I have a serious question to DU'ers

[nadinbrzezinski]

You do think people are incapable of holding more than one thought in their minds at one time?

While the torture story is critical, and lord knows I need to pester my congress critters tomorrow... the flu story is also important... especially since we have seen the activation of emergency plans

I, for one, am pleased to see leaders who take something that has to do with sciency stuff seriously... (and can pronounce the word nuclear to boot)

Now this is an observation and not a cheerful one

We have a significant minority that have taken the attitude of who cares and this is overblown?

to some it is simply a mistrust of guv'ment... truth be told I get it, and see that torture story has something to do with that distrust... directly tied

To a few of you, I suspect than more a few, this is something that you cannot handle... fair enough not everybody can

To even fewer than you this is just a scam... they all are

Now I am also pleased to see that we have a significant minority that actually understands this. Oh and even though it feels like we are hitting our head against the ignorance, at times willful, I fear we will continue to try to educate

And I know that to some of you facts are akin to panic... orwell would be proud

And I do hope there is a very small minority of you for whom this is almost godly ordained, and god's will... magical thinking all on its own, but hey. as long as you don't try to impose your views on me, fine I don't care... but if you ask me, if I believe God has a place in this... not only no, but hell no...

But to me the magical thinking involved every time we have a critical story develop I am always taken aback, as the denial of science is not unlike what we at times see among RIGHT WINGERS

This is just an observation

Carry on

But do answer, do you honestly believe that we can only hold one idea at a time in the mind and that indeed what appears to be a major emergency, at least in Mexico (but it is spreading), will mean that I cannot think about the Torture story and the fact we need to prosecute? Please do answer that question.

Oh and if any guv'ment person happens to be readying this... (highly unlikely... down there with the chances a snow ball has in hell), thank you for taking it seriously, as is I know tomorrow I have to place some calls to thank folks ...

[NYC_SKP]

1. IMO, most people can not easily embrace multiple points of view.

I'm not sure if this answers your question, but more often people seem more comfortable taking one or the other side of an issue, especially on highly polarizing matters.

This phenomenon makes discussion with such people very challenging.

:patriot:

Edited to remove a redundant vowel in subject line. doh.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Yeah but this is not something we should be able to

hold an opinion in the traditional sense.

We have hard data to tell us how we can predict any given even (in this case the spread of disease)

Either the data supports it or not

:-)

And it is scary when people call the WHO and other pretty science centric organizations part of a (insert tin foil moment here)

And that has far more to do with science literacy, at least IMO

[NYC_SKP]

9. True, but many people take their oversimplified, polarized, "safe", POV....

...and apply it to other matters.

For example, "the WHO is an evil global cabal, therefore I shall not take any of their findings seriously."

BTW, "safe" = "low information", if you know what I mean.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. i know exactly what you mean

sad to see though

[leftstreet]

2. Pirates! Teabaggers! uh...Scottish lady singer!

(lol shit, I can't remember her name)

People CAN multi-task.
The corporate M$M apparently can't.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Thanks my point

that said I will say this, local news, San Diego, we have had several cases here, and damn it right on the border

I have yet to hear them say it... even mention it

;-)

[TBF]

35. They're certainly talking about the swine flu in Houston - already

at least one school closed in Dallas. With TAKS testing this week, you can imagine the uproar...

The torture thing is out there & isn't going away, but I was annoyed to see another 21,000 auto workers lose their jobs and that story has certainly been stifled. On this website I do believe we can complain about many things at once (ha!)... not so sure about America in general if that's what you're asking.

[BlooInBloo]

5. omg!

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. speaking of somebody who cannot hold two thoughts in his mind

and has a problem with the sciency stuff

[BlooInBloo]

7. Yes - I'm known for my "problem with the sciency stuff".

:rofl:

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Proven it all weekend

:-)

[Political Heretic]

24. Indeed.

:hi:

[emilyg]

11. Kick

[juno jones]

12. K&R! n/t

[grahamhgreen]

13. C'mon, it's like the bird flu of the Bush era... Next we'll clear the Capitol for a 'terror' alert..

oops, that was last week...

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Hold it that was the white house

there I go... holding multiple stories in my head

They have not cleared the capitol in a while

:evilgrin:

[JDPriestly]

15. I agree that both stories are important, but the effects of the torture will never end.

I think the swine flu problem in the U.S. will be short-lived. We all need to go to the CDC website and listen to the free podcast there so that we know what symptoms to look for, how swine flu is transmitted and what types of medications are useful in fighting it.

Rest and drink lots of liquids are always good advice, and it seems that the CDC is warning that one symptom of swine flu in small children is unwillingness to drink enough liquids. (That's just one of the tips in the podcast.)

I believe I recall a swine flu outbreak that took place many years ago.

The torture story is far more important because the shame that the torture brings on our country is so great and will be remembered throughout history. The horrible experiences that the various detainees have described to the world corroborated by the torture memos and the admissions by members of the Bush administration will be the legacy of that administration. Bush will be viewed in history as a "leader" who set mankind back many, many years. Instead of bolstering the image of the United States as a nation that adheres to the Judeo-Christian ethic of treating others as you would want them to treat you, Bush made us look like a nation of ugly sadists.

