Rick's Cafe Americain

Here’s a few things to think about: 

Nearly 3,000 people died in the September 11 attacks.  George Bush responded by sending most of our armed forces to Iraq, curtailing civil liberties, expanding the federal government, and running up an extraordinary deficit.  The administration has gained huge ground by bullying Congress and the American people with the threat of dangerous madmen eager to infiltrate our borders.

Over 1100 U.S. Military personnel have died in Iraq.  Many still do not have the armor and equipment they need to do their job in a reasonably safe manner.  American casualties show no signs of letting up.  George Bush claims that our soldiers are dying to keep the dangerous madmen eager to infiltrate our borders in Iraq.

Meanwhile, 15,000 people may die of the flu this year because the Bush administration failed to plan adequately for the flu season.  Bush responded by saying “don’t get a flu shot this year”, and blaming trial lawyers.

There are already dangerous madmen within our borders, and we have given them the keys.

the Bush administration failed to plan adequately for the flu season

Evidence that this was the result of poor planning, please?

Well, for one thing, the British aren’t standing in line.  The administration now blames the small number of suppliers, but apparently nobody went looking for more than one when Chiron first announced there was contamination.

As the article points out, by the time the problem was discovered (September) it was too late for anyone to create new vaccines in time.

But not too late for the U.S. Government to try to find alternate suppliers, as it is doing now.

And given the problems we’ve had in the past few years, why is it we only have two approved suppliers when the British have, according to the article, half a dozen?  It was folly to put all our eggs in that one basket in the first place, and it was worse not to act immediately when it looked like Chiron wasn’t going to be able to meet our needs.

When Chiron first suggested there was a problem with some of the vaccine, why didn’t we investigate, or look other suppliers?  Why did we wait for the British to go in and inspect the plant, determine the extent of the problem, and shut it down?