Ebola is blowing up all over the news as an "epidemic", and an "emergency". News stations like Fox and NBC seem to love riling up fear and panic in people. They use phrases like " spiraling out of control" and the "ebola emergency in America" to convey an extreme sense of panic and immediacy. What are the actual odds of ebola spreading in America? That's what I want to know. I really wish news stations would be objective about they report, or at least change their names to "Fox Editorials", and "NBC's Opinions" to be more accurate of what they give out to people.
The death toll in Africa due to Ebola is somewhere around 10,000. In AFRICA. In 4 different countries. This is about 1% of the total population of these countries. Not a very big number especially considering these are third world countries with extremely low medical capabilities as far as containing fluids and replenishing them. Family members also have to bury their dead on their own by hand without any protective gear. Is it any surprise that this disease could spread in such a place?
There are now 6 reported cases in the US, and ONE death. Sure this may be a gruesome disease, but so is heart disease. This kills hundreds of thousands times more people every year than Ebola has this year so far. Can we please put this much energy into reporting and stopping this as we do for a third world disease? What are the actual odds of this affecting you or me or anyone we personally know? Very slim even considering the majority of Ebola cases are in the same state as us. What a bunch of over-hyped sensationalism.
Obama is now talking about sending the National Guard to contain the ebola epidemic in Africa in this article: Obama Authorizes National Guard Call-Up to Fight Ebola in West Africa (Lucy Westcott, 10/16/2014, Newsweek) Is this really any of our business? If anything is going to infect a large number of US citizens with Ebola, it will be doing this. The US really has an ego sometimes. If anything just send medical supplies and a few doctors to train African medical personnel, then get the hell out of there. We really need to stop overemphasizing ourself and taking so much damn responsibility as a country.
All in all this is a terrible disease with a very minor outbreak that has been blown WAY out of proportions. We would be better off spreading meditation and yoga classes via TV than all this fear sensationalism crap.
