates the powers of the President of the United States to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Think mandatory quarentines and non-elected officials.  Not a great combination, in my opinion. Congress has appropriated 3.8 billion dollars to help the Federal Government prepare for a pandemic.   What they have appropriated it for, God alone knows.  I have not seen the GAO audit for those funds.  But I will be watching for it.  It had better be spent on establishing a medical surveillance system, to stock piling antiviral medications and jump starting a vaccine program or I am going to be upset.  No kidding.