26 November 2006

Sign of the times

  11/26/2006 11:52:00 pm      
Probably your first reaction here, will be to write me off as some sort of 'Y2K type nutjob'. If so, you'd better be prepared to expand this category to include your elected representatives.

Has anybody else seen the television commercials the government has put out recently on dealing with some nebulous emergency situation?

They won't put a face to it, but it could be something like...

(a) the hydro grid blows a fuse again

(b) a nuke plant, Parliament, financial network... gets dusted by (from a broad spectrum of society, of course) terrorists

(c) avian flu, ebola, fill in your worst nightmare here

I saw one again tonight, directing me to go to...


IS YOUR FAMILY PREPARED?

For a major emergency – like a blackout or severe storm – you need to be prepared. Ready for at least 72 hours while emergency workers help those in urgent need.
The implication here, is that if you can only get through the first 72 hours of any of the above cataclysmic events... the government will be able to step in and give you a soft landing.

Which is unfortunately, a calculated and deliberate lie.

If, in fact, there is a bio-terrorist event, or an outbreak of ebola or avian flu, the members of government will initially be scrambling to...

First... protect members of government and their families.

Second... attempt to ensure that some of the first level emergency services, ie: doctors & nurses and police, firefighters and paramedics, remain at their duties... rather than rushing home and attempting to ensure the safety of their own families first.

We got the slightest taste of this when Ontario Hydro went kaflooey a little while ago. We aren't likely to be so lucky next time.

If the 'event' lasts more than the arbitrary '72 hours', it will be a desperate situation, as just-in-time transportation of foodstuffs and medical supplies grind to a halt. When drinking water runs out, you'll be draining your hot water heater, or finding the nearest creek.

It will be a nightmare. And the government just wants to be able to say... well, it's not like we didn't warn you chuckleheads.

So, unless you're quite content to permanently live in 'Lib & Dipper Fuzzybunny Land'... you might want to take heed and have some emergency supplies on hand.

And it had better be more than 72 hours worth... trust me.

SIDENOTE: Don't take my word for this... if you know a Paramedic, ask them what the relatively quickly contained, mostly non-fatal SARS scare did to the Toronto medical infrastructure.

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