What do you think the real situation is with the Avian Flu?

[ButterflyBlood]

Right now I'm leaning toward the second option.

I have no doubt this thing is serious, but this isn't the first disease we heard about that supposedly was going to wipe out millions.

[purduejake]

1. Historically, we're due for a pandemic...

aren't we? I hope it doesn't happen, but humans are threatening all life on this planet and Mother Earth may have ways to protect itself.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Yes we are, every 100 years or so

[TahitiNut]

3. It's a question of likelihood and severity.

If there's 1 chance in 1000 that it recombines and becomes a human transmittable Type A akin to the 1918 virus, with the fatality rate it's already showing (over 50%) that kills people in six figures (100 million to 999 million) worldwide, then it's worth aggressive defenses.

The pinch is that this administration and their petro-pharma cronies are as crooked as they get ... and such problems give them a stiffy in their wallets. For these people, the highest priority in dealing with any problem is to maximize their profits, not solve the problem. These people are crooked enough to pocket the payments and bet the odds that they won't get called to perform.

[purduejake]

4. Pocket payments for what?

Develop a vaccine of some sort? I can see that... the development of a vaccine that's poorly "constructed."

[TahitiNut]

9. Yep. Think Carnival Cruise Lines.

Was the problem real? Yep.
Was the idea a good one? Yep.
How was it executed? Abominably. At least 50% of the money paid was in excess of the value delivered. That's how runaway corruption works.

[DLnyc]

5. A link to good info on Avian Flu (WHO)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5038850&mesg_id=5039062

(Or just look up 'World Health Organization')

[ShockediSay]

6. I think a bird brain like Bush has a lot to worry about

And so do chicken hawks.

[China_cat]

7. What better way to get rid of those poor

and uninsured nuisances that keep cluttering up the landscape and using resources that would be better allocated to those who know how to exploit them?

Try to remember all those warnings about the anthrax threat...it DID happen just as they said it would...if you were one of the little people or a Democrat. They just didn't expect that the spores would be traced. Or at least not traced as quickly as it was.

Why shouldn't we worry that they would unleash avian flu on the population? Especially with things going as badly for them as they are? Being paranoid doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't out to get you.

[cynatnite]

8. The 'sky is falling' proponents need to take a breather n/t