The official “National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza: Implementation Plan” is up for grabs as a .pdf here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/pandemic-influenza-implementation.html
Havent read it yet, but the messages Im seeing from other people who have read it is basically ‘youre on your own’. Government comes right out and says theyre not going to be able to keep a handle on things and its up to communities, municipalities and individuals to be prepared.
*yawn*
What else is new?
I do find it interesting that the .gov went through all this effort for a threat that they keep saying is ‘iffy’. I mean, they dont give this kindo f press to comet collisions, alien invasions, ice caps melting, ice ages coming,or invasion by Canadians…but this theyre willing to spend the brainpower and PR relations on. Hmmm.
Its dry reading, at best. Lots of ‘continuity of government’ stuff, plenty of law enforcement mentions, but not alot of whats going to be done on the local level.
So, it seems like alot of storm and fury, signifying nothing. More grocery shopping!
It is a good excuse to horde chicken. I juust love chicken.
We get a tax free hurricane supplies buying week here, I think that counts for some cool points. The gas line goes in this week, it would be cool to pick up a whole home gen tax free.
Keep in mind that government agencies are constantly making and updating contingency plans. I’m sure that somewhere in the basement, the DD has a detailed plan to invade England. Or Canada. I once sat in on a top secret presentation of a plan to invade Indonesia and capture Jakarta. I have no idea why I had to sit in on it, either – I had nothing to do with anything like that. But it makes you think.
oh the government
always printing up plans usefull for fish wrapping, t-paper, birdcage liner, or fire starting. it will be what they will actually do in a crisis worth to be beware of. Wildflower 06
The government’s disaster plans said we were on our own long before Katrina, too, but almost no one bothered to read them, including, apparently, the mayor of NO and the governor of LA and news reporters everywhere.
We’re on our own, but…
.gov wants to spend $7.1 billion to tell us that.
It think FEDGOV is doing admirable job of (kinda) informing the public without causing panic, but still maintaining it’s legitimacy.
I also think the governemnt doesn’t know what’s going to happen with H5N1 and is kinda scared, in a demure way.
FEDGOV can always say “we told ‘ya so”.
Preparedness-My AntiGov
The difference between strains of flu can be as great as the difference between a skinned knee and decapitation. The 1918 flu struck down healthy young people in a matter of days, sometimes in less than 24 hours. Lung tissue was so utterly destroyed that pathologists who autopsied the bodies of soldiers sometimes couldn’t whether flu or mustard gas had killed a soldier.