This Swine Flu Madness Has Got to Stop…

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Thursday, April 30th, 2009 @ 4:30PM

Some perspective.

This picture was probably taken during the 30’s, the 50’s perhaps.

This one was taken this year.

One would then have to conclude that people are just as stupid as they were 50 to 70 years ago.  Progress:  we aren’t making any.  I don’t want to get sick and my guess is you don’t want to either unless you hate your job more than being ill but in this country when the media says, “jump” the stupid listen and not only jump - they blast off.  So as schools are closing and your co-workers are wearing masks thinking it will keep them from getting sick and these masks are the top seller on Amazon.com you know the media, which used to terrorize its local stomping ground has gone global.  That being said, I am not a doctor and know very little about disease spread patterns or how viruses mutate but I do know how people behave when Brian Williams uses words like “pandemic” and informs you something is spreading from Mexico and this time he isn’t talking about fruit-pickers and child care workers for high-raking members of the US government, people are going to lose their minds.  If something is getting this much media coverage there is probably something afoot and at your expense.  The LA Time reported today that scientists say this flu strain is no worse than the one that kills 10,000 people every winter (read the full story here).  So why all the attention?  Maybe it takes you away from more important stories of death and lack of humanity in the world.  Maybe it takes you away from what your government is doing with your tax dollar or who we are bombing this week and how many civilians were killed.  Maybe it is because there are few real journalists left in the world who have the know-how to sniff out facts (though I suspect there are many of these, outlets for their facts are null though save the internet).  It’s a ratings game and the more you are scared and await instructions the more you are going to see ads for things you don’t need and probably buy them.  We have surrendered our money to the failed rich and insist they keep shoveling distractions down our throats while they go about kicking you out of your house.  Today’s Guardian UK had a great story about all the real news you missed because the media is “worried” about you getting a runny nose (that story is here).

So in a rush to keep up the Utah media, as it always does, has us convinced we need to make this a local story so we don’t get left out in the worldwide panic.  Local media not only lives by, “if it bleeds it leads” but “make the big small.”  We are closing schools and expect to see masked people walking among us because the parents panic and the schools don’t want to get sued.  Personally, I will avoid these people.  If I owned a company and my employees showed up in masks I would know who to lay off first - these people are the expedables.  Think for yourself.  If something sounds like it is being sold to you get the facts and don’t go with the crowd.  Here is a reading suggestion to start:

Neil Postman “How to Watch TV News”

Cheers.

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