EBOLA IS OVERRATED

It seems like every other thread on ATS lately is about Ebola. Are there that many people on ATS that are so worried about Ebola that every little change or potential change must be over analyzed? Your chances of dying of Ebola are still less than being struck by lightning, getting hit by a meteor or being shot and killed by some power tripping LEO.

I get that it COULD get worse or that it MIGHT become more common, but I can't help but think people are overreacting to the threat. I have no doubt that I will die of something in the coming years, but I would be willing to bet my house that it won't be Ebola.

I realize the irony inherent in posting a rant complaining about how many threads have been made on Ebola, but am I the only one on ATS that thinks the whole thing is being blown WAY out of proportion?

/rantoff

a reply to: Metallicus

Let's play Devils advocate and imagine the opposite - that there were Ebola Zaire patients inside of the US proper and that no media outlet was covering it?

To me that would be the greater sin.

Are the media blowing it up to make sure we all stay glued to our TV's? Absolutely. It's what they do.

Is that over-coverage showing universally across the Internet ( not just on ATS )? Absolutely.

Hopefully the overexposure has educated enough people about how to protect themselves that the chances of a raging pandemic is minimized. But even if it hasn't it is infinitely better than if we were simply not told at all.

originally posted by: Metallicus
am I the only one on ATS that thinks the whole thing is being blown WAY out of proportion?

No, you are not. But I live in a developed nation with a decent healthcare system and access to fresh water, I suppose if I lived elsewhere I may be more worried.

originally posted by: Elton

originally posted by: Metallicus
am I the only one on ATS that thinks the whole thing is being blown WAY out of proportion?

No, you are not. But I live in a developed nation with a decent healthcare system and access to fresh water, I suppose if I lived elsewhere I may be more worried.

What country do you live in? I live in the US and our health care system is crap and our water is poisoned by our Government.

Ebola--it's origins and future impact--is, shall we say, high in "conspiracy potential". It's doom orgy-porn with a star-studded cast: the CIA, Big Pharma, FEMA and Guidestones, and who knows probably aliens and zombies at some point. That makes it hard for ATSers to resist.

Having said that, I do think that if members are letting the hype get to them and are becoming afraid... be careful. Fear is what they want. Be aware of what's going on, but for the love of God keep your wits about you. The fear of the virus is going have more disastrous effects than the virus itself.

Which, I believe, is in fact "the plan". But I see ulterior motives everywhere...

a reply to: Metallicus
its rated in the top 5 most dealiest diseases, i'm sure if it gets a foot hold in the U.S. it will have a ball. burning it's way through the homeless and lowerclass, city's like detroit where the population have had their water cut if they cant pay the utility.
It doesnt really look like much to us at the moment because its a long way away, but once it starts happening here then its different.

Metallicus - you took the words right out of my mouth ...

Smallpox
Spanish Flu
Maleria
Aids
Cholera
Typhus

... all 20th century pandemics reaching massive numbers and the list can go on.
We have this fear instilled in us by the media for the purposes of control and distraction ... and we allow it

a reply to: Metallicus

it is less about the danger of ebola and more about the potential to make a profit from the fear of it.

we have to ask ourselves:

who has the potential to make money of a ebola scare? not a real outbreak but just a scare.
which political official can use (is using) it as a platform to gain office?

it is probably more about money than any actual danger. at least that's how i see it today. tomorrow may bring news to change my mind. we will see.

a reply to: Metallicus

Couldn't agree with you more, getting so tired of the threads.
All you get is what if that and what if this.

originally posted by: Metallicus
I realize the irony inherent in posting a rant complaining about how many threads have been made on Ebola, but am I the only one on ATS that thinks the whole thing is being blown WAY out of proportion?
/rantoff

Par for the course on ATS though everything is overblown either its a cover-up or US black op or NWO. Nothing can be taken for what it is. A virus which will run rampant where health is poor, sanitation is poor and mistrust of authority is rife...."west africa"! Western countries with decent health care systems (US excluded, sorry but your system is utter c.ap for universal health system which you need to control these things) and decent sanitation then Ebola is nasty but avoidable.

