Here is an interesting article in the huffington post on how republicans nixed funding for "pandemic preparedness".
http://www.huffingtonpost.c om/2009/04/27/gop-stripped- flu-pandemic_n_191732.html
Being prepared for another pandemic was not something the Bush administration was interested in either, even when the Avian flu scare hit. Instead of deciding to equip the scientists and CDC with the tools to react to any potential pandemic, they spent billions on drug companies to make a vaccine that has never been used and will most likely never be used. I'm just hoping that the swine flu wont scare us into making the same mistake again.
and in this case nature herself work that way, I'm afraid... As long as there is money gained fear-mongering it will be done by all who profit.
I don't quite understand why CDC or any other government agency cannot produce the vaccines by themselves in those $multi-billion subterranean complexes. Seems pretty pedestrian to me... But then again I don't get the free market myths. I guess if there is a demand for a certain flu vaccine it will be produced or something along those lines... who needs to plan ahead then?
Here is a quote from representative Susan Collins' (R-Maine) website bragging about her objections to portions of the stimulus bill:
"After meeting with Mr. Obama, Sen. Collins expressed concern about a number of spending provisions, including $780 million for pandemic-flu preparedness. "I have no doubt that the president is willing to negotiate in good faith, that he wants to have a bipartisan bill," Sen. Collins said. "
Here idea of "bipartisanship" is being allowed to strip spending for important emergency programs out of the stimulus bill. She could get together with Jindal and strip out volcano monitoring I suppose. If not for Katrina I have no doubt we'd be seeing some other ones with tailored suits and flat asses out there opposing hurricane preparedness (picture Jindal going "but-but-but we actually have hurricanes in Louisiana!"). They come from the same line of great thinkers that stripped levie improvements out of the Corp of Engineers budget for all of those years leading up to Katrina and thought sending the Louisiana national guard to Iraq was a great idea.
Don't forget that these sages now tell us that global warming is a hoax, a non-issue that we don't have to prepare for or attempt to prevent. Heck, it'll be a good thing!
