My Personal Advice to the Rest of the World Concerning Ebola in the US

My family lives about 20 miles from the Dallas hospital where these ebola cases have been. I have a wife and son that I would do absolutely anything and everything to keep them safe, but the perpetual lying, understating, and unwillingness to do anything about this by our government extinguishes any real expectation they have the public's best interest in mind. This pervasive culture of dishonesty doesn't seem to affect our president, so he sleepwalks through his absence of concern through obviously passive/dismissive statements. Therefore, the entire global community is now at risk because he has and continues to fail at leading. There is a national contingency of citizens in the US who have called for his removal from office over his many previous improprieties, and with the potential danger he is now nonchalantly tossing to the rest of the world I sincerely anticipate world leaders to soon be demanding his resignation. I could write a novel on how concerning the ebola crisis is from an individual viewpoint to the worldwide catastrophe our leaders are ignoring, but that's for another time. I will finish by imploring all the countries in the world to not trust our system, our government, and certainly not our president. Take precautions for yourselves and find leaders, doctors, and scientists that will be honest with you, and not downplay the severity of the possibilities. Then, quarantine the US if you have to. It may save your lives in the end.

a reply to: samstone11

I think in general, in my own life, the biggest thing I hate the most is when people try to trick me. Even in normal conversation people try to say things in an attempt to get certain info...but they think they are being so sly about it.

I feel this way about the media in general and governments, lawyers, judges, attorneys, and pretty much most Americans and many others in my travels.

I really think honestly...with ebola....people don't really know much about it. From what I have read there is so much theoretical data on it and that doesn't include any mutations. I think that has carried over to the media where they just say whatever they were told by whoever. I have read articles that down play it and some that make it sound like we will all die. We just don't know because this is uncharted waters for the most part.

Well said!

Ebola isn't the only thing to protect against.

Peace

I have never seen any reason to trust others too much. Not that I think people are inherently bad, but because we're imperfect- we can make mistakes, we all see things from our own perspective, and often miss seeing others, we each have different concerns, and there is just no way to expect anyone to take care of everything for us.

I read about the newest case in Texas, and their repeated claims that they can't find a breach in the precautions made, and yet simultaneously claim that the precautions are effective, and they are sure that modes of transmission have not evolved, there is no danger as long as the precautions (that they took in the first case) are put into practice.

Anyone with half a brain and a smidgeon of critical thought can see the holes in those claims.

But it seems to me tere is always a fraction of reality that is unknown and beyond anyones control, and at some point, we are all vulnerable and left to deal with things without another to protect us as individuals.
That's why I moved up into the mountains, in a rather isolated place, with everything I would need to survive- because you just never know.

On the other hand though, I am not sure why the President takes the rap for all this? He is not supposed to be a God, he is not alone in power over everything- this is not a monarchy. He is not a doctor. He is not a scientist .
But maybe you could explain more clearly why this is his fault- I may not be up on my facts.

Ebola has been studied for decades at the CDC. You seriously think they don't know how its transmitted? People keep saying "it could be transmitted some way they don't know about!" Um...no. Unless its mutated, which nobody is saying, we know EXACTLY how it passes from one person to another. The nurse that just got it? I guarantee she screwed up on the removal of the haz-mat gear at some point. REMOVING the stuff is not easy and its where the highest risks of infection are.

The flu kills 36,000 people in the US annually. That's a much greater risk to you than Ebola. Worry about THAT.

a reply to: Bluesma

Under Mr. Obama the laws that were to be put in place to protect America from infectious diseases and possible spread of the, were never enacted, now we have ebola brought to our country by somebody that walk right into our nation infected.

The reason Mr. Obama never enacted the rules, regulations and procedures for infectious diseases that were reviewed during the H1N1 pandemic during the Bush administration, was, because it would have affected his campaign for amnesty.

