Bush military bird flu role slammed
Thursday, October 6, 2005 Posted: 0119 GMT (0919 HKT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A call by President George W. Bush for Congress to give him the power to use the military in law enforcement roles in the event of a bird flu pandemic has been criticized as akin to introducing martial law.
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Full story:
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/05/bush.reax/
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Well, if WMD was good for using troops for an invasion, I suppose sick birds are a good reason for using troops at home.
When it all falls into place, will we find out the birds only had a bad cough?
cragin
The Birds are Dying! Declare Martal Law!
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
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Flying Lobster
- Posts: 1042
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:17 pm
I think it makes perfect sense for the Bush administration to deploy the military to isolate portions of the US population in the event of a pandemic.
A little creative thinking might be in order here. Recognizing that 40% of the country is underinsured or uninsured, and there is likely a reasonably high correlation between health insurance and income levels, why not just isolate those nasty folks (you know, the same types that Katrina isolated), and let nature follow its course? I just desperately hope that they have already planned massive tax write-offs for the recovery of the poultry industry (oil) in case there is a problem.
Think of it as biological Gerrymandering--I'm sure its what God intends in the process of straightening out the evil-doers from the God's-work-doers.
marc
A little creative thinking might be in order here. Recognizing that 40% of the country is underinsured or uninsured, and there is likely a reasonably high correlation between health insurance and income levels, why not just isolate those nasty folks (you know, the same types that Katrina isolated), and let nature follow its course? I just desperately hope that they have already planned massive tax write-offs for the recovery of the poultry industry (oil) in case there is a problem.
Think of it as biological Gerrymandering--I'm sure its what God intends in the process of straightening out the evil-doers from the God's-work-doers.
marc
Great Googly-moo!
The Birds are Dying! Declare Martal Law!
Amen Brother!
-Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: Flying Lobster [mailto:in_a_cloud@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2005 3:06 PM
To: ot_forum@chgpa.org
Subject: The Birds are Dying! Declare Martal Law!
I think it makes perfect sense for the Bush administration to deploy the
military to isolate portions of the US population in the event of a
pandemic.
A little creative thinking might be in order here. Recognizing that 40% of
the country is underinsured or uninsured, and there is likely a reasonably
high correlation between health insurance and income levels, why not just
isolate those nasty folks (you know, the same types that Katrina isolated),
and let nature follow its course? I just desperately hope that they have
already planned massive tax write-offs for the recovery of the poultry
industry (oil) in case there is a problem.
Think of it as biological Gerrymandering--I'm sure its what God intends in
the process of straightening out the evil-doers from the God's-work-doers.
marcgot art?
http://www.marcfink.com/
wanna fly?
http://www.downeastairsports.com/
-Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: Flying Lobster [mailto:in_a_cloud@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2005 3:06 PM
To: ot_forum@chgpa.org
Subject: The Birds are Dying! Declare Martal Law!
I think it makes perfect sense for the Bush administration to deploy the
military to isolate portions of the US population in the event of a
pandemic.
A little creative thinking might be in order here. Recognizing that 40% of
the country is underinsured or uninsured, and there is likely a reasonably
high correlation between health insurance and income levels, why not just
isolate those nasty folks (you know, the same types that Katrina isolated),
and let nature follow its course? I just desperately hope that they have
already planned massive tax write-offs for the recovery of the poultry
industry (oil) in case there is a problem.
Think of it as biological Gerrymandering--I'm sure its what God intends in
the process of straightening out the evil-doers from the God's-work-doers.
marcgot art?
http://www.marcfink.com/
wanna fly?
http://www.downeastairsports.com/
The Birds are Dying! Declare Martal Law!
I think Bush found out that the state and local governments that he
had previously touted as being more competent than the feds - weren't
up to the task of responding to an extraordinary catastrophe.
Neither was FEMA. As some Soviet general once said "quantity has a
quality all it's own" and DoD can put mass onto a problem like no one
else - plus the ability to coordinate, communicate, sustain itself in
the field, etc. There might be some justification to use the
military in an epidemic, but Bush has lost any trust he ever had, so
the proposal won't fly if it comes from him. - Hugh
had previously touted as being more competent than the feds - weren't
up to the task of responding to an extraordinary catastrophe.
Neither was FEMA. As some Soviet general once said "quantity has a
quality all it's own" and DoD can put mass onto a problem like no one
else - plus the ability to coordinate, communicate, sustain itself in
the field, etc. There might be some justification to use the
military in an epidemic, but Bush has lost any trust he ever had, so
the proposal won't fly if it comes from him. - Hugh
Re: The Birds are Dying! Declare Martal Law!
Can we say '"Posse comitatus?" Congress could certainly authorize the military to do this type of thing, but how the heck is the military supposed to fight two major theater wars, the "war on terrorism" and be employed her at home for things were the "enemy" is contagion? Is Congress going to authorize funding to increase the number of people the DoD can maintain on active duty? The military is already spread WAY thin. If the bird flu hit now, would we bring our troups home to do this?mcelrah wrote:DoD can put mass onto a problem like no one else
Holly
The Birds are Dying! Declare Martal Law!
Bird flu is like Katrina - if it hits, there won't be a choice about
whether to take on the commitment. Iraq, on the other hand, is
somewhat elective. Afghanistan ain't "major". Not minor either -
somewhere in between. Sizing ground forces based on "one and a half
theater contingencies" obviously doesn't account for all the ad hoc
tasking that has come up since "peace" broke out with the fall of the
Soviet Union. Rumsfeld is resisting increasing active duty manning
because he needs to control personnel costs in order to finance
"transformation" - recapitalization after the procurement holiday of
the '90s. That was OK since they probably would have bought the
wrong stuff: manned fighters and - heaven help us - aircraft
carriers - both growing so expensive that entropy will be achieved
when we can afford one (1) of each - and certainly could never send
it in harm's way.
High tech weapons systems (e.g. unmanned combat air vehicles) are
great if you are able to fight only in the all-out shooting phase as
in Desert Storm, but they aren't much good when you have to control
populations - need infantry. Alas, the powers that be will likely
only admit they need to restructure/reinforce ground forces after
morale tanks and re-enlistment rates plummet. - Hugh
whether to take on the commitment. Iraq, on the other hand, is
somewhat elective. Afghanistan ain't "major". Not minor either -
somewhere in between. Sizing ground forces based on "one and a half
theater contingencies" obviously doesn't account for all the ad hoc
tasking that has come up since "peace" broke out with the fall of the
Soviet Union. Rumsfeld is resisting increasing active duty manning
because he needs to control personnel costs in order to finance
"transformation" - recapitalization after the procurement holiday of
the '90s. That was OK since they probably would have bought the
wrong stuff: manned fighters and - heaven help us - aircraft
carriers - both growing so expensive that entropy will be achieved
when we can afford one (1) of each - and certainly could never send
it in harm's way.
High tech weapons systems (e.g. unmanned combat air vehicles) are
great if you are able to fight only in the all-out shooting phase as
in Desert Storm, but they aren't much good when you have to control
populations - need infantry. Alas, the powers that be will likely
only admit they need to restructure/reinforce ground forces after
morale tanks and re-enlistment rates plummet. - Hugh