Want to really be scared? Imagine this scenario.

[Danger Mouse]

The swine flu hits, and it hits hard. It's not so bad in the spring and summer, but in the fall it comes back with a vengeance. Thousands infected, hundreds dead...or worse. Our already fragile economy, already pushed to the brink, collapses completely due to panic and viral outbreak. Meanwhile, suspicion of people of Latino descent will cause a massive surge in xenophobia, resulting in civil disorder and violence targeted against 'Mexicans.' Other countries will experience problems of their own as the pandemic spreads worldwide.
Meanwhile, Pakistan finally collapses and descends into total anarchy. Before order can be restored, several nukes go missing.
How's that? How's that for a scary scenario?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. You'd need more dead and sick

for starters

Given that the deaths from normal flu each year reach into the tens of thousands

Pandemic levels means millions

[Danger Mouse]

3. I was being conservative.

Let's say then that we have a repeat of the Spanish Influenza.
Our country would be fucked.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. That is what the WHO fears

and not just the US.. effects would wide would be drastic

[mbperrin]

19. Ahh, it'd just clear up the unemployment problem we've got.

The Black Death in Europe created a middle class and ended the feudal system. Suddenly labor was scarce, wages rose, and old structures fell.

AND more upside - there would be bound to be fewer smokers left, creating a healthier environment for us all.

Am I kidding?

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Gallows humor from a WHO officer back in the day

on the plus side it would be good for the biosphere.

It went well with us medics, but we are sick puppies

woof

[Danger Mouse]

22. I find nothing funny about this.

Nothing.

[dysfunctional press]

35. don't worry- i'm getting enough fun out of it for both of us...

:rofl:

worry-warts amuse me.

[nadinbrzezinski]

49. Trust me your sense of humor would become very warped

after a few major crashes

Or declaring a bunch of people one evening

Why we keep our usual gallows out of the public eye

And why it is called gallows humor

Here a definition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallows_humor

[Danger Mouse]

51. I know why it is called gallows humor...

and that is why I was never interested in such professions.
Because I don't want to develop 'gallows humor.'

[nadinbrzezinski]

53. Point... I know

But you also get other satisfactions from the job

The kid I delivered over a Christmas shift, we saw him grow family brought him every year and got us some turkey

THe first time I was surprised, by the second I always had a toy for the kid, well second year clothes

The seventh birthday I got him a wonderful soccer ball, the face, he was oh so happy

[Blue Meany]

40. It also saved the environment, which had been deforested

as a result of overpopulation. For a few centures, forests came back and the regional ecosystem was able to support the human population.

[arcadian]

2. A comet. This summer.

Will slam into Iowa. It will be the size of Delaware. Inform Lynnesin.

[Danger Mouse]

4. I'm discussing realistic scenarios.

Pakistan IS on the brink of collapse. Our economy IS teetering on the brink, and the threat of a pandemic is VERY real. The combination of the three could have catastrophic worldwide consequences.

[MineralMan]

10. Yessir...it's the END TIMES for sure, now. The RUPTURE

is just around the corner. The PESTALINCE has arrived, along with the EARTHQUACKS, praise Jebus.

Soon, all True Christinas™ will be taken up, leaving the rest to suffer the TRIBULASHUN.

It must be true. I read it over at RuptureReddy.com :bounce:

[lunatica]

46. The Christians will be naked when they get ruptured

giggle!

[Xipe Totec]

27. A comet cometh? n/t

[walldude]

5. Almost as bad as this one:

None of that happens and we plod along like normal.

[Danger Mouse]

7. I seriously hope so.

[Zywiec]

9. Party pooper! n/t

[Texasgal]

6. step away from the sci-fi books.

:P

[Danger Mouse]

8. Everything I mentioned is very possible.

[Texasgal]

11. Possible yes..

most likely? No.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. The folks at WHO disagree

but you knew that, (regarding a pandemic right)

[arcadian]

29. You do realize that WHO is filled with political appointees don't you?

Political appointees with agendas. I've seen how PAHO works, I personally know a guy who was a lawyer for the tobacco industry who was appointed to a PAHO committee with the soul purpose of wrecking it from within.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. You also aware that the people dealing with this are NOT

political appointees

Look if you WISH to believe this is not going to happen, no matter how many TEXTBOOKS in epdiemology you are shown that this shit HAPPENS like tornadoes, you are shown, well it is a conspiracy

As I said yesterday, PEOPLE are willfully ignorant

[arcadian]

33. So you are 100% certain that the U.S. will be dealing with a viral pandemic?

How many will be infected in your scenario? How many will die in your scenario?

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. Yes, perhaps now, perhaps not, but it will happen

just like 1918, 1957 and 1968

As is the people who know quite a bit more than you OR me have raised alerts for a reason

What you think they are just doing that to get their jollies?

You realize what raising alerts means? (In the operational aspect that is?)

As to the number of casualties, depends on your lethality, so if this had an LD-10, out of 300 million that means ten percent

You can do math right?

So far it is between 3% and 7% you do the math

[arcadian]

47. No need to be insulting.

Frankly, it makes your argument look much less credible, as does shouting at the heavens the way you have.

