# Cindy Sheehan: George Bush wants the Bird Flu to strike the USA... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 10, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618 "2005-10-10T19:50:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/41 "2005-10-13T19:35:08Z")
One thing to keep in perspective: unlike other nutjobs in the public eye, Mrs. Sheehan doesn’t have the [President of the United States at her beck and call,](http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/12877168.htm) or [threaten Senators](http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=19453) who disagree with her. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/42 "2005-10-13T20:22:33Z")
> [@newcrasher](#): > > If we do prepare for a pandemic we are looking for “enemies”? Huh? The question is why is Bush asking for additional powers over the military when _they’re not necessary_ for handling a domestic crisis? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/43 "2005-10-14T01:27:56Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Huh? The question is why is Bush asking for additional powers over the military when _they’re not necessary_ for handling a domestic crisis? Because. Just because. Either yer wid him or yer agin him, you Amurica hater :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/44 "2005-10-14T02:15:31Z")
00:14:47… 00:14:48… 00:14:49… ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/45 "2005-10-14T04:53:16Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Huh? The question is why is Bush asking for additional powers over the military when _they’re not necessary_ for handling a domestic crisis? Good point. Except he didn’t. > [@George W Bush](#): > > “One option is the use of a military that’s able to plan and move,” he said. “So that’s why I put it on the table. I think it’s an important debate for Congress to have.” > > The consequences of an outbreak in the United States need to be addressed before catastrophe strikes, Bush said. > > “But Congress needs to take a look at circumstances that may need to vest the capacity of the president to move beyond that debate. And one such catastrophe or one such challenge could be an avian flu outbreak.” > > “I take this issue very seriously,” Bush said. “I’m not predicting an outbreak, but just suggesting to you we ought to be thinking about it, and we are.” > > “I want there to be a robust discussion about the best way for the federal government, in certain extreme circumstances, to be able to rally assets for the good of the people,” he told reporters September 26. All from the CNN article [here](http://edition.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/05/bush.reax/index.html). As far as I can tell, he’s calling for a discussion of weather such powers would be of use in a pandemic, and has asked Congress to debate the issue. Weather or not you think troops would be effective against a pandemic, the President calling for a debate on their use before the fact is both prudent and proper. Those of you calling for his head over this would likely be just as quick to scream bloody murder if a pandemic did strike and the feds didn’t immediately show up to inoculate everyone and their pets before tucking them into bed at night with a nice bedtime story. Seems to me that Bush is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. You claim you want an effective response from the feds if a disaster strikes, yet you do everything possible to stifle debate over what that response should be beforehand, effectively making such a response impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Loblaw_1)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/46 "2005-10-14T05:16:06Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > As far as I can tell, he’s calling for a discussion of weather such powers would be of use in a pandemic, and has asked Congress to debate the issue. Weather or not you think troops would be effective against a pandemic, the President calling for a debate on their use before the fact is both prudent and proper. Those of you calling for his head over this would likely be just as quick to scream bloody murder if a pandemic did strike and the feds didn’t immediately show up to inoculate everyone and their pets before tucking them into bed at night with a nice bedtime story. Seems to me that Bush is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. You claim you want an effective response from the feds if a disaster strikes, yet you do everything possible to stifle debate over what that response should be beforehand, effectively making such a response impossible. Well, no. He’s calling for it, not asking Congress to send up their own trial balloon, which Congress isn’t in the business of doing. They are not a debating society in the abstract. Someone proposes a bill, it goes through committees, etc., then maybe gets debated on the floor of Congress. But someone must sponsor (support) legislation for this to happen. When a President wants someone to sponsor a measure, he calls on Congress to pass legislation. He endorses an idea. When a President blinks, the world pays attention. So I can’t really give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was just spitting into the ocean. He’s endorsing it. And badly, just like most everything else he does. He doesn’t explain why