Too cynical?

[girliejones]

I was listening to Triple J the other night and someone mentioned how they had heard that this Swine Flu business was about justifying the WHO budget. And someone else responded that that was a very cynical view. But it reminded me of what had occurred to me earlier in the week

Comments

[capnoblivious]

My thinking: it is all about the perception. It's not all about the economy.

I work in the health sector. The biggest flurries of activity in our office are driven by media reports - and the first rule is, "find out what's actually going on." Reasonably often, that's all that needs to be done, crisis averted (because there wasn't actually a crisis).

This sort of thing happens all the time. The facts of the matter aren't interesting enough, so the media makes shit up. Then it becomes harder and harder to maintain the fantasy, so they come back to the facts, and imply that they were misled.

I haven't looked into it, but I'll lay even money that WHO's original comments were measured and factual and clear. Then - because of some words in common with the worst case scenario - the worst case scenario is reported. A few days later, the worst case scenario hasn't eventuated, so the people who were putting words in WHO's mouth turn around and say, WHO got it wrong!

[girliejones]

It's all about soundbytes and having something new to report at the next news update, it's true.

Just lately, and maybe because I am getting old, I feel like the media frenzy over things just beats things up and creates panic where sensibility would have done just as well.

[ashamel]

I'm fairly sure The Stand is not an accurate representation of how the big one will hit, if only because communication technology has changed the landscape irrevocably. (And yes, Prismatic was an attempt to update the scenario, but whatever.)

[girliejones]

I'm fairly sure The Stand is not an accurate representation of how the big one will hi

Heh. Good cause I have spent years negotiating with myself about having to move corpses to get cars with fuel and about picking sides and so on.

[purrdence]

So what's a sector that always will keep chugging along when all else fails?

Public education? Barring the schools being shut down due to a Flu epidemic.

[girliejones]

But that can't be used to stimulate the economy

[purrdence]

Not quickly, no. More of a long time thing.

[wendy_waring]

I started a comment, which got exceeeeeeedingly long, so decided to turn it into a post (cuz I've got my own lj, I don't need to hijack yours!) Come by and see, if you're inclined. (http://wendy-waring.livejournal.com/27451.html) Lots of reasons for cynicism, including sudden death in young children taking Tamiflu.

[girliejones]

Thanks! Good post!