Dangerous animal virus on US mainland?

[Limelight]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is likely to move its research on one of the most contagious animal diseases from an isolated island laboratory to the U.S. mainland near herds of livestock, raising concerns about a catastrophic outbreak.

Skeptical Democrats in Congress are demanding to see internal documents they believe highlight the risks and consequences of the decision. An epidemic of the disease, foot and mouth, which only affects animals, could devastate the livestock industry.

-----SNIP-----

A simulated outbreak of the disease — part of an earlier U.S. government exercise called "Crimson Sky" — ended with fictional riots in the streets after the simulation's National Guardsmen were ordered to kill tens of millions of farm animals, so many that troops ran out of bullets. In the exercise, the government said it would have been forced to dig a ditch in Kansas 25 miles long to bury carcasses. In the simulation, protests broke out in some cities amid food shortages.

-----SNIP-----

The other possible locations for the new National Bio-and Agro-Defense Facility are Athens, Ga.; Butner, N.C.; San Antonio; and Flora, Miss. The new site could be selected later this year, and the lab would open by 2014. The numbers of livestock in the counties and surrounding areas of the finalists range from 542,507 in Kansas to 132,900 in Georgia, according to the Homeland Security study.

EDITED TO COMPLY WITH DU COPYRIGHT RULES

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080411/ap_on_go_pr_wh/animal_disease

---

You know, every now and then I kinda wonder if this jack ass is purposefully trying to bring about the end of the world, food shortages, rioting and "the war to end all wars" and all. I mean why screw with a system that's obviously working considering I don't believe we've ever had an outbreak with the disease being studied where it is currently. And it doesn't even sound like it's a cost saving thing as they're not moving to an existing facility but one they have to build. I mean, seriously.... WTF?

[China_cat]

1. Why screw with a system that's obviously working?

Because it's obviously working.

[OzarkDem]

12. Let me guess, outsourcing government work to a GOP company

cutting corners by housing it in a cheaper place on the mainland. Either that or some GOP crony has a building/property he wants to rent.

Hey maybe they can put in one of those Blackwater private military bases.

[crimsonblue]

32. before you go spouting on this, take a minute to read up..

This facility would be a great thing for the state of Kansas. It would provide thousands of Jobs, and help solidify the state as a major hub in the Biotech field. The Kansas Bioscience Authority has already brought many jobs to our state. Also, these facilities are extremely safe. In addition to cctv monitoring of every non-classified space, the Hot labs are nested deep within building, and the air pressure is rigged so that any sort of leaks will cause air to rush into the facility, and not out. Considering the CDC and Army bioresearch facilities are completely safe these days, so there's really nothing to worry about.

[annabanana]

36. "completely safe these days"

And the Titanic was "unsinkable". Sorry. The human animal, when combined with the exigencies of fate know no "completely safe".

[rambler_american]

2. What the fucking fuck?

What is the upside to this cockamamy idea? Whose idea was it and what was he/she thinking? Does this somehow create wealth for rich people? What???????

[sam sarrha]

13. read th Shock Doctrine:the rise of disaster capitalism' by Naomi Klein, what part of "Disaster" don'...

you understand.. it is a plan.. Disaster=martial law=Milton Friedman economics=end of civilization=UTOPIA

your response is classic to the "Insanity" of these people, you cant understand it because you AREN'T INSANE.., until we all realize that they are insane and IF WE don't do something about it we risk the end of civilization

gotta read the book, it isn't a rag political hack job, this is the book of the century, a study of history that has been re-written, the book is 558 pages of which 92 are footnotes and index.

[OKthatsIT]

35. Why can't you see they are moving fast to DEPOP the planet

The signs are everywhere...and the foreign thug chinese police forces attacking citizens in their own country's just the beginning of hell to come.

Why? Because you're not looking.

[cornermouse]

3. Is Roberts thinking about retiring soon?

People in Kansas won't be exactly happy with him if he continues to support this. Bush is an idiot. If you look a little closer, you'll no doubt find a crony or two planning on making a fortune from this tucked in somewhere between the lines. After all, if you have enough money, breathable air, drinkable water, safe food, and a healthy working population becomes irrelevant.

[Hannah Bell]

4. My tin-foil guess:

as with foot & mouth in britain, bird flu in asia - it provides an excuse to kill livestock & drive small producers out of business.