this might be a good idea, he just suggests something that would give him more power that wouldn’t be useful for the crisis envisioned. He’s like a little boy with a hammer, and everything looks like a nail. The military is not going to be useful for the flu. Now let’s get to the real nub of the problem, people defending Bush no matter what, always making excuses for this poor excuse for a political executive. It is inexcusable to just throw out there that maybe the military can do law enforcement if there is a flu pandemic. Wouldn’t do any good, and no one with a brain would think so. So, hey, Bush apologists, stop trying to defend it. It makes you look like propagandists. If y’all really think the military can help with pandemics, please sign up, they are looking for medical volunteers especially, although the military is down in all recruiting departments. If you really think that the military is the answer, sign up. Likewise, if you really think that Bush is right about military solutions, please, sign up. We want you to go fight them over there so that we don’t have to fight them here. Isn’t that right? What the federal government does need to do with respect to the upcoming flu pandemic is stockpile Tamiflu, which it is woefully behind on. The US has doses for only 2 percent of the population. We’ve had this problem for several years now, and still, no significant stockpile. It takes a year to make, lets order more, damnit. Just because Halliburton doesn’t make it, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t buy it. Let’s get everyone a flu shot, not just the elderly. No effort there either. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/47 "2005-10-14T05:20:54Z")
Your beanie appears to be a little tight Bob. Try replacing the lining with fresh tinfoil, that ought to help. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/48 "2005-10-14T11:18:06Z")
> [@Bob Loblaw](#): > > What the federal government does need to do with respect to the upcoming flu pandemic is stockpile Tamiflu, which it is woefully behind on. The US has doses for only 2 percent of the population. We’ve had this problem for several years now, and still, no significant stockpile. It takes a year to make, lets order more, damnit. Just because Halliburton doesn’t make it, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t buy it. Let’s get everyone a flu shot, not just the elderly. No effort there either. Reading isn’t just fun. It’s fundamental. From Weirddaves [link](http://edition.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/05/bush.reax/index.html). > [@](#): > > On Thursday, the Senate added $4 billion to a Pentagon spending bill to head off the threat of an outbreak of avian flu among humans. The bulk of the money – $3 billion – would be used to stockpile Tamiflu, an antiviral drug that has proved effective against the H5N1 virus – the strain blamed for six deaths in Indonesia last week. > > U.S. health agencies have about 2 million doses of Tamiflu, enough to treat about 1 percent of the population. The money added by the Senate would build that stockpile to cover about 50 percent of the population. Not to say that that is enough, but it’s a pretty durn good start. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/49 "2005-10-14T11:35:47Z")
You’ve got to be a desperate partisan fucknut these days to get all riled up about parsing a Cindy Sheehan quote about the Avian Flu to make it look sinister. Here’s a “Gold Star” mother who spoke out against Bush! Get yer pitchforks and torches. Bush? Frist? DeLay? Rove? Libby? Abramoff? Cheney? Miers? Dobson? Bennett? Cunningham? Brown? … Meh. Can’t match up with the spokesmom. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Loblaw_1)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/50 "2005-10-14T14:31:10Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > Your beanie appears to be a little tight Bob. Try replacing the lining with fresh tinfoil, that ought to help. If it’s working for you, let us know, and we’ll try to get pictures. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/51 "2005-10-14T19:24:09Z")
> [@Bob Loblaw](#): > > If it’s working for you, let us know, and we’ll try to get pictures. It’s useless without the Kool-Aid. We’d get you a cup, but **Weirddave** chugged the keg already. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/52 "2005-10-14T21:19:02Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > It’s useless without the Kool-Aid. We’d get you a cup, but **Weirddave** chugged the keg already. It’s kinda sad that this is the response from the extreme left (not that the extreme right is any better, mind you, there just aren’t many of them around here) to a post taking an objective look at a specific issue. Ah well. Keep telling yourself that this attitude is one that will win people over to your point of view, that way you can continue to be surprised as you get further and further marginalized from the mainstream. Surprises are fun! ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/53 "2005-10-14T22:42:13Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > It’s kinda sad that this is the response from the extreme left… (not that the extreme right is any better, mind you, there just aren’t many of them around here) to a post taking an objective look at a specific issue. Ah well. Keep telling yourself that this attitude is one that will win people over to your point of view, that way you can continue to be surprised as you get further and further marginalized from the mainstream. Surprises are fun! And all this coming from a person whose most recent contribution to this thread was: > [@Weirddave](#): > > Your beanie appears to be a little tight Bob. Try replacing the lining with fresh tinfoil, that ought to help. I think the irony meter is about to explode. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/54 "2005-10-14T23:23:40Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > And all this coming from a person whose most recent contribution to this thread was:I think the irony meter is about to explode. Maybe you’d do better (once again) to trade in your irony meter for a class in reading comprehension (do they offer those at Hopkins? Maybe you can audit one.). That post was perfectly appropriate REPLY to Bob’s “blah, blah BUSH!blah, blah, EVIL! blah, blah !ANITCHRIST! blah, blah YOU’RE A REPUBLICAN STOOGE! blah” post. 3 paragraphs, the first of which quickly descended into nothing more than a “Bush is evil” screed, the second of which continued in that vein while adding the opinion that anyone who didn’t check their brain at the door and start chanting along mindlessly must be a Republican drone, while wrapping up with a paragraph that was demonstratably false if he had only bothered to read the link in the post he was responding to (as Harborwolf pointed out). Suggesting that he adjust his tinfoil hat is certainly a fit reaction to his tired old partisan bullshit, and his “I’m rubber, you’re glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you” response to that only slightly raised the maturity level of his contributions to this thread. Now if you, or 'lucy, or anyone else would like to contribute on the subject at hand, fell free, if you wish to continue to fling feces around, that’s certainly your prerogative, I’ll watch from over here on the human side of the bars. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/55 "2005-10-14T23:25:35Z")
I made a mistake in that last post. It was rjung who responded so brilliantly here, not 'luce. You have my apologies. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/56 "2005-10-14T23:50:41Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > I made a mistake in that last post. It was rjung who responded so brilliantly here, not 'luce. You have my apologies. I do not feel slighted to be confused with the genial and erudite **rjung**. Come to think of it, you’re probably _not_ apologizing to me, now are you? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/57 "2005-10-14T23:52:56Z")
I once tried showing **Weirddave** the face of the extreme right, but he kept wondering why I gave him a mirror. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/58 "2005-10-15T00:01:00Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > I once tried showing **Weirddave** the face of the extreme right, but he kept wondering why I gave him a mirror. 😃 Seriously, Weirddave is the extreme right? I have to say that I agree with him. The responses to his posts have showed no willingness to discuss the issue intelligently, only to say the usual tired “Bush sucks” crap that gets sprayed all over the board whenever he makes a decision. I know this is the pit and all, but can we make an effort to combine some sort of discourse with our insults. We are dopers after all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/59 "2005-10-15T00:33:01Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > I’ll watch from over here on the human side of the bars. I’m sure that _all_ the monkeys think that they’re ones on the outside looking in. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Loblaw_1)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618/60 "2005-10-15T18:39:42Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > Maybe you’d do better (once again) to trade in your irony meter for a class in reading comprehension (do they offer those at Hopkins? Maybe you can audit one.). That post was perfectly appropriate REPLY to Bob’s “blah, blah BUSH!blah, blah, EVIL! blah, blah !ANITCHRIST! blah, blah YOU’RE A REPUBLICAN STOOGE! blah” post. 3 paragraphs, the first of which quickly descended into nothing more than a “Bush is evil” screed, the second of which continued in that vein while adding the opinion that anyone who didn’t check their brain at the door and start chanting along mindlessly must be a Republican drone, while wrapping up with a paragraph that was demonstratably false if he had only bothered to read the link in the post he was responding to (as Harborwolf pointed out). Suggesting that he adjust his tinfoil hat is certainly a fit reaction to his tired old partisan bullshit, and his “I’m rubber, you’re glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you” response to that only slightly raised the maturity level of his contributions to this thread. Now if you, or 'lucy, or anyone else would like to contribute on the subject at hand, fell free, if you wish to continue to fling feces around, that’s certainly your prerogative, I’ll watch from over here on the human side of the bars. Fuck you, clown. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-george-bush-wants-the-bird-flu-to-strike-the-usa/325618.md?page=4)