Photo c/o AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano
Why are we hearing the silence of Swine Flu news so loudly? Why did the fact that the deaths doubled in Utah due to Swine flu not make all of the front page news? Why is the word quarantine used so sparingly in what little news there is available? WHO classifies the Swine flu at “Pandemic” status and yet our border officials don’t ask a single health related question still.
I’ll tell you why. But I warn you, it may actually be a bit disturbing. At the risk of sounding like a “conspiracist” let me boil it down to two words for you. Money and power.
Let’s look at all of this logically.
Yes, it will get worse: Yesterday I shared with you an article that warned of a possible quarantine of one week “if” the Swine flu became worse in the colder weather. Folks, logically speaking we KNOW it’s going to get worse in the colder weather, because we can see what it’s doing now even in the midst of the warm weather. HEAT stifles a virus wave. And yet we’re still seeing fatalities.
Grocery Store Empty photo c/o underunder.com
Grocery Stores Will Stop Their Deliveries: If there is a quarantine issued, then that means that folks will NOT be able to permitted to purchase goods at the grocery store. So what does that mean to the store? They certainly won’t want any additional non-perishable good delivered during that week, right? (Although they will likely be cleaned out within 30 minutes of the quarantine being announced) And then employees of the store will not be able to staff their locations, right? So this means that no incoming deliveries will be able to come in. Now apply this to hospitals, pharmacies, gas stations, etc. That leads us to our next domino.
Businesses will LOSE millions of dollars. Criminals don’t typically strike where they are under watchful eyes, a.k.a. a lot of people. Now you have all of these businesses laying isolated without the benefit of the coming and going traffic. They are now ripe for vandalism and looting by individuals who would not have any respect for a quarantine mandate in the first place. Millions of dollars of damage is anticipated from this very source even in the event of a “short” quarantine was required, let alone a 90 day one. Then you also have the sudden halt of tax generation, not only from sales tax in businesses, but also in employment taxes that will not be paid due to all of the employees who are forced to stay at home. In a volatile economy, just one day of this kind of a halt in revenue could cripple even the strongest of states or counties. I’m sure you’ve all read the e-mail which encourages people to not buy gasoline for one day in order to cost the oil companies millions of dollars in protest of their high prices. Well, a one week quarantine will accomplish the very thing, except on a much larger scale! Next domino.
Trucking Industry photo c/o AP Photo
The trucking industry: If a quarantine was ordered, even if it was only for 1 week, think about how much affect this would have on the trucking industry. This industry is already barely surviving financially due to the gas price increases, the fewer crops to ship, etc. Even if a quarantine was issued for only week, it could literally result in the closure of several trucking companies. What many Americans may not realize, is that the crazy drivers who don’t signal when changing lanes, drive in the HOV lane when they aren’t supposed to, and who drive dangerously without sleep are actually critical to our way of life. Without trucking our lives will dramatically change. If there are only a few trucking companies left as a result of the financial damage of a quarantine, then the price of goods will skyrocket that much more.
Foreclosures: So many Americans are just barely living on the edge right now financially. More than 80% of us live paycheck to paycheck. Many of us cannot afford to miss a paycheck for a week, let alone 90 days. But if that’s the case, how many of us would still be able to pay our mortgage payment or our electric bill, etc? While those who operate such companies may not have a full staff due to a quarantine, you can bet that the computers will still be ticking your late payment days away. Your late fees will build up, or your services could be automatically turned off. This financial threat can compound into even more foreclosures.
The Panic Button photo c/o fastspring.com
The Panic Factor: Let’s not forget HOW a quarantine is enforced—by martial law. Just the mention of this can cause an understandable panic on Wall Street and on Main Street everywhere. I think even our Federal Reserve printing press couldn’t run fast enough to fix that kind of a mess.
These are just a few examples of the financial backlash that would occur as the result of a quarantine. This is EXACTLY why you aren’t hearing more about the Swine flu and why officials aren’t taking more precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. I can assure you there’s not a politician out there that wants a quarantine to happen “on their watch.” Because if that were to occur, a quarantine and all of its consequences would indeed be what they were remembered for.
As I’ve said before, our economy is extremely volatile right now. A quarantine could cause a financial ripple effect that would truly send us back to the late 20’s. And that, my friends, is exactly why what little warning you do get about preparing for a quarantine, is buried in a very non-descript manner in a local news broadcast.
The silence of the Swine Flu should be ringing very loudly for all of us. While this may sound extreme to many of you, in my opinion it’s time to reconsider eating out at restaurants and going to the movie theaters for a while until this all blows over. I’m thinking that the public pools this summer are not a smart place to go either. Keep your kids involved in family-only activities vs. large group ones. And use this time of relative comfort to get ready for the potential chaos that may ensue.
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32 Comments
Kris · June 26, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Do you think the gov’t would “not call” a quarantine to avoid business disruption and instead just let the chips fall regarding health and massive deaths? After seeing how they’ve responded to other situations, I think that may be a possible route they’ll take.
