On Swine Flu, Media and The Real Disease Sweeping the World

RED ALERT: An outbreak of swine flu has been detected somewhere in the vicinity of your home. You will die. Your loved ones will die. There is nothing you can do to save yourself. You should, however, set fire to any pork products you can get your infected hands on. This does include live pigs. We are truly sorry for your demise, but look forward to reporting your death in the most outrageous manner possible. The apocalypse is upon us.

I am so sick and tired of hearing about swine flu. I couldn’t care less about what pandemic threat level we are currently at. I’m not interested in which schools are being closed. And I certainly am not amused by anyone who is walking around with a mask over his or her face.

Let’s get something straight. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 36,000 people die annually in the United States from the flu. They die of the flu. They don’t die of the swine flu. They simply die of the flu. (Source)

To reiterate, 36,000 people die annually in the United States from the flu.

That’s a lot of people. That’s a lot more people than have died from this killer strain of swine flu sweeping the globe. And yet, no one seems to ever get all hot under the collar about that fact. People sure are up in arms about swine flu, however. I, for one, find it both comical and misguided. Thousands of people die from the flu every year, and it’s not an issue in the least. Add the word “swine” to the equation, and we suddenly have a pandemic.

The true disease here is the media. The media would have us believe that the very structure of society is at threat because of this swine flu. What the media has failed to tell us, however, is that swine flu is actually a weaker strain of flu than that which kills roughly 36,000 Americans each year. It’s a safe bet that the media is not telling us the true story behind this outbreak.

People have indeed died of swine flu. In Mexico, where this “pandemic” originated, there have been somewhere close to 200 deaths blamed on swine flu. First off, compare that to the 36,000 Americans who died last year of the flu. Secondly, stop and think for a moment about those people who have died of swine flu thus far in Mexico.

I have no proof of this, but I am willing to bet that those who have died were either very young or very old. I would also guess that the victims lived in relative poverty and had very limited access to healthcare. It’s a sad reality, but anyone without access to healthcare is at risk of becoming ill and possibly dying from diseases that are manageable for those of us who can seek medical attention. It’s a far sadder reality that the people of Mexico are likely to fall into that category. I’d also surmise that these people had very little information about the flu, much less complete media coverage of a pandemic sweeping their nation.

If all of that is indeed true, is it any wonder these people fell ill? Their circumstances could very well have been a factor in their deaths, and yet the media is not telling that story. They just want you to believe that people are dying all over Mexico and the virus is headed straight for your home.

I’d suggest we all just take off our medical masks, take a deep breath and look at this thing from a rational perspective. Yes, there is a new strain of the flu out there. It is not, however, any worse than any other flu that one could catch at any given time. Yes, there is a chance you could die from it, but there is also a chance you could choke on your breakfast. That’s probably not going to stop you from eating at some point in the day. Just be smart. Be healthy. And please be aware of what the media is shoveling down your throat.

I guarantee you that’s far more dangerous than any swine flu.