Bush is a nightmare. There's no other conclusion but that everything he does is to benefit his peeps & no one else.

[Demeter]

5. Yes, He Is

Somewhere in the muck of that addicted, pulpy mass of former brain tissue, Bush is working to bring about the end of the world. He's not sure why, and he thinks it won't bother him, he'd rather be dead anyway. But he is, and has said so, and everybody says, Good one, W! Really funny joke!

And the Bush Enablers slap each other on the back, chortling. They know THEY are safe, they have their loot and whores and hideaways all ready. They have Blackwater's business card, in case some security becomes necessary. But they are perfectly insulated from consequences--They Think!

And the Fundies who agitate for the End of All Things think they are ready. They will be Saved, after all. Then they can look down their noses from heaven on the heathens below, superior for all time.

Well, I've got news for all of them. IT'S NOT SAFE, YOU AREN'T SAFE, AND THERE ARE NO REWARDS FOR THE CRIMES YOU ARE COMMITTING AND HELPING BUSH COMMIT. THERE IS ONLY PAIN, FOR YOU AS MUCH AS ANY OF YOUR VICTIMS.

Feeling rather like John the Baptist, thus endeth the lesson.

[jjr5]

6. I hope the Democrats do something about this.

And I really hope the administration isn't pushing this, because they think there won't be retaliation from the congress or from citizens.

[Ian David]

7. Soylent Green is PEOPLE! It's made from PEOPLE!! n/t

[Javaman]

29. Tastes like chicken. nt

[Ian David]

8. Yes, Bush *IS* actively trying to bring about the end of the world.

America's Roadmap to The Apocalypse: Bush's Plan to Immanentize The Eschaton
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2747646

[LaurenG]

9. Where is that article that spoke about population control

Was it part of PNAC. I didn't pay enough attention to it at the time to even remember if it was tin foil or not.

[flashl]

16. Is this it?

Kissinger NSSM200

[LaurenG]

19. Thank you very much for that but no

it was much more agressive in it's goals. It may have been tin foil as I said but I just can't remember. :)

[Delphinus]

17. I know of what you speak, OhioBlues,

but I can't recall what terminology was used when I saw it. If I find it, I'll post it, but I definitely remember seeing it.

[dgibby]

30. useless eaters?

Are you thinking of the term "useless eaters"?

[Delphinus]

37. No, not quite,

although I'm sure that's how they think of us.

No, this was a map of the US that showed the colors of wilderness areas, the national forests, and places like that which were going to be "out of use" by humans. Agenda 21 kind of is along these lines, but it was a map, like the map used on the US Drought Monitor, but it showed yellow areas, red areas, and places where humans were going to have free access. I can "see" it, but I can't find it to post.

[mandyky]

10. Our entire agricultural system is at risk

I read this post earlier, and it keeps looping through my mind as I work (which today includes some surfing of geologically related sites). And what do I find, but this:

Why We Need Another Agricultural Revolution

<snip>

Even a casual reading of history shows that under the right circumstances any one, or any combination, of political turmoil, climatic extremes, or resource abuse can bring down a society. Alarmingly, we face the potential convergence of all three in the upcoming century as shifting climate patterns and depleted oil supplies...

</snip>

The rest of this article requires a registration at
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i32/32b01001.htm

Oddly enough, just the other day I was thinking about the big agri-businesses and genetically modified plants. It is really pretty scarey when we think of changes that may lie ahead. But what is scarier is that our media would rather cover fluff celebrity news instead of educating society at large.

[sam sarrha]

11. wake up people. theyll destroy civilization anyway they can so Their UTOPIA can rise from the Ashes

this is a fact.. they are insane.

read the 'Shock Doctrine:the rise of disaster Capitalism'. they will do anything to get another chance to loose Milton Friedman's Economic theory's on the world, the Disasters can be natural or Contrived, NOLA WAS AN EXAMPLE OF BOTH.

The mass murders, about 1/4 million innocent people, in South/Central america in the 60's, 70's, 80's and now perhaps a million in Iraq are attempts to prove Friedman's theories..

they have discovered they cant do it in a democracy, that is why they are taking the constitution apart, and eleminate the New Deal Middle Class

[lovuian]

14. this man is evil the NWO is in place they have to kill us off

so they can control the ones left

[BooScout]

15. What an insane idea....

If that foot and mouth disease ever gets on the US mainland then a disaster will happen.