Kris · June 26, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Do you think the gov’t would “not call” a quarantine to avoid business disruption and instead just let the chips fall regarding health and massive deaths? After seeing how they’ve responded to other situations, I think that may be a possible route they’ll take.
lynnaea · June 26, 2009 at 8:39 pm
The news has already reported that the WHO delayed declaration of a level six pandemic for 4-6 weeks after the writing on the wall due to political pressure from governments worried about the panic and the economic consequences.
lynnaea · June 26, 2009 at 8:39 pm
The news has already reported that the WHO delayed declaration of a level six pandemic for 4-6 weeks after the writing on the wall due to political pressure from governments worried about the panic and the economic consequences.
Chris · June 26, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Kellene, I submitted a comment shortly after you posted this article, but other comments submitted after mine have appeared. Was that an accident, or or are dissenting opinions not welcome here?
Chris · June 26, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Kellene, I submitted a comment shortly after you posted this article, but other comments submitted after mine have appeared. Was that an accident, or or are dissenting opinions not welcome here?
Prepared In TN · June 27, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Excellent post. I’m afraid too many are going to be caught short on this one this fall/winter.
Prepared In TN · June 27, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Excellent post. I’m afraid too many are going to be caught short on this one this fall/winter.
Laurie Hunter · June 27, 2009 at 5:46 pm
OKAY, YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION!!!
SHOULD EACH INDIVIDUAL FAMILY GO OUT AND STOCK UP ON GROGERIES?
I AM A CARETAKER FOR MY 81 YR OLD MOM, WHO’S UNDER HOSPICES CARE. I GET HEAD COLDS EXTREMELY EASY AND NOW I’M AFRAID TO GO TO THE WAL MART TO GET GROCERIES, I CAN’T BRING SWINE FLU HOME TO MY MOM AND IF I GET SICK WITH IT THERE IS NO ONE TO TAKE CARE OF HER, WHAT WOULD I DO? I’M VERY CONCERNED CAUSE I REALLY AGREE WITH YOU. EMAIL ME BACK PLEASE. LORI.
Laurie Hunter · June 27, 2009 at 5:46 pm
OKAY, YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION!!!
SHOULD EACH INDIVIDUAL FAMILY GO OUT AND STOCK UP ON GROGERIES?
I AM A CARETAKER FOR MY 81 YR OLD MOM, WHO’S UNDER HOSPICES CARE. I GET HEAD COLDS EXTREMELY EASY AND NOW I’M AFRAID TO GO TO THE WAL MART TO GET GROCERIES, I CAN’T BRING SWINE FLU HOME TO MY MOM AND IF I GET SICK WITH IT THERE IS NO ONE TO TAKE CARE OF HER, WHAT WOULD I DO? I’M VERY CONCERNED CAUSE I REALLY AGREE WITH YOU. EMAIL ME BACK PLEASE. LORI.
Trucker's wife and proud of it! · June 29, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Wow! I’ve appreciated a lot of your work; however, you’ve offended me with the way you portray the trucking industry. There are careless truckers out there and I acknowledge that. I’d appreciate a more moderate view or at least a more educated opinion, not an opinion formed from a bad personal experience or the media. How about a little research into the topic of safety in the trucking industry?
Trucker's wife and proud of it! · June 29, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Wow! I’ve appreciated a lot of your work; however, you’ve offended me with the way you portray the trucking industry. There are careless truckers out there and I acknowledge that. I’d appreciate a more moderate view or at least a more educated opinion, not an opinion formed from a bad personal experience or the media. How about a little research into the topic of safety in the trucking industry?
David · June 30, 2009 at 1:14 pm
As for the “closure of a few trucking companies” – did you know there are over 250,000 trucking firms in the US alone? (the bulk are small, one man outfits)
David · June 30, 2009 at 1:14 pm
As for the “closure of a few trucking companies” – did you know there are over 250,000 trucking firms in the US alone? (the bulk are small, one man outfits)
Sarah · July 20, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Yesterday at my local Grocery store in Chicago, my husband and I came across something alarming. In front of the pharmacy window were stacks and stacks of face masks and hand sanitizer. Also, my mother works for a resort town on the east coast. She is regularly getting emails from the CDC warning about the out brake to come. I believe the government is taking much larger steps for preparedness than the news is reporting. More websites/blogs like this one need to report on facts about H1N1 so that panic does not become the larger source of deaths when the flu strikes with it’s fullest impact.
Sarah · July 20, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Yesterday at my local Grocery store in Chicago, my husband and I came across something alarming. In front of the pharmacy window were stacks and stacks of face masks and hand sanitizer. Also, my mother works for a resort town on the east coast. She is regularly getting emails from the CDC warning about the out brake to come. I believe the government is taking much larger steps for preparedness than the news is reporting. More websites/blogs like this one need to report on facts about H1N1 so that panic does not become the larger source of deaths when the flu strikes with it’s fullest impact.
Comments are closed.