Posted on 10/10/2001 5:09:20 PM PDT by newsperson999
now a criminal investagation...
But I do resent the government not telling me and everyone else the truth. I think I -- and most other people -- would make better decisions if we were told the truth.
By the way, I am a government employee. But I see it as part of my job to tell the truth to people outside the government who make inquiries. As a lawyer in an agency, I do have to field general inquiry duties one or two weeks a year, and I can't remember ever having lied to one of those outside inquirers. If somebody ordered me to lie, I would have a severe crisis of conscience.
But I do resent the government not telling me and everyone else the truth.THIS continues to be mouthed as some sort of magical mantra - pray tell, what conceivably *aren't* they telling us?
I aked a poster eatlier - how many hundreds are currently in hospitals succumbed with Anthrax that we haven't been told about?
- and how many of the thousands that *they* know have been sworn to complete secrecy on this matter?
I contend that *they* are keeping us informed and notified just the moment that *they* become sure of the facts after relevant tests are done; cultures are grown; etc ...
And this makes it klintons? I hate that SOB, but I can't even make that stretch!
I thought his remark was very stupid. Apparently so did Senator Robert Byrd, who told him so outright. I never agree w/Robert Byrd so I had to blink when he said what he said!
As I have followed the anthrax case in FL (which is very intently since I remember vividly being scared to death by my veterinary professors about it) the initial response of the "authorities" was that it was likely a naturally occuring case and not to worry.
Either tests they did on the bacteria taken from Stephens tipped them that it appeared to be genetically engineered, OR through their going ahead with natural follow up in checking out the environment and doing nasal swabs on co-workers, they discovered the guy from the mailroom had an (more than one?) anthrax spore isolated from his nasal swab. They also found the anthrax spore(s?) on Stephens' keyboard. There was this giant puckering sound and they realized that this was likely NOT a naturally occuring, typically isolated, case of anthrax in a human.
The media and the FL govt and US govt officials who are doing the talking ARE doing a terrible job of disseminating cogent and helpful information. Fortunately, the CDC folks who are doing the actual investigation, do know what they are doing and will NOT put up w/govt bullshit.
Believe me, Iwo Jima, there are too many folks who know enough to know when to put on the hip waders, if you get my drift, and we will keep their bureaucratic feet to the fire 'til we get the straight answers. There are many good and decent bio-knowledgeable folks out here in the general population who will NOT let the govt snow us on this one.
Endeavor
I doubt if any single statement issued by the authorities has been a lie, at least when narrowly constructed, but clearly the policy on this has to been to minimize the possibility for panic and economic disruptions even if that means more deaths in the short term and a greater chance that the terrorists will be able to pull off some kind of massive bio attack against a complacent populace. It's basically the same policy that the government has taken in general with respect to the Islamic terrorist threat, and one would have to admit that his paid off reasonably well -- after all, we only had one massive Islaminc terrorist attack so far this year.
They have actually been very up front with the public - whether that is out of purposeful good intentions or a ferocious media, I do not know and am NOT about to speculate, as you seem to be willing to do. Get a grip on it, buddy. They are doing their best and will continue to do so.
Endeavor
Reread my post, that's what I said.
And, I do not think they are purposely acting to encourage more deaths. The spokespersons are typical bureaucrats.
Reread my post, that's what I said.
You've got to be shitting me! Clinton's in on this one too? This Clinton guy is one evil SOB!
Hey, a guy has to have his diversions. Sub-commander T'Pol is so... fascinating. ;^)
I detected a Classic Trek plot revisited, albeit with fancy visual FX. The cave scene was reminiscent of scenes from "The Cloud Miners", where the invisible "Xenite" gas made people irrational and violent. Well, nostalgia sells...
"...but clearly the policy on this has to been to minimize the possibility for panic and economic disruptions even if that means more deaths in the short term and a greater chance that the terrorists will be able to pull off some kind of massive bio attack against a complacent populace. It's basically the same policy that the government has taken in general with respect to the Islamic terrorist threat, and one would have to admit that his paid off reasonably well -- after all, we only had one massive Islaminc terrorist attack so far this year. "
NO ONE wants to panic the public unnecessarily. These people are being prudent and taking care to get it right and then get it out. That, I can appreciate. I do wish they were better at it, but they are what they are.
Everybody is nervous after the events of September 11th, and rightfully so. The govt officials on the FL case are making their discoveries known. Some of this testing (genetic/culture/swab-organism identification - remember their are something like 700 employees they're looking at) take time to complete.
I apologize if I took your remarks in a different way than you intended. However, as I read them, I find them inaccurate and inflammatory - the last thing we need right now.
Regards
Endeavor
Once the bacteria start running out of food, or environmental conditions become averse to it(host dies, temperature decreases, etc) the bacteria instead of continuing to divide form spores in their cells. When the bacteria dies, the spore is left behind and waits for cycle to begin again.
Spores released into atmosphere could germinate, for example if it starts to rain and temperature is right. But unless they land somewhere where their is food, they will die, and probably won't be able to form spores because they have to have food to make spores.
Spores are like fish eggs...billions are formed, most never wake up and when in the air are destroyed by ultraviolet light of the sun or go to water or soil. If they do wake up, they may die in a couple of generations because of inadequate food or such.
But it only takes a few thousand to overwhelm the body's defenses and achieve reproductive success.
Airborne anthrax, by which I assume you mean used as a weapon, might survive in cold very well...but since everybody is inside when cold, the spores would likely fall to the ground and be bound up in the soil, where they might germinate in low numbers but not cause infection.
Ideal day for anthrax bioweapon use would probably be light breeze, no rain, low humidity without rain(to avoid clumping of spores to each other), inversion layer to trap spores in air. In other words, apart from inversion, a nice day.
"No, you didn't."
"Well, I thought it real hard...."
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