[Semper Vigilantis]

Hmmmm. Tough questions. I have to admit, at this point I trust the military more than Congress.

[Brilliant]

This idea of having the military do everything is stupid and dangerous.


Of course, the primary reason they do it is that the military takes orders and they don't pay them nearly as much as civilians.

[Rutles4Ever]

What about the epidemic of illegal immigrants?

[Pessimist]

"revealed Tuesday that any part of the country where the virus breaks out could likely be quarantined and that he is considering using the military to enforce it."

So don't criticize him or he'll send you a bad bucket of chicken and its over for your whole area.

[OpusatFR]

I'm really having speechless moments of late.

[Siena Dreaming]

The president was asked if his recent talk of giving the military the lead in responding to large natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and other catastrophes was in part the result of his concerns that state and local personnel aren't up to the task of a flu outbreak.

Huh? His recent statements about Katrina were because of worries about a flu outbreak? This seems a really weird kind of question to me.

[dawn53]

I keep a food supply on hand for emergencies (mostly I think of hurricanes) but also in case of a quarantine situation, for a biohazard or virus pandemic.

It has crossed my mind that if a flu pandemic would ever break out, they would probably try to use the concentric circle quarantine model, and would probably have at least the police (but no city really has a police force large enough) or the military/National Guard enforce it.

IMO, it is the only way to try to contain a true epidemic.

[Nebr FAL owner]

This is a bad idea the Posse Commitatus act exists for a reason ! The people of the United States are not particularly fond of the notion of politicians telling the army to go sieze an American city from the control of its elected leaders simply because the President says so. Changing this law is a very very bad idea.

[My Favorite Headache]

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

Besides the bird flu, hurricanes, terrorism, there's also the danger of freedom breaking out which might require a military response. Incrementalist Federalist fascism. Why is Bush hell bent on leaving President Hillary with a renewed Patriot law and a greater authority to deploy the military in the States.

[Realism]

I'm thinking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should have full jurisdiction to call upon troops over such a situation, definitely not the military.

[little jeremiah]

Just posted this on another similar thread:

There is no vaccine for the Avian flu. It is still mutating/recombining so it's not possible to make a vaccine for it yet.

If anyone wants to read about it, read here - with info and commentary by some very knowldegeable and educated freepers and articles from all over:

Avian Flu Surveillance Project ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1399613/posts

And apparently Tamiflu may not be effective against the Avian flu.

[aomagrat]

And the swine flu back in the 1970's was supposed to kill millions, but the vaccine ended up killing more people than the flu.

[afnamvet]

Why is this President hell bent on expanding executive branch use of the military to solve emergencies? Does he want to take over all fifty state governments' responsibilities?

The Stafford Act defines the federal response to emergency situations.

[redgolum]

I am not that comfortable revoking Posse Comatas (sp).

Ask yourself, do you want President Hillary with this?

[stylecouncilor]

fyi ping

[Tench_Coxe]

No, no and no. Then again, just to get in the spirit of things, lets revoke the Posse Comitatus in the case of an increase in paper cuts in a certain area. In fact, lets just have the military patrol the streets to keep us all safe and snuggly.