Re: Anthrax

Brett Bellmore

New member
Couldn't find the Anthrax thread part two, so here's my contribution:

First, the son of one of my co-workers has refused the vacination, and been dishonorably discharged. Want to know why he refused it? BECAUSE HE WAS AT THE END OF HIS ENLISTMENT, AND DIDN'T SEE THE POINT IN STARTING A SERIES OF VACINATIONS HE'D NEVER FINISH! Really, I wonder how many enlisted men have balked at the shot for just this simple reason; They're a few weeks from leaving the military, and the whole series of shots takes months; Why start something you're not going to finish, why endure any risk at all for essentially zero benefit? I bet the military could cut off a lot of the contraversy by simply exempting people whose enlistment will end before they'd finish the series of injections.

Second: Why isn't the vacine available to civilians, you and me? Well, remember that the terrorist threat this administration is REALLY worried about isn't Islamic extremists, or the Red Brigade. They're afraid of you and me! Clearly anyone who means to use Anthrax as a terrorist weapon has to be vacinated against it; By denying the vacinine to American civilians, they effectively prevent Americans from using it as a weapon in domestic terrorism. At least, that's how I see their reasoning.

Then again, we're talking about the government; Who says there's any actual reasoning involved? As likely an explaination is that the default attitude for the people who run our government is that everything which isn't manditory should be prohibited.

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Sic semper tyranus!
 

Mike Spight

New member
Brett:

You're absolutely correct...anyone ETS'ing prior to the window for completion of the series who has signed a "no intent to re-enlist/remain of active duty" statement should be exempted.

Ref the govt and reasoning. You've got to understand there is no one rational actor in DC making decisions (The President, SECDEF, SECSTATE, etc). Governments are comprised of organizations and bureaucratic entities which make countless decisions on a daily basis. These consist of various divisions within the govt, different bureaus and departments, political parties, branches of the military, etc.

These organizations and bureaucrats are normally in compeitition with each other in the constant battle for more funding, personnel, influence, etc. There is no one entity overseeing this mish-mash of process.

Cooperation is problematic...what is best for the nation and understanding the essence of the Constitution and other essential documents is not important. Garnering and maintaining power and prestige is.

Mike
 

DC

Moderator Emeritus
"It is better to look good than feel good, dahling"

Appearance over substance, form over function...20th and 21st century America

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dex

New member
The problem with Anthrax is that even if you do get a vaccination against one strain, it doesnt mean thats the strain that would be used in a attack. There are several. Not to mention the nice cocktails the Russians developed in mass quantities.

Check out http://www.fas.org/bwc/bwcweb.html http://www.cbdcom.apgea.army.mil/ http://www.outbreak.org

It is REAL scary. The possibilities of this happening are much greater than nukes and standard attacks. There is more potential for the destruction of the entire human race.

Smallpox/ebola is a real nice weapon the Russians made too.

Secondly the amount of Anthrax vaccine present in the US would only cover Washington DC in part and the rest of us are screwed. Yippee.

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First there was the Heaven and Earth then there was the Glock 20

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.

New member
dex:
Seriously Sinister Webpage!
You subscribe to Heavy Metal?
Any bandwidth mods to the scanner?

[This message has been edited by Mykl (edited October 15, 1999).]
 
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