Posted on 10/05/2005 10:51:13 AM PDT by tjbravo
President George W. Bush asked Congress on Tuesday to consider giving him powers to use the military to enforce quarantines in case of an avian influenza epidemic.
He said the military, and perhaps the National Guard, might be needed to take such a role if the feared H5N1 bird flu virus changes enough to cause widespread human infection.
"If we had an outbreak somewhere in the United States, do we not then quarantine that part of the country? And how do you, then, enforce a quarantine?" Bush asked at a news conference.
"It's one thing to shut down airplanes. It's another thing to prevent people from coming in to get exposed to the avian flu. And who best to be able to effect a quarantine?" Bush added.
"One option is the use of a military that's able to plan and move. So that's why I put it on the table. I think it's an important debate for Congress to have."
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.myway.com ...
A delegation from different countries joined us in discussing the possibilities and reactions of a pandemic sweeping across different countries. The US put it together and other nations decided to join us.
Ah, pandemic talk goes on all the time, this is nothing new.
The UN is always squaking about it, trying to scare more money out of countries into their wastefull hands. Countries see this, and plan for what they would do te help themselves, not depend on a bunch of useless burocrats at the WHO.
What are you talking about?
I liked your conclusion that the disadvantages (of extraordinary military control) outweigh the advantages.
You think the military is going to be showing up with food, water and medicine? Acting like some hired nurse?
Wow, the ignorance and naivette is thick enough to cut with a knife.
They'll show up with guns. Lots of guns. The military kills people and breaks things.
Here's a nice slap of reality for you:
If this ever happens, the miltary isn't going to show up at your door with a fruit basket and a smile. They're going to seal off entire areas with armed soldiers. If you try to leave the quarantine area, you will be shot on sight. But you're not sick? WHO CARES! The soldiers detaining your area are going to be deathly afraid of getting sick themselves. They'll kill you before you're even within earshot to explain yourself, then burn your body.
And you think they'll bring you aid? That's funny. They're not going to let ANYONE in the quarantine area, and yes that very much includes truck drivers. Maybe they'll airdrop some supplies to the local cops. Maybe.
Later will come the roundups and detentions in quarantine camps. Don't want to go? Fine! You get a bullet and thrown in an incinerator instead.
Thousands of people dying in the camps? Too bad. Those people have already been written off. If you try to leave you'll be shot.
Go ahead and call me names. Kook, whatever. One only need observe what happened in New Orleans (a far, far lesser catastrophe) to predict what would happen.
You people that advocate this have lost your minds. READ A HISTORY BOOK!
He utterly IGNORES the borders and invasion by 11-12 Million illegals where the military legally CAN be used, yet now posits the use of the Military to quarantine US citizens.
I better get more ammo - stat.
Easy, freeeee. The military and especially the Coast G. performed well in New Orleans. I DO appreciate your points.
It is likely that the 1918 flu strain had been around in a less virulent form for 20-30 years and had already caused smaller epidemics. Because of this, people over 40 had some immunity while the younger ones did not. It then mutated into its extremely virulent form and kicked butt worldwide amongst those who did not have a partial immunity to it.
There were villages in remote Alaska that were so decimated that only a few Inupiat survived. The village of Eklutna just north of Anchorage started out as an orphanage for Native children who had no surviving relatives after the pandemic.
You have to remember that viruses were not known in 1918. The original cause of the mortal pneumonia associated with this flu was thought to be "Pfeiffer's Bacillus". This bacteria could be seen with the microscopes and staining methods of the day. In reality, it had nothing to do with the pneumonia.
"The answer to everything lately is "the military". True Americans should be very alarmed at this."
I'm in the military and yes, I'm alarmed.
From your tagline: "Islam and Christianity do not mix--9-11 taught us that." Are you for destroying religion (like Red China) or destroying Islam or what?
Are you also alarmed at the rules of engagement in Iraq?
And that's without a pandemic.
got it
It's the objectives the training revolves around that are the problem.
In a worst case pandemic scenerio, the people within the quarantine area are going to be treated as disease vectors and written off. It will be damage control and the folks within the quarantine area are SOL.
I understand from Liddy that some folks in NO were confiscating LEGAL weapons as well.
People didn't die inside. Not by all these supposed rapes and gangs etc. that was hype. A few people who were ill to begin with died.
I hope an example that recent would make people think twice about this.
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