A news re****t on May 5 states that U.S. authorities have drawn up a
list of whom to give life saving help and whom to allow to die in case
of a FLU PANDEMIC or other massive health care crisis. Those who will
be allowed to live are those with greatest chances of survival. Those
on the "kill" list will the be elderly, handicapped and those with
disabling diseases. Experts say it is only a matter of time before
this situation arises. Here is the re****t:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354135,00.html
While an unspecified, unexpected health care crisis may be valid cause
for making such preparations, I have to think: is a pandemic, such as
a bird flu or other flu pandemic, a valid reason to plan this way?
There are iffy things about bird flu preparations: is there a working
vaccine? Or one or some that MIGHT work for some and not for others?
Is there something that can be developed on time once a pandemic
starts?
While there are many issues, here is one for which the government has
no excuse: IF a reasonably worthwhile vaccine CAN be developed in
advance, but the government does not want to spend the MONEY to
produce enough of it for every man, woman and child in the country,
then...the government has ceased to serve its purpose.
THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION: This question needs to be posed to all
candidates for at least national political office, starting in this
election year:
"Sir or Madam: If there were a pandemic on the horizon and there was a
way to save almost every man woman and child by producing enough
vaccine NOW, as opposed to letting nature take its course and kill
tens or hundreds of millions of Americans, but this solution would
cost, say, $100 BILLION, would YOU spend the $100 Billion?"
I don't care if they are Democrat or Republican. If they answer "No,"
DO NOT VOTE FOR THEM.
We readily spend hundreds of billions of dollars on national defense.
But a naturally-caused pandemic is as bad or worse a threat than what
any terrorist or most foreign governments can pose. The prime purpose
of government is to ensure the SURVIVAL of its people. A pandemic
threat requiring a response that costs hundreds of billions of dollars
needs to be treated the same as a terrorist or foreign military threat
that requires that kind of expenditure.
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