Pandemic panic

The sky is falling

Michael Fumento has written a piece for The Washington Times about the latest and one of the worst (second only to global warming) doomsday catastrophies that will surely ravage this planet and its populace.

"The indication is that we will see a return of the 1918 flu virus," warns the nation's top health official. "The projections are that this virus will kill 1 million Americans."

A quote ripped from today's headlines about an impending "bird flu" pandemic? No, the year was 1976 and the prediction regarding the "swine flu" fell 999,999 deaths short.

That's something to remember as we endure the current hysteria. Another is that we've been here before with the same virus everybody is currently squawking about -- avian influenza type H5N1 -- which hit Hong Kong in 1997. Typical headline: "Race to prevent world epidemic of lethal 'bird flu.' " I was there too, with a piece that was antihysteria (therefore grossly irresponsible). The world death toll from that 'wave?' Six."

Read on...