Bill Sykes' Newsletter from America.
(November 2001)
Current News from The Home Front.
A few words on the current anthrax scare and the media
handling of the situation.
 The
American media are, as usual, covering events, real or imagined,
on a daily basis, (nay, hourly basis on all channels).
At the same time as they are publishing the latest count
of people who have been "exposed" to anthrax,
(not infected), they bring on their expert "Cheer
Leaders" with the message
"We have everything under control, the virus is not
contagious, and there is no need to panic."
In the meantime, the Secretary for Health and Human Services,
recently stated that we have insufficient stockpile of
antibiotics to vaccinate the Armed Forces, so the Government
is allocating $1.5B for the immediate production of antibiotics
enough for a sixty day supply to cover twelve million
people.
Wonder what would/will happen to the other one hundred
and ninety million US citizens. !!!
The need to know syndrome.
It would appear that the American Public are once again
victims of the "misinformation" syndrome, by not
being given the complete information as to the dangers of
the anthrax situation.
Either the truth is being suppressed or perhaps worse still
the powers that be did not have the foresight, due to arrogance
or ignorance, to make the necessary provisions for the possibility
of germ or chemical weapons being used against this country,
and are totally unprepared.
 The
Government according to a news services is apparently offering
alternative antibiotics such as Doxycycline and Penicillin
which are readily available and less expensive than their
counterpart CIPRO.
Some are more expendable than others!!!
What a terrible indictment Please let me explain.
When Senator Daschle was informed that his office was possibly
contaminated with anthrax spores a number of government
offices were immediately shut down and the members of Congress
headed for their home constituencies whilst their offices
remained closed for a couple of weeks or so.
Meanwhile an infected mail office remained open until a
number of the postal workers became contaminated before
it was shut down.
Two of the post office personnel have died, and currently
two more are in critical condition from anthrax infection.
The Post Master General indicated that there was no cause
for alarm and issued his workers face masks and rubber gloves.
One learned expert remarked that the closing of all Post
Offices, until cleared of contamination, would be tantamount
to admitting defeat and that it would be a terrible inconvenience
to the general public.
 Can
one deduce from his remarks that although he may consider
the Postal Workers of the United States to be more important
to the welfare of the country than the Government Officials,
they, (the Post Office workers ), may be more expendable.
By the way the US Government is offering one million
dollars for information leading to the identification,
apprehension and conviction of any person, or persons,
involved in the distribution of the anthrax virus.
It would be a terrible shock and embarrassment to many
people of the United States if the perpetrators turned
out to be good ol' home-grown weirdoes.
To quote a heading from a leading United States magazine:
"A jittery Nation needs to separate reality from
rumor".
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