The media have reported this as expected ie ignored for a while as it grew out of control in Africa because its "over there". There is now the juicy story time as some experts predict a massive problem and this is where everyone jumps on the doom porn bandwagon.

I live in the UK, everyone gets health care for free at the point of delivery and so nobody is going to get sent away or ignored ( the normal usual human errors judgment excluded). Folks will take the relevant precautions and accept the need for patient isolation if required. The problem is containable.

This does not stop the usual panic merchants from over reacting though.........!!!!!

a reply to: Metallicus

Fear sells.

Fear makes ratings go up.

What is more scary? A mob of ISIS coming to behead you? Or, something that is invisible to your eye, that can seemingly come out of no where, infect your body and kill you?

Many things out there we can see, we think we can prepare or defend ourselves against.

A virus tends to be a very scary thing for people. Just look at history with plagues and deadly outbreaks in the past. There is something very scary thinking that the very air you breathe, water you may drink, food you might eat, or simply being in contact with something (another person, animal, planet, object) could give you something that can kill you.

Because that is so scary to so many people, it makes for "great news". People will read about it, want to hear more about it, etc.

So again: Fear sells. Fear makes for great headlines in the news and........it gives people a chance to create a lot of threads here on ATS.

I'm with you man. I'm so bored of coming to ATS and seeing 10 Ebola threads on the front page full of people clutching their hair and moaning. FFS. Doom Porn Circle Jerk.

a reply to: countingdown

ya but what aids does in 10 years ebola does in 10 days...that is why its scary...its an awful death...and with the minor potential to go airborne the more it spreads...that is why it is a big deal.

and if you live in africa...it is huge!

I'm more concerned about being killed by a cop than ebola.

a reply to: rockpaperhammock

When AIDS made the news in the mid 80's people went bat c**p crazy about its impact - to the point of t.v. commercials, poster programmes etc ... its propaganda
They dont need to spend that money on ebola adverts because ATS and similar sites are running away with it.
Seriously there's a killer desease out there for everyone, or gun crime or knife crime or crossing the road or flying.

All death is awful, im just trying to put things in perspective - this is just one way to die

originally posted by: Metallicus

I get that it COULD get worse or that it MIGHT become more common, but I can't help but think people are overreacting to the threat.

Here's what I don't get. Where exactly is there 'overreaction'?

What extreme form, which is such cause for your concern, is taking place? Is there a run on banks? Riots in the streets of America? Neighbors shunning neighbors?

If anything, I see an ample lack of public concern with a government happy to reinforce that with a surprising lack of candor about the simple things we should be doing to keep us safe.

What was done in Dallas in NOT how you stop the spread of this disease in its tracks. Far from it. If no further cases emerge as a result, it will only be because of blind luck.

Maybe the only true overreaction here is the apparent attempt by many, including the government, to assume the public is too stupid to handle simple cautionary information about this disease.

By the way, many West Africans initially felt EXACTLY as you did, which is the very reason the disease was able to urbanize and take such a strong foothold.

Food for thought.

a reply to: Metallicus

Agree 100%

I use to click on 'NEW' to see what's currently on and I'd love to be able to add -ebola

a reply to: Metallicus

oh laws yes....
M O O N that spells ebola.

just re-watched the film "the stand". it captured my imagination when i first saw it and the film continues to do so today.

i feel the reason why the public is reacting in a frightened manner is because our society doesn't trust those in power.

i don't believe ebola is something for us to worry about. somewhere there is a pharmaceutical company waiting to make billions off of a vaccine for the fear of ebola.

a reply to: Hefficide
Love your avatar! Daryl Dixon all the way!

Unless the spread is purposeful, as in, on purpose, than we have little to worry about.

North America is well equipped to handle any Ebola Cases so long as we maintain high standards.

obviously there are some questions regarding practices use in these first few Ebola patients. I imagine there will be more in the coming weeks, but I don't expect it to reach any kind of 'crisis' level.

~Tenth