Yes, our president priorities in politics help create the ebola infection we have now in Texas, because obviously we as a nation were no even prepared for it

originally posted by: wanderingman
Ebola has been studied for decades at the CDC. You seriously think they don't know how its transmitted? People keep saying "it could be transmitted some way they don't know about!" Um...no. Unless its mutated, which nobody is saying, we know EXACTLY how it passes from one person to another. The nurse that just got it? I guarantee she screwed up on the removal of the haz-mat gear at some point. REMOVING the stuff is not easy and its where the highest risks of infection are.

The flu kills 36,000 people in the US annually. That's a much greater risk to you than Ebola. Worry about THAT.

and how many people survive the flu annually? uh huh, exactly. Ebola is not something to gamble with if you get it you have a roughly 50/50 chance of not surviving it.What are your chances of surviving the flu? pretty good if your aren`t old, or an infant or have immune system problems, but with ebola it doesn`t matter how healthy you are, you still have a very high chance of dying.

a reply to: marg6043

OKay, I am listening- and trying to understand.

I find myself asking-
- is there not some conflicts between concern for civil liberties, ethical and human rights with such legal actions? (the more protection you have, the less liberty as well... so it becomes not so clear when and how to take the peoples liberty away/protect them- especially in our country, which values liberty highly!)

Besides the ethical conflicts, there is economic status.... it seems to me that even in the current response of the Obama administration, which mobilizes a number of government agencies, the department of Commerce is mysteriously absent? If you close all exchange with stricken countries, many businesses would suffer... so how much do our sacred big corporations have to do with such decisions? We've worshipped them into being the invisible puppeteers of our government- I wonder if they have big belly laughs watching us blame whoever the current president is for what happens!

I suspect NO ONE can get into office unless they have bent over to the concerns of the corporites. If it wasn't him, it would be someone else. WE decided long ago- the more money you have the more you must have been an ethical hardworking, self sacrificing part of the society, and you deserve the power. Oops. I think that had a rebound effect over time, as we ceased to be a fledgling nation, still growing from a blank slate. Maybe we shouldn't have been so rigid in our values, but adapted and evolved them with reality?
But it is better to blame one man for the current state of affairs, then to recognize our collective responsibility.
(except that it doesn't help us see what we could change now for the future, and learn from our mistakes....)

So between the people screaming for liberty, and the big corporations giving their whispered commands, we also have a million other questions-

Is it in our interest also, to put effort into treating this problem at it's source? Sending material, medicine, human resources, into countries which are stricken? If we can cut down the spread there, perhaps there will less risk for us (and the rest of the globe). That requires a certain amount of open gates between us too.

And lastly, don't those laws permit a large amount of state power in what they decide to implement or not??


What I am ultimately getting at is that from the point of an individual, it is always simple to find an answer. The more you are expected to serve, the more complicated it gets. Individuals often do not see the big picture- they do not recognize that liberty and protection are incompatible- and yet they demand both. They give the power to an outside source, and then wonder why they don't have it themselves.

Perhaps you are right- get rid of Obama, and you shall be saved. But I just have some serious doubts about that.

a reply to: Bluesma

I know things can get confusing, sometimes with all that has been going on lately with ebola, but remember that it doesn't take much to understand that we the nation of "been on top of anything" were no even remotely ready for the first introduction of ebola in the country.

What that tells you, I got one answer to that, we got morons in our government agencies wasting tax dollars like toilet paper, because they could not even make sure that people getting into the nation from poor infected ebola countries were tested or quarantine.

Because let face it, ebola is affecting very poor countries, our safety standards were none existent until Dallas got his first ebola infected immigrant and he didn't even came across the border, he came in an airplane.

The irony.

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: Bluesma

I know things can get confusing, sometimes with all that has been going on lately with ebola, but remember that it doesn't take much to understand that we the nation of "been on top of anything" were no even remotely ready for the first introduction of ebola in the country.

I wish I could say this delicately, because I do not wish to offend anyone... really. I feel sad saying this.
No one but americans ever saw their country as "on top of everything". That is an unrealistic view, and part of the reason we get characterized as stupid lap dogs rolling in false security (which is not my view, we are not stupid, but we have been manipulated).
Other highly developed nations and people kept a view of all governments as being limited in what they can control and have power over.
What we see as irony is only a "duh!" palm slap to the forehead for outsiders.

