Bush wants right to use military if bird flu hits

My Way News ^ | Oct 4, 2:50 PM (ET) | Charles Aldinger

[tjbravo]

President George W. Bush asked Congress on Tuesday to consider giving him powers to use the military to enforce quarantines in case of an avian influenza epidemic.

He said the military, and perhaps the National Guard, might be needed to take such a role if the feared H5N1 bird flu virus changes enough to cause widespread human infection.

"If we had an outbreak somewhere in the United States, do we not then quarantine that part of the country? And how do you, then, enforce a quarantine?" Bush asked at a news conference.

"It's one thing to shut down airplanes. It's another thing to prevent people from coming in to get exposed to the avian flu. And who best to be able to effect a quarantine?" Bush added.

"One option is the use of a military that's able to plan and move. So that's why I put it on the table. I think it's an important debate for Congress to have."

[43north]

The illnesses you use as examples are minor compared to an influenza pandemic.

You want to trust quarantine to local health departments now? Sorry, they've been completely neutered by the ACLU. They've done such a good job of quarantine with AIDS epidemic haven't they? Can't even get homo bath houses closed down as public health nuisances.

Unfortunately, most of the posters to this thread besides Nathan Zachary and I have no concept of how bad this could be. His last post is especially descriptive. Read it and try to comprehend it - he speaks the truth.

An influenza pandemic could turn the USA into a Third World Sh!thole in about 6 weeks.

[processing please hold]

Use of regular forces, mercenaries and foreign troops is out of the question.

Most of that I agree with. No mercenaries or foreign, no never. Our regular forces I don't have a problem with, their Americans.

While they make have the best intentions, their version of "help" may be highly detrimental to people in the quarantine area, so that other areas are spared.

That's something, and God forgive me, but I agree with it. I just hope my family isn't on the bad end of that decision. It's a roll of the dice which community gets sick and which doesn't. But it's the only decision they have, to keep the sick away from the well.

Our guard is up to the job in Iraq, I'm sure they'll be up to the job here.

[Nathan Zachary]

I'll take care of that. That is unless weapons are confiscated again.

Sure you will. It will be good that you have a gun though. After a while you will probably use it... on yourself. It will be your alternative to starving or freezing to death, if you manage to stay alive from that pandemic.

[processing please hold]

An influenza pandemic could turn the USA into a Third World Sh!thole in about 6 weeks.

I think you're being overly optimistic on 6 weeks. We were a week without electricity and we saw fights in Lowe's parking lot, screaming and cussing matches at the 'out of gas' stations. Women and men about to go at each other in wal marts over bread.

It won't take 6 weeks...not that long.

[43north]

Concentration Camp(s)?

There will be no time and no resources for anybody "in charge" to even consider that kind of wacko idea in a full-blown pandemic. In a situation like that, being "in charge" is mostly an illusion anyways.

Your hat needs another layer of foil.

How many looters do you think you could handle by yourself, especially if they too are armed?

[freeeee]

I got a dog from New Orleans about a week ago.

He, and all the other dogs I saw went through hell. They were starving and emaciated. My dog did pretty well, he managed to find some catsup packets to eat.

Five days after I got him he came down with Borditello (kennel cough). He didn't get that sitting in whatever house he was in. He got it in the evacuation center, where he was brought in close proximity with hundreds of other dogs.

He didn't have a choice leaving NO. He was rounded up and taken whether he liked it or not. If he stayed he would have been shot.

What if it wasn't Borditello he got, but H3N8 (dog flu) instead? He might be dead now.

I don't want to be that dog.

[Nathan Zachary]

Not only looters, how many staving women and children will freee be able to kill defending his 'spot' when they see the smoke from his fire and smell food?

Five days after I got him he came down with Borditello (kennel cough). He didn't get that sitting in whatever house he was in.

Heck no, all that mould growing had no effect on the dog at all, it was obviously the fault of the other spot it was taken to. Not eating rotten crap.

[freeeee]

Concentration Camp(s)?

Yes. Concentration camps. I'm not talking about some compound at the end of a railroad line. I'm talking about the local sports arena. Remember this one?

They put people in there and had soldiers prevent them from leaving. If that's not a concentration camp, they need to take the word out of the dictionary.

There will be no time and no resources for anybody "in charge" to even consider that kind of wacko idea in a full-blown pandemic. In a situation like that, being "in charge" is mostly an illusion anyways.

So, the military is going to be operating out of control, and that's supposed to be a good thing?!

How many looters do you think you could handle by yourself, especially if they too are armed?

Before or after the army kicks in my door and disarms me?

[freeeee]

mould growing had no effect on the dog at all, it was obviously the fault of the other spot it was taken to

He didn't get "mold". He got Borditello. I've seen it dozens of times. It's very contagious. The incubation time in his case matched his evacuation.