I say BULLSHIT on modern safety rules. Please note that IT WAS A GOVERNMENT LABORATORY that caused the accidental release of foot and mouth here in the UK just last year. You couldn't move livestock even a mile for months afterward........and still the disease spread.

Bush is a fucking idiot.

[BreweryYardRat]

18. Hell no. I'm going to e-mail my Senator about this.

This is a disaster waiting to happen.

[Deja Q]

20. Hmmm... not to mention positives...

Risk of outbreak is higher, unless better safeguards are in place.

But the cost to transport test stock to the lab would go down. HUGE plus in that regard.

Let's say there's an outbreak. Want some tofu? Broccoli? Cauliflower? Soy patties? Soyrizo?


The proverbial jury's out on this one, but there are viewpoints other than tinfoil hat nonsense and "the war to end all wars", which I thought became trite the day after World War I ended...

[angstlessk]

21. Bookmark this thread so when they say "NO ONE COULD HAVE FORSEEN..."

We will have proof WE FOR SAW but were powerless to do anything! the current administration made doing ANYTHING of a political nature a crime punishable with a term in a detention camp!

[Marie26]

22. Maybe it's just a crony contract

Usually when the Bush Ad makes totally stupid & illogical decisions like this, there's some cronyism & corruption behind it. I'd check what corporation got the contract for this new lab.

[skoalyman]

23. yay lets move nuclear testing to Disneyland while were at it

mr bushless:nuke: :woohoo: :woohoo::nuke: :sarcasm:

[area51]

24. Lab 257

I recently read an interesting book on the Plum Island lab, Lab 257, and then gave it to a friend.

[54anickel]

25. Crimson Sky?!?!?! Un-effin' believable

http://www.microsoft.com/games/crimsonskies/story.aspx

[bdamomma]

26. we are dealing with a very sick man, so your comment would be viable.

"You know, every now and then I kinda wonder if this jack ass is purposefully trying to bring about the end of the world, food shortages, rioting and "the war to end all wars" and all".

I hope Bush's plan will backfire right in his face.

[MilesColtrane]

27. Bush and his ilk will just have their Kobe beef steaks flown in from Japan...

...and they'll dine to the music of the guards cutting down the starving masses at their gates begging for food.

[Javaman]

28. Anyone from the Island or from RI would know of this place...

my friends and I, when I was growing up back there, used to call plumb, "the island of dr. moreau". Only half joking.

combine plumb with brookhaven and you have quite a coupling.

My sister used to refer to brookhaven as the place, "where they made walking tomatoes".

There is some weird shit on long island, beside the obvious.

on edit:

Why are they moving it? obvious answer is money. "clean" the island and it becomes prime real estate for the rich.

[Bush_MUST_Go]

31. Why not move it to Crawford, TX... there's no human life there.

[maddezmom]

33. Accidents at disease lab acknowledged

Accidents at disease lab acknowledged By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer
16 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - The only U.S. facility allowed to research the highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease experienced several accidents with the feared virus, the Bush administration acknowledged Friday.

A 1978 release of the virus into cattle holding pens on Plum Island, N.Y., triggered new safety procedures. While that incident was previously known, the Homeland Security Department told a House committee there were other accidents inside the government's laboratory.

The accidents are significant because the administration is likely to move foot-and-mouth research from the remote island to one of five sites on the U.S. mainland near livestock herds. This has raised concerns about the risks of a catastrophic outbreak of the disease, which does not sicken humans but can devastate the livestock industry.

Skeptical Democratic leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee demanded to see internal documents from the administration that they believe highlight the risks and consequences of moving the research. The live virus has been confined to Plum Island for more than a half-century to keep it far from livestock.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080411/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/animal_disease;_ylt=AohqwE9KUcDXlAPBkDGBEGED5gcF

[Demonaut]

34. WHY do we even have this virus????

WTF??? too evil to ponder

[nam78_two]

38. This is the most senseless action I have ever heard of

Well maybe not the most since these people have quite a track record with senseless actions/decisions :eyes:.