I live outside the US now, and I have not seen any hint of this part of the globe EVER thinking the US was going to save the world from Ebola.

a reply to: Bluesma

I know, but that is how many American see the US, the land of everything good, until we get crap hitting us on our backyard.

a reply to: wanderingman
Ebola has been studied in the lab for decades yes, but as it has been stated by the professionals that have studied it:

"I see the reasons to dampen down public fears," Russell said. "But scientifically, we're in the middle of the first experiment of multiple, serial passages of Ebola virus in man.... God knows what this virus is going to look like. I don't."

www.latimes.com...=1

a reply to: wanderingman

It has been confirmed that the nurse was not wearing hazmat gear. Seems that this is not standard CDC protocol. I couldn't believe it at first, but it is true. See my post, here:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: wanderingman

Educate yourself. That statistic is nearly meaningless.

Don't Believe Everything You Read About Flu Deaths

Moreover, if you honestly think Ebola does not have serious pandemic potential, you are not awake. Let's see what you think in three months from now.

originally posted by: Bluesma
I am not sure why the President takes the rap for all this? He is not supposed to be a God, he is not alone in power over everything- this is not a monarchy. He is not a doctor. He is not a scientist .

IMO, he's not much of a president either.

Are you aware that Obama said less than four days ago that you cant catch it sitting next to someone with it on a bus?

He's either grossly incompetent or a liar. I personally think both.

If it comes from the mainstream media bet your sweet ass it's orchestrated. It really is that simple. I know, I know, crazy conspiracy nut. But why does the DoD research ebola for 10 years in Africa only to have it appear there after a patent is created? What's with the disappearance (as usual) of the microbiologists? How come the company that patented it ZMapp (PPHM on the stock market) is only worth $1.35 a share (down from a high of $1.68) when Tekmira (TKMR) a Monsanto company skyrockets over 30%? Than news (mainstream) speaks positive of the vaccine and up it goes. Than a few die who have taken it and down it goes. Than up, than down like intentional manipulation worth billions if you can "predict" momentum.

I can't help but think I'm either the dumbest smart person I know, or the smartest dumb person I know. Either way, something stinks as always. Follow the money.

a reply to: PLAYERONE01

Yep. Some Ebola experts worry virus may spread more easily than assumed

They've studied it in controlled environments and in Africa. There's more they don't know than they know.

Ebola: Facts, Opinions, and Speculations.

originally posted by: Bluesma
IOn the other hand though, I am not sure why the President takes the rap for all this? He is not supposed to be a God, he is not alone in power over everything- this is not a monarchy. He is not a doctor. He is not a scientist .
But maybe you could explain more clearly why this is his fault- I may not be up on my facts.

It's pretty sad when his claim to fame for the day is how many golf games he's played! He IS in charge. He even said he has a pen and a phone and he knows how to use them. Or did you forget. The most powerful man in the world and he's helpless?????? Riiiiight.

originally posted by: loam
a reply to: wanderingman

Educate yourself. That statistic is nearly meaningless.

Don't Believe Everything You Read About Flu Deaths

Sorry - I'll revise my statement to say "pneumonia kills 36,000 a year". Better? (I find the combination of your tagline - Civility matters - coupled with your statement of "educate yourself" amusing. You'd not open your reply with those words if we were face to face, I believe...)

You also stated

Are you aware that Obama said less than four days ago that you cant catch it sitting next to someone with it on a bus?

Guess what, pal? He's right. Unless that ebola carrier sneezes or otherwise spreads their bodily fluids on surfaces and you then touch those same surfaces. According to known science about the virus - it isn't airborne. It takes direct bodily fluid contact for transmission.

I think you're premature with the whole Ebola isn't airborne, all virus's spread by spores as well....this should have been treated AT LEAST as seriously as MERSA & C-Diff. It wasn't now the cat's out of the box in Dallas.

The cruise ships even quarantine for Norovirus FFS!!!!

Not saying to panic, but this is actually more serious than we're being told.....common sense.