Swine flu diverting resources and resources—Who's benefitting from this artificial plague?

Here we go again with a frightening reaction to Pig flu. With a few cases, cities are shutting down, forting up as countries declare medical emergencies.

This sucker is mean, so mean that it has killed 80 people in Mexico City, a city of 20 million. Let's contrast this with an estimated US murder rate of 8 murders per 100,000 people. Using the US murder rate and multiply 8 by 20 times, you'd have 160 murders in a city of 20 million—contrast that with the murder rate of Detroit /year, or Chicago.

And this doesn't take into consideration the murderous madness that has taken place since the economy crashed in the country. No matter how you swing it, unless this thing does what the pessimists say it will do and turn into an epidemic of wildfire proportions, we are still more vulnerable to murder and domestic violence than swine flu—even if, as many suspect, this current version came out of some Frankenstein's laboratory and is a manufactured product.

The conspiracy nuts are losing their minds over this. Experts say this version of Swine flu contains several unnatural elements—which many say was artificially manufactured and came out of a lab. Now, we hear that the Army's premier biological warfare facility at Fort Mead may be missing a few nasty bugs.

An area newspaper is reporting that, “Chad Jones, spokesman for Fort Meade, said CID is investigating the possibility of missing virus samples from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.” (http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=89293 )


Fear is turning this thing into a biblical plague. Cities are shutting down, forting up and preparing for catastrophe. Nations are declaring medical emergencies, preparing worse case scenarios, and, possibly readying their forces forces for martial law.


And, then, there is the other side of the coin. Cui bono. Who benefits?

Pharmaceutical companies are churning out vaccine as fast as their labs can cook it up. Governments around the world are reportedly massing huge stock piles of bird flu vaccine which some countries are avoiding because they say bird flu vaccine is useless against swine flu and could actually generate drug resistent versions of the flu. Certain fascist elements at home and abroad are foaming at the mouth over the idea of martial law—which could become more than a fantasy, should governments overreact, or the “flu” spread further.

Provacatures at home and abroad may come out of the woodwork and take advantage of the rising fear generated by this incarnation of flu. And, even if the bird flu vaccine is used, it may not only be ineffective against swine flu, but could actually breed drug resistent versions of bird or swine flu.


That said, scientists have tested two drugs which seem to be effective against swine flu in both prevention and treatment of the disease. And government labs have reportedly manufactured quantities of the vaccine.


However, the situation is rapidly evolving and what is effective today, may be useless tomorrow.
This poses a new set of problems.

Laboratory testing has found the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir and has issued interim guidance for the use of these drugs to treat and prevent infection with swine influenza viruses. CDC also has prepared interim guidance on how to care for people who are sick and interim guidance on the use of face masks in a community setting where spread of this swine flu virus has been detected. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide new information as it becomes available. (CDC)

U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection

State
# of laboratory
confirmed cases

California
7 cases

Kansas
2 cases

New York City
8 cases

Ohio
1 case

Texas
2 cases

TOTAL COUNT
20 cases

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

As of April 26, 2009 9:00 AM ET

Now, why aren't we going this hysterical about lead flu, bullet flu, and tazer flu? Gun violence kills more than 25,000 people each year. This is real. Mexico City has more children die of malnutrition than it has succumb to swine flu. More people die after being hit by cars than have died because of bird flu or swine flu.

This is not to say this stuff isn't contagous/nasty/lethal. But, the hype and craziness including rumors of imminent martial law are getting a lot of play.

Except in areas where people are struggling to put food on the table, pay the rent, find a job or pray their 401k will survive until they retire. Few of the people I've talked to in the “inner city” are worried about swine flu. Many of them don't know anything about it. They are too busy trying to survive day to day.

And so as the government gears up to shut cities down and curtail this “epidemic”, as martial rumor morphs into fact, the nation may pay an awful price battling an enemy too small for the eye to see. And, the flu vaccine itself may be dangerous:
The swine flu was contained in the Fort Dix area. While there were several deaths attributed to the virus, the vaccine itself killed even more people -- about 25 -- by giving them Gillain-Barre syndrome. This was a neurological disease that caused polio-like paralysis and was found to be an unfortunate side effect of the vaccination. 4,000 claims were filed against the U.S. government. (http://www.askmen.com/sports/health_100/146_mens_health.html)

Meanwhile, a few drug companies will be laughing all the way to the bank—some selling vaccines that are about as useful as snot in a hailstorm.

About the author:
Monica Davis is an Indiana-based author/journalist/public speaker with an interest in land loss, economics and politics. Her author web site is: http://www.lulu.com/davis4000_2000