So, the torture story is more important in the long run, but the flu story should not be neglected. Discussing the facts about the torture may save someone's life. But discussing the facts about the swine flu might also.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. The swine flu could have interesting effects

in Mexican Politics

Realize the PAN won due to the 1985 quake

Guess what happens at the predicted height of the infection? Federal Elections

Not quite presidential, but still

As to importance, if this turns to be the pandemic the CDC has been expecting it will matter to the relatives of the 500 m that are expected to die, mostly in the developing world. It will have ahem, interesting effects in the world economy

So I'd say, if this is the pandemic, not yet... but it it turns out to be, to the same level in the political economy of the world

See some of us can hold potentials in our mind too

To the torture story if we don't prosecute, somebody else will... but even that one will pass

We are not that important, and trust me, to the world economy, this is more important, it could close borders (should have already) and stop commerce

[Captain Hilts]

21. To the head of the class with this one, NB! nt

[notadmblnd]

16. I think to many people, it's just another case of crying wolf.

it was done with the bird flu, it was done with SARS. Those diseases did not spread and become pandemics as predicted by the gloom and doomers. Four people in my family were sick last week with flu type symptoms. My niece, my grand niece, one of my sisters and my son. There were no cold like symptoms, just a lot of throwing up and diarrhea. My son had a fever for about 24 hours. The throwing up lasted less than 24 hours but the diarrhea lingers for about a week. Was it the swine flu? I don't know. Both my niece and grand niece went to the Dr.'s, he said it was a stomach virus. What ever it was, all four are much better. I haven't gotten sick, nor has another sister that lives with me. she credits her lack of comming down with it, to her flu shot, yet I didn't get one.

So who knows? Practice good hygiene and eat a good diet. Stay away from cowds for a couple of weeks and I think we'll be ok.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Well I take the dooom and gloomers at the WHO

quite seriously

If they didn't issue their warnings and it became the pandemic, everybody and their sister would blame them

If they do, and measures work and it fizzles out

Doom and Gloom

The cross of the public health worker

[QueenOfCalifornia]

17. I have seen it

here every day for years - "DON'T YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS A DISTRACTION!!!!???" I can't tell you the number of times I have been told that one can't possibly watch a TV show and also pay attention to current events.

Guess what... I can pay attention to several things at once- I too take a flu like this quite seriously. I remember when people were dying of a similar strain in the '70's -

[barbtries]

18. i'm a chaotic thinker

i can think about a lot of things at one time. i can act on that only one thing at a time, but that doesn't mean that i can't act on many over the course of a day or a week or a month. of course.

re: the swine flu: it's important. i spoke to my son about it. i told him if we get sick we must go to the doctor. we must wash our hands often and carefully. beyond that it's just wait and see. i have the link to the cdc page and my boss sent out a memo over the weekend regarding this.

but what i did this morning was to write to AG Holder urging him to pursue justice for the bush administration. as i noted in a previous thread suggesting that the flu story was going to usurp the torture story, we can chew gum and walk at the same time.

kinda like the financial mess. there's only so much i can do, so i do what i can and refuse to panic over it.

[Political Heretic]

22. I believe the flu story is overhyped media sensationalism.

But I've been wrong before.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. Only time will tell

that said, at least MSNBC is covering other things too

In fact, they brought MY attention to the impeach judge bybee story

[Greyhound]

25. I do believe that GD is incapable of talking about more than one thing at a time.

Mostly due to the incessant posting, re-posting, and re-re-posting of the distraction du jour that drowns out all attempts to talk about anything else, let alone converse on topics from a day or week ago.

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. Then that is a DU problem, not a personal problem

as is I don't consider this to be a distraction

[Greyhound]

34. I know, but the hype far exceeds the threat.

It may well turn out to be a real threat, but currently this is just the latest tack to scare the flock.

[tjwash]

27. My wife just called me and said she was going home because she was sick

She works in Chula Vista with a lot on Mexican nationals, so yeah, I would say right now, I do sort of have a one track mind.

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. Tell her to go to the doctor

two reasons

1.- Testing

2.- Antiviral are the most effective in the first 48 hours

And trust me, I live in the same county you do

[tjwash]

29. I did

She's as bad as a guy in that respect though. I just talked her into going home.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Yep, some people are hard headed about going to the doctor

keep your eye open for complications

Good luck

:hugs:

CDC has some guidance if that helps

[tjwash]

32. thanks...I'll talk her into going though.

...she's only about HALF as hard headed about that stuff as I am ;)

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. If you need help... I used to be a medic

:-)

Hell been self monitoring as I was in Mexico City last week

[RB TexLa]

30. Everyone doesn't have to care about it. If half of the population didn't care it really

wouldn't have an effect, as long as they aren't the people responsible for dealing with it. Which is of course very unlikely that they wouldn't care.

[Truth2Tell]

36. ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdwPYuC5Y4k