Posted on 10/07/2014 5:15:04 AM PDT by LeoMcNeil
It has been fascinating to watch the reaction to the Ebola virus over the past few months. On one hand there has been an extreme overreaction online to the virus. On the other hand there has been an extreme under reaction on the part of the Federal government. Interestingly, local governments seem to be more interested in taking on the virus head on, as evidenced by the quarantine taking place of a man infected with Ebola in Dallas, Texas. Ultimately those who are preaching doom and gloom online need to tone it down while the Federal government needs to stop pretending like nothing is going on.
The fearmongering over Ebola has reached epic proportions. To listen to some, Ebola is the new Bubonic Plague that will kill half the country. The reality is that this virus is feasting on the famine ridden people of west Africa. This is a continent that is poor and whose people do not have the same nutrition that we have. Half a million people die annually in Africa of malaria, thousands die of starvation. It is hardly surprising that a powerful virus such as Ebola would find success in attacking the most physically vulnerable among us. Even with that in mind, the Ebola death toll in Africa is only 3,000-3,500 this year. We have to have a little bit of perspective, around 4,500 Africans died of malaria just last month. Americans are better equipped to fight off Ebola, mainly because we’re healthier than the average African. It’s a lot easier to fight off disease when you’re properly nourished.
On the other hand the Federal government’s response to Ebola has been ridiculous. While Ebola isn’t the second coming of the plague, it is a potentially dangerous virus. It does kill people and there are people here who would be susceptible to the virus. The old and the sick in particular need to be protected from this virus if at all possible. So it begs the question why the Federal government isn’t banning flights from the countries that have a substantial Ebola outbreak. Why aren’t we quarantining people who have traveled in those countries or have otherwise come into contact with Ebola? The President’s big plan is to use customs agents to spot the Ebola virus. The utter lunacy of such a plan is apparent to everyone but Obama.
As with most basic functions of governing, Obama isn’t bothering to put in a full effort when it comes to Ebola. He’s sending thousands of troops into harms way to deal with the humanitarian problems in Ebola plagued portions of Africa. Yet, he seems to not have any care whether the virus comes to the United States. No doubt, most Americans are capable of fighting off a virus like Ebola. However, there are tens of thousands of Americans who would not be able to fight this virus off. The government can never guarantee that a virus never comes on our soil. That doesn’t mean the Federal government is powerless in the matter. There are simple things the government can do to decrease the chances of an outbreak. Obama has chosen to do little more than ask high school graduates in the customs department to look for a virus when screening those who arrive on international flights. No doubt the order from on high is that flights from Berlin and Melbourne will get the same scrutiny as those flights from Africa or those flights with people known to have traveled in Africa.
Ultimately everyone needs to calm down when it comes to Ebola. There is no sense in worrying over something like this. For those who are faithful believers in Jesus Christ, we must trust that God’s will is going to be done regardless of whether Ebola comes to our nation in a significant way or not. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t expect the Federal government to work in a rational way to limit the chances the virus arrives here. Rather, in our personal lives we must not allow ourselves to get worked up into a state of hysteria over Ebola. Unfortunately, hysteria is just what can be seen online when it comes to this virus. We must not allow the enemy to distract us from serving God and make no mistake worrying about Ebola can be a major distraction.
A link to this thread has been posted on the Ebola Surveillance Thread
I agree that President Ebola under-reacted, but as for ‘overreacting’, who literally got tarred and feathered? Who was beaten to death? Mobs overreact.
Discussion and debate — part of the foundation of a free nation.
“Ultimately everyone needs to calm down when it comes to Ebola. There is no sense in worrying over something like this. For those who are faithful believers in Jesus Christ...”
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
A properly educated Christian does not jump off a cliff and expect an angel to rescue him any more than he would taunt a rattlesnake to prove his faith.
Jesus warned us to be CAUTIOUS and wary.
So far, I haven’t seen anyone over react.
This government is full of liars and manipulators so it is hard to say if they under reacted.
Maybe the day will come when people realize that they can believe nothing the Obama admin does or says. They operate by deception, even when there are times they don’t need to.
Until then, we are screwed.
The nations that are too cavalier about Ebola [or any disease] will suffer massive breakouts and be shunned by the rest of the world.
At a local level, it’s even more severe. Any city’s enconomy will tank, even if the outbreak is only a few dozen.
Lotta BS...35,000 people die every year from flu, and you don’t hear squat about it. Just the media beating their drum to gin up ad revenue.
In before the humblegunner attacks....
Yes, I agree with this commentary.
bttt
He said the Internet shows overreaction. That is just writing, so it’s a straw man to say there has been no tarring.
Why cannot one overreact just by spouting off hysterically? There is no definition of “overreact” declaring it must involve physical abuse. It is a relative term. People yakking about it all the time is part of it, another that it is doom and gloom for us. That is all I have seen on FR.
I am all for refusing flights and quarantining (which you woukd know was proposed if you read this). He is not tempting God. Being cautious but not hysterically hyperbolic is called for.
Actually the internet is under reacting and governments are trying to spread the disease. All infected west Africa nations should have been locked down in quarantine weeks ago. Businesses in Texas are pulling their inventory and heavy equipment out of Dallas.
Overreaction is a criticism. Its easy to belittle ‘the din of small voices’, to cherry pick a few examples out of the whole. But the net result is this:
President Ebola is now promising to do a better job.
If he actually keeps his word, then this ‘overreaction’ was the proper reaction to spur proper conduct.
On the other hand, if Ebola does run rampant in the future, then people had ‘under-reacted’ as well.
What indication is there that well-fed, healthy individuals are somehow immune to ebola or will not sicken and die if infected?
I see these westerners getting sick, in Spain and elsewhere and am not at all reassured.
PC is running amok. They don’t want to take effective measures because they’re concerned about the appearance of racial bias, imho.
It’s the same idiocy that had that judge in Texas entering Duncan’s apartment in street clothes and transporting his potentially infected family, then appearing at a press conference bragging that he was in the same clothes.
“Being cautious but not hysterically hyperbolic is called for.”
I personally think he should be removed from office over the Dallas fiasco alone. He had months, years to prepare and prevent that risk. And we actually had to endanger an entire city as a ‘learning experience’. To learn what?
Common sense.
Sorry, Leo, but you don't know a thing about Ebola. It attacks via the immune response. People with better immune responses get symptomatic faster and die sooner or recover. I have seen no evidence whatsoever that nutrition or ill health plays any role in the infection or full blown disease rate.
I'm going to disagree, Leo.
If your child is playing in a fenced in back yard, then worry is misplaced anxiety. If your child is playing in the front yard that's beside a busy street, then worry is entirely rational.
We've had half-truths and lies reported about ebola. There is no doubt that it's a killer.
The rational ones have been the online skeptics of government soothe-talking.
Superseded by actual reality.
Given the track record of “transparency” and outright lies repeatedly put out by this Administration, I’m not sure you can be skeptical ENOUGH.
That being said, I fear the “madness of crowds” more than I fear Ebola. . .
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