As scary as using the military in a civilian capacity may seem it is not nearly as scary as the spectre of another global flu pandemic like the one that killed over 20,000,000 people worldwide in 1918.
The US military is the only organization on earth to respond to a situation of this magnitude if it occurs (which I sincerely hope it does not).
If you want to read what I am talking about, Google "1918 influenza". This was the greatest human disaster of the past 100 years and it has been mostly forgotten.
No comment until I hear what Dustin Hoffman has to say.
The answer to everything lately is "the military". True Americans should be very alarmed at this.
TLR
The answer to everything lately is "the military". True Americans should be very alarmed at this.
TLR
Wonder if they can innoculate the quarantiners against the quarantinees?
Taking the military out of the equation would be foolish since the scale of an outbreak of this kind or another disaster - terrorist, criminal, or natural - requires that extraordinary measures be planned and ready.
The sovereignty of the states must also be preserved, which means the discussion the President is asking for must take place.
At the moment our nation's disaster response is held hostage by the weakest link, and that weakest link can appear at any level of government. In the case of Katrina it was local government, but that doesn't preclude a future administration from being the weakest link at the Federal level.
Debate and discussion on this issue need to take place. After the debate, we the people will have to decide which direction to take from there.
Considering the chaos in NO during a flood imagine the scale with a nationwide pandemic.
I thought you two might be interested in this.
Once in a while a proposal out of the blue comes from the White House. This is one of those. 'Close Encounters' encounters reality.
Neither the US government nor military will be able to contain a flu pandemic. A virus is very small but even so, it's still beyond the resources and reach of the government. Yes Mr. President, there are some things that can't be solved by sending in the military or more government involvement.
This falls into the "look busy" pigeon hole.
"And who best to be able to effect a quarantine"
Looks like Nagin did a pretty good job of it in NO! :)
They won't have to quarantine me.
I will be hiding in the bunker waiting for spring.
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.
bump. someone sure seems to be wanting a lot of power lately.
I agree. It definately needs to be discussed and understood before the need arises. Good forward thinking.
Also, how to handle domestic terror attacks, etc where there's major destruction and a large number of people are involved.