Posted on 08/03/2002 8:00:01 AM PDT by Clive
GuluFuture.com 9th August 2002 PAGE URL http://www.gulufuture.com/future/westnile.htm
When you come down with severe headache, fever and brain inflammation, you might just have the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus, which is now spreading across the USA at an alarming rate. OK?
It does NOT mean that you are suffering from bad air quality and the deadly effects of the gasoline additive MTBE. Period.
Because, if the virus is making you sick, then that's just tough. Just try suing the virus. Why not cite the mosquito as a codefendant while you are at it.
Whereas, if the air and the gas additive are responsible... you could definitely sue. You and thousands of others.
New Yorkers could sue for their symptoms. They could also sue for the deadly effects of the malathion organophosphate insecticide that was sprayed all over New York --to wipe out a mosquito that never had a virus, and which virus has never been properly scientifically isolated. But all that is just conjecture anyway. It's the virus, stupid. OK?
Forget the science for a moment. Let's face some political realities here. West Nile researcher, Jim West puts it sublimely:
"After all, you can't expect Mayor Giuliani to say, "Thousands of birds are falling from the sky because of petrochemical emissions in Jersey, illegal emissions, major airport take-off lanes over residential zones, congested automobile traffic, and gasoline with 15% MTBE, which is a poison and neurotoxic precursor. Air pollution has triggered the deaths of birds already burdened with pesticides, mercury, and lead residues."
See. Rudi is never going to say that. So take Rudi's word for it. It's the virus, and anyway the Malathion pesticide is totally safe. Totally.
In 1999 and 2000 New Yorkers were sprayed with massive amounts of insecticide by the Giuliani administration.
They were sprayed by helicopters and by trucks. They were sprayed in their homes, in public parks, while shopping, while playing in schoolyards, while eating in outdoor restaurants and while traveling to and from work and school.
"Malathion is harmless" said Rudi. He was so convinced it was safe that he claimed to have been sprayed five times. Malathion is an offshoot of Nazi nerve gas research during World War II.
"I've got cancer," said Rudi, much later. A little science creeps back in: Malathion has been linked with cancer. But, that's just a coincidence.
FOLLOW THE BAD AIR/GAS EMISSIONS.
It's also a total coincidence that when the "virus" hit in the summer of 1999 in New York City, it was extremely hot and the smog was the worst in years.
And it's entirely irrelevant that smog includes ozone, and significant amounts of the gas additive MTBE -in those counties which allow its use.
But the best irrelevant coincidence of all is the one between the levels of petrochemical/MTBE pollution and the presence of so-called "West Nile Virus."
Jim West's research has shown that of 62 New York State counties, those with the worst air have the most "West Nile" cases recorded. Those with the best air (the vast majority) have none.
Now that's what they call a coincidence. So you can discount it straight away.
Because the air cannot be the cause. After all the West Nile virus has been detected with special test kits that are infallible. Well, infallible-ish. Actually to be really infallible they rely on the virus itself having been scientifically isolated. And the virus HAS been isolated.
Well, sort of isolated. Or, actually not isolated at all if you want to apply Koch's Postulates. Who was Koch? Oh just some old scientific fart from years and years ago. He developed a set of rules that outline the rigorous proofs needed to determine isolation of a pathogen. But who cares. Koch is old fashioned. Dispensable even.
Who needs rigorous proof when so much profit is at stake for the government purchase of those test kits that the pharmaceutical corporates rely upon to maximize shareholder value.
Who needs rigorous proof to support all that spraying with toxic insecticides that the petrochemical companies sell.
Who needs rigorous proof that might point to the same petrochemical corporates as the real cause of the "West Nile" syndrome in the first place.
After all we have the Centres for Disease Control to safeguard our interests. And when you recall that they are US government/military outfit --that should assuage any doubts you might have. Shouldn't it?
Would our scientific, medical and government establishments act in a way to maximize corporate profit at the expense of your health and your pocket? Of course they wouldn't!
So there. Go back to sleep now. Those air quality charts are just a coincidence. MTBE is a safe gasoline additive. Malathion is harmless.
It's the Virus, stupid.
I'm concerned that it may get into the midge ('no-see'um's') population in the South. That would be big trouble.
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