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I was surprised when I learned that Obama declared swine flu a national emergency late on Friday. My first thought was that I had not heard anything to suggest that things were any worse than they had been previously. Looking closer at the announcement the article states that “Swine flu is more widespread now than it’s ever been and has resulted in more than 1,000 U.S. deaths so far.”
While we don’t like the idea of 1000 deaths it’s important to put that into context by noting that the seasonal flu results in 36,000 U.S. deaths each year – that’s an average of 3,000 deaths per month year round. During the flu season that amounts to more than 1000 deaths per week. To really put that into context it should be noted that the seasonal flu produces that many deaths despite the fact that a vaccine is widely available while the swine flu vaccine is barely coming into circulation now.
That is enough information that there are many people who will shout that this is not an emergency – some will even say that this is a scare tactic or power grab by the administration. Going back to the actual declaration I have concluded that there really is a national problem.
The White House on Saturday said Obama signed a proclamation that would allow medical officials to bypass certain federal requirements.
The very real problem that this declaration of emergency addresses is a problem of over-regulation. The government should never regulate something to the point of interfering with the benefits of whatever they are regulating – as they have done with the medical system. (I would call this an emergency except that “emergency” suggests serious immediate consequences if we do not take immediate action whereas a lack of immediate action does not have particularly immediate consequences.)
9 replies on “Our National Emergency”
Still, it smacks of government by crisis in order to increase its grasp of power. Despite the order that medical officials can “bypass certain federal requirements,” there is no doubt that the ruling class won’t let this “crisis go to waste.”
I agree that the whole swine flu hype is meant as another way to get people to do as they are told by their “benevolent” leaders. Declaring a national emergency is just part of that narrative. If we were to solve the legitimate underlying problem of over-regulation they would not be able to use it to enhance their “crisis.”
This is extremely interesting coming at the same time as the Health Reform bills coming out of the Senate and House. I also am beginning to hear that vaccinations will not now be available until around Thanksgiving. Maybne that is why it is being declared an emergency is because the vaccine won’t be available. Thus, the government that took it upon itself to provide the flu vaccinations is failing, so therefore they declare an emergency. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and it will somehow be spun that without the declared emergency, it would’ve been worse than it is. Kind of like saying the Stimulus is working because of the jobs “not” lost or saved.
I agree that this appears like the “benevolent dictator” solving our problems that are not really problems. Next thing you know we will be singing songs about our “benevolent dictator”. Oh wait, we already do this in the Peoples Democratice Republic of New Jersey.
I don't take any of Obama's pronouncements seriously. This is as much as an emergency as it was for congress to vote on the "stimulus" bill within hours of it being completed and not wasting any precious time reading it. After which Obama went on vacation for a few days, and then at great taxpayer expense- in the middle of an "economic emergency" put great attention into stagecrafting the glorius signing of his first spending bill- Making a huge carbon footprint to fly to Denver for this drama! Gice me a break! If Obama says it's an emergency- that is just code for furthering Obama's political agenda.
It's easy to write off what he says when there are so many very glaring inconsistencies between his words and his actions – on the other hand, what he says is more serious than what we say because when he declares a national emergency people respond to that.
Maybe the true believers but the general public is pretty jaded about politicians- espcially ones with a track record of not being honest.
I'm not talking about whether people believe what he has said, I am talking about the fact that by virtue of his office his declaration of a national emergency has the authority necessary to spend our money and command our government (and even non-government to a degree) agencies. Admittedly this particular declaration does not spend our money (that I can see) but the fact is that unlike Joe Talk-show-host, when Obama speaks in his official capacity there is a force of authority there which we cannot safely ignore or write off most of the time. (Even when he is saying something simply asinine.)
Can't argue tha point- that is the power the public granted to Obama when they elected to him- and conress- I am more concerned about the Democrats pushing health care reform on a 100 percent partisan vote.
Agreed – the Democrats' version of health care reform causes me much more worry than this declaration of an H1N1 as a national emergency and while they will work hard to get a RINO to vote with them so they can claim "bipartisanship" they intend to pass it with or without a token Republican.