The first suspected case of swine flu has been reported in South Korea, after a Korean citizen returned from a trip to Mexico and was apparently suffering from flu-like symptoms. They seem to be taking the threat pretty seriously, as they have begun "to conduct inspections of the belongings of tourists who have traveled back from the US and Mexico." Exactly what they are looking for would be news to me. Used tissues? Flu-ridden mini pigs? (Yeah, I'm plugging those little guys every chance I get.) Or is this just a convenient cover to justify a search for drug paraphernalia? They are apparently now using thermal cameras to monitor the body temperature of travelers arriving from suspect destinations as a first indication of possible swine flu infection.
(source: LA Times)
Tee-hee...that little pig is soooo cute!
ReplyDeleteThe latter (drug paraphernalia). Have you heard of Philip Alcabes' book, "Dread: How Fear and Fantasy have Fueled Epidemics from the Black Death to the Avian Flu"? Talks about this kind of stuff. The book just came out. You can peruse the first pages on Amazon.com, if you like:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Dread-Fantasy-Fueled-Epidemics-Black/dp/1586486187/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240551699&sr=8-1#reader
@killdeer: thanks for the link, that book looks great. i don't doubt for a second that fear is used - medically and otherwise - as a propaganda or manipulation tactic by governments, corporations, and nonprofits alike. it's all politics.
ReplyDeleteNo problem. Glad you liked.
ReplyDelete