[nadinbrzezinski]

55. I can link to any number of journals, history programs or news articles

or all three

It will make no difference with some folks

I am not running wiht my hair on fire, been accused of such

Nor am I guiddy that this is happeming, been accused of such

To me it tells me more of the accuser than I wanted to know

Now here is in simple terms

SHIT HAPPENS... Sometimes during your own lifetime

All I have done is POST the news as it happens and share what I know on this subject, (and do a lot of learning from others who wish to share)

[Laura PourMeADrink]

14. yes, it is. but I sure am glad we've got O in there instead of Commander

Cuckoo Bananas. At least we know we've got someone who will act to the best of anyone's ability.

[Danger Mouse]

20. I am comforted by that. I trust Obama's abilities to handle what is to come.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

48. I like you, Danger. You've got spunk. nt

[LanternWaste]

38. As are the posts on...

"Everything I mentioned is very possible..."

As are the posts on the Rapture Ready boards. I understand the difference between prudence and fear quite as well as I understand the difference between the probable and the melodramatic.

[notadmblnd]

12. You been watching HULU?

[dos pelos]

13. Panic!!....here is the latest report on the flu from New York City

A report from the street ,just minutes ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p53kJX64ieQ

[hedgehog]

16. Why would I want to be scared? It makes sense to me to be alert to hazards

I can respond to. For example, I'll be making sure all my kids have their asthma meds handy since they all get asthma whenever they get a cold. I'll probably buy some extra soup and pedialyte and a working fever thermometer. I worked to get Obama elected because he is aware of the hazards of loose nukes. Sitting around telling each other horror stories helps no one, though.

[hedgehog]

28. Clearly, the time for the fall of civilizatin is past, because Mel Gibson

is too old to look good in leather and furs.

[myrna minx]

18. This is rather silly, unless it involves Tina Turner and Thunderdome.

Then I'll be onboard.

[prolesunited]

23. Are you writing a movie script?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

24. if i die without being albe to get married, i will haunt every fucking republican & democrat in

congress, who dont support gay marriage, till they all go crazy

[taterguy]

25. Will you haunt the celibate Republicans and Dems?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

26. ...

:rofl:

[MorningGlow]

30. No thanks

You can have that future if you want; personally, I choose one that's a lot more positive.

[TWiley]

32. 36,000 die each year from ordinary flu

even if 30 million people die in the U.S. alone, that is still only 1 person in 10 million.

[nadinbrzezinski]

39. That is a ten percent rate

HIGH...

Would you volunteer to be one of those by the way?

[lunatica]

34. You forgot to add starvation, drought and locusts

All perfectly possible, of course. Blackwater (Xe) will thrive though. The whole world will look like Rwanda...

:scared: :nuke: :tinfoilhat:

[dysfunctional press]

36. and the angel of death taking the first born male children...

the smart money is in lamb's blood futures.

[Arugula Latte]

41. Panic on the streets of London. Panic on the streets of Birmingham.

I wonder to myself
Could life ever be sane again ?
The Leeds side-streets that you slip down
I wonder to myself
Hopes may rise on the Grasmere
But Honey Pie, you're not safe here
So you run down
To the safety of the town
But there's Panic on the streets of Carlisle
Dublin, Dundee, Humberside
I wonder to myself

Burn down the disco
Hang the blessed DJ

[Danger Mouse]

43. good song

:)

[Arugula Latte]

44. Now it's stuck in my head all day. Thanks a lot.

:D

[earth mom]

42. Sounds like the next Hollywood big summer blockbuster or maybe you should write a book.

Or perhaps you should stop buying into the propaganda the rethuglican owned and controlled media is feeding you.

Don't you see that they will do anything to scare the hell out of the public so that they can get the torture news off everyone's mind?

Don't forget there is blood on the hands of everyone who covered up the torture-including ALL the rethugs, many dems and the corporate media whores.

Sounds like the flu was just what the doctor ordered for them to hide behind.

:puke:

[nadinbrzezinski]

50. I sure missed the torture news all over oberman, tweety and Maddow last night

Oh wait, I didn't

This but the flu drove torture meme I find dishonest

And tell me now that the NEWS cycle has moved to Specter, what is he covering up?

[earth mom]

58. I don't have cable and can't watch those shows except when I see the links here for You Tube clips

of Olbermann or Maddow.

My husband loves to watch the local news and shows like Night Line on ABC, which seem to be focusing on the flu like it's the only thing worth discussing.

I've had to leave the room because I'm so annoyed with how they seem to be hyping it and fanning the flames of fear.

So, I readily admit that I haven't been up on every bit of news out there, and have also been too busy to read DU much lately.

But it seems that the few times I've looked on DU this past week, all I could see were lots of threads about the flu, which tells me that MSNBC, CNN and Faux are pushing it like no tomorrow.

Which in turn leads to me to question why they would do that and the obvious answer is to kick the torture news to the curb.

If you know anything about History as you say you do, then you know that fear is the best way the powers that be can control the people.

[NeedleCast]

45. Thousands Infected, Hundreds Dead

So...that amounts to about the number of people infected/killed by flu in a 10 day period.

I'm pretty sure that's not going to cause further economic collapse.

You do worry alot.

Life is a lot more fun when you don't.

[BlooInBloo]

52. Gawd save us from the panic-mongers.

[NeedleCast]

54. Gawd caused this, she's not going to save us.

[BlooInBloo]

56. Damn her. Hrmph.

[Danger Mouse]

57. You there! You're not sufficiently frightened!