Shot In The Dark: Human Behavior

March 13, 2006

Human Behavior

Uh oh - another government spokesperson has suggested that people take precautions against disaster - in this case, bird flu:

In a remarkable speech over the weekend, Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt recommended that Americans start storing canned tuna and powdered milk under their beds as the prospect of a deadly bird flu outbreak approaches the United States.

Ready or not, here it comes.

Remember what happened the last time a government official suggested that citizens might benefit by not waiting patiently to die in the event of a disaster? Weeks of material for John Stewart.

We'll wait to see, this time, of course. But sometimes I wonder if there aren't certain segments in our socity that wouldn't benefit from a catastrophe sometime before 2008.

All I'm saying is that it'd be interesting to keep an archive of what people say about bird flu now - especially those who poke fun at those who, say, urge people to stay indoors and away from the rest of the world for a period, should things get ugly - and what they might say should (heaven forbid) things do get ugly.

Purely for amusement's sake, of course.

Posted by Mitch at March 13, 2006 01:07 PM | TrackBack

Comments

Mitch, your article you linked to is spam-loaded. Just thought you'd like to know.

Generators, how appropriate on a day like today when I lost power twice. The good news is that they got the power back before I had to go haul the generator out of the shed and through the snow to the power transfer switch.

Posted by: nerdbert at March 13, 2006 03:13 PM

"...sometimes I wonder if there aren't certain segments in our socity that wouldn't benefit from a catastrophe sometime before 2008."

Mitch, you're not warming up for yet another one of your "Liberals want America to fail" screeds, are you? Cause, if you are, you really need to work up some code words or something so people won't get so all worked up over your Rehoboam fantasies.

Posted by: Bill Haverberg at March 13, 2006 05:25 PM

Reads like a warmup to me, YEEE-HAW! Can't wait to hear how we blue-staters ache for the sight of hurricane-strewn corpses in the trees of coastal Mississippi so that W will look bad.

Posted by: Tim at March 13, 2006 05:42 PM

I don't think it's the warning itself that invites derision, but the manner. The "duct tape and plastic" stuff.

Why keep the powdered milk and tuna "under their beds"? It just seems weirdly specific.

Posted by: DiscordianStooge at March 14, 2006 05:11 AM

Posted by: Hero at October 15, 2006 12:54 PM

Posted by: Jane at October 15, 2006 03:04 PM

Posted by: Jane at October 15, 2006 03:07 PM