Then there is Justice Souter suddenly retiring. He isn't sick, hasn't had a history of illness, really isn't on the verge of death, hasn't suffered even half of what some of the other justices have, but is suddenly done. This is the one where I wonder if he had a private audience with someone to talk him into leaving so a more "suitable" justice could be selected. This is the story that just seems...strange.
Maybe I'm losing my mind, overly suspicious and just need to resign to making some tin foil hats... :)
6 comments:
No conspiracy here, Tasha. Souter is pretty acceptable to this administration. He's voted exactly how they would want for 19 years, and would like to continue. He is considered a liberal justice. Further, he will be replaced with another liberal justice, making a net gain of zero for the liberal wing of the Supreme Court. With the five moderate to conservative justices all in good health and no intentions of retiring, this is likely exactly what it looks like: Justice Souter tired of living in a city he hates and looking to go home to his native New Hampshire. Nothing conspiratorial about it.
As for the outbreak, I'd hardly call it a conspiracy, either. It has been traced to locations on every continent, except for Antarctica, and poses a significant threat to public health (church has been cancelled for the entire Park City area this week due to three confirmed cases there, and we are waiting to hear it is canceled in SLC, too. The Church is retaining missionaries at the MTC in lieu of sending them on to Mexican missions, and there will be no meetings in the coming week).
All that aside, I would not say it is too far to say that it is hyped up beyond where it really is, yet. 1918 flu out-break infected 1 in 5 people world wide, including 1 in 4 Americans, and killed 675,000 Americans, more than died in WWI. This is a descendant strain of that flu virus, with some mutations. All this before travel was cheap enough to be plebeian and before the world was as connected as it is now. Even if the federal government, or private manufacturers, can produce a vaccine, it takes time to culture, and even then there is not the capacity to produce enough for 300 million Americans and X number of tourists, visitors, and illegals that will also flood hospitals in the case that an outbreak becomes rampant. Needless to say, this is not the situation, yet, but I think the potential for this to become 1918 is what is feared and why there is such wide spread concern about how quickly it is popping up worldwide. (Israel, Egypt, Europe, California, New York, Utah, New Zealand, and France, just to name a sampling)
So...maybe hype, but not a conspiracy. And frankly, isn't it better to be cautious, wash your hands more regularly, sneeze into your arm, and avoid school (I'm always a fan of avoiding school when possible), than risk contagion?
Anyway, sorry for the longer than normal post.
I like longer than normal and I like people who can express their opinions - thanks!
I'm with you about the swine flu. It really has been hyped up and as Rahm Emanuel has noted in the past, "We can't let a good crises go to waste!"
It sounds like you've been listening to or watching Glenn Beck.
We like people who express their opinions, too.
What's funny is I really haven't had the chance to watch/listen to Glenn like I have before...that's funny.
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