[Nathan Zachary]

If you take notice, it was the NO police that were disarming people NOT the army. You are being completely irrational. And the pandemic hasn't even hit yet. Imagine what you will be acting like when it does?

[freeeee]

If you take notice, it was the NO police that were disarming people

And...
The Oklahoma National Guard.
The US Marshall Service.
The DEA.

Hope I didn't forget anyone!

You are being completely irrational.

I am making a logical, rational argument that the hard learned lessons of history behind Posse Comitatus be remembered.

I am arguing that the model for disaster response in our republic be conserved, and not cast away in favor of a model more befitting China or a 3rd World pisshole.

And I am using examples from an event that happened last month.

That makes me irrational?

[processing please hold]

I am making a logical, rational argument that the hard learned lessons of history behind Posse Comitatus be remembered.

If I remember correctly, a lot of FReepers were calling 'FOR' posse comitatus to protect our open borders.

[43north]

The NRA brought suit and a Federal Judge issued an injunction which stopped the firearms seizures. That likely won't happen again (the seizures I mean).

It was, of course, a lieberal demoncrat Welfare Regime that ordered the weapons confiscated. Perhaps the military knows better than the local demoncrats? Who'd a thunk that?

I would suggest that people who want to be left alone (like freee) IF the pandemic comes should paint a big black X on their house. That way the rescuers will know where the dead bodies will be after things settle down.

[Nathan Zachary]

I'm betting he got mold. Nasty fungal infection. Toxic mold is all over the place in NO. and I haven't heard of any other dogs from NO getting it. Maybe the one you got was the carrier.

[Nathan Zachary]

LoL!

[freeeee]

He got kennel cough. It's extremely common in shelters, so is parvo. I'd be amazed if New Orleans dogs didn't get it, while they were crowded together by the thousands in rallying points waiting for evacuation.

[Nathan Zachary]

They were crowded together by the thousands. Gezz where do you get this stuff?
And what does it got to do with a pademic anyway? Don't worry, in a pademic that doesn't effect dogs as far as I know, there will be plenty roaming around gnawing of corses, they won't go hungry. The kennel diseases you speak of are puppy diseases for the most part. I think you are just reading this out of a book.

[freeeee]

Gezz where do you get this stuff?

From the people who went there and got the dogs out.

And what does it got to do with a pademic anyway?

It's a real life example in what otherwise would be a hypothetical conversation. Some dogs starved, he managed to eat. But when he was evacuated, he was exposed to a contagion. The paralells are obvious.

Say I want to be left alone and wait the pandemic out. Suppose that's not "the plan". When PC gets repealed, the army comes and "convinces" me to come with them. I end up in some sports stadium, and instead of kennel cough I get avian flu. Or just plain murdered by the desperate dying maniacs in custody with me.

Or none of that happens, but PC is revoked anyway and President Hillary does the unthinkable.

The reason we have PC, and a national guard to begin with, is to prevent these types of abuses. The idea being that local control prevents excesses. This isn't an abstract untested theory, mind you. It was learned the hard way.

Why do we want to throw this model out? Why do we want to open ourselves up to what we know is a huge potential for abuse? Why can't the national guard be brought up to speed and used for its main purpose?

[Don_Ret_USAF]

Polo was not a minor illnesses. Polo in the throat killed several of my classes mates and friends in grade school and crippled many more for life. But the March of Dimes helped defeat this killer and crippler (I gave many a hard earn dime to that cause..) Scarlet fever was a killer (it took two of my cousins in their early teens), if you made it, you then would have heart attacks in the future years. Yes some of what I said where minor but others where just as deadly as the flu. But no matter what illness we talk about, it can be deadly. My point is not the illnesses but the use of military. National Guard under control of the governor is not Federal Control but State Control as it should be. Federal troops are to keep the states safe from foreign forces.
The health departments back then did a great job. Does not mean that they could not do it again. Modernize the Health Departments and first responders. This is a State responsibility with some funding help from the feds. Use the military medical as a last effort.
So the use of Federal troops to shoot lead bullets at the Influenza will kill it. Chicken Little did better than that. I do agree that An influenza pandemic will have a very disastrous effect on life in any country not only the US. Steps must be taken to strengthen our chances to survive. This will take more than words or numerous threads to accomplish. I see you have a very low opinion of American Resolve and the strength to bounce back stronger than ever. Do not have so little faith in the America spirit. Afar as AIDS and the ACLU. The ACLU is bad. Way out of step with the majority of the people. Write your congress person and tell them to stop TAX payers from funding the ACLU. This will stop a lot of the crap lawsuits. And maybe open the way to control those homo bath houses you stated.

[Centurion2000]

bump. someone sure seems to be wanting a lot of power lately.