There was no better bogeyman leading up to elections than a much media hyped viral epidemic like Ebola. Every politician, particularly the incumbents, were clamoring all over each other prior to mid-term elections denouncing the World Health Organization, The Center for Disease Control, President Obama, medical workers and facilities, and airport security for not protecting the American public from such a vile virus. There were numerous shameless kangaroo court hearings that were more akin to rigged trials under dictatorships where they verbally eviscerated anyone and everyone who could have prevented the spread of this virus. Even Big Pharma wasn’t immune (pun intended) for being unprepared with a ready-to-distribute vaccine. Their message seemed to be that Americans are entitled to be protected from all dangers.

Politicians presented themselves as quasi-Messiahs spewing half-truths and lies of omission about Ebola so as to appear as guardians and saviors to their constituency and to those undecided voters sitting on the fence. With these surprisingly obvious yet effective scare tactics they persuaded people to focus on Ebola and not on issues that directly impact them daily.

How many people purchase insurance for every conceivable contingency? Think of all those homeowners who can’t buy flood insurance because the insurance companies don’t offer it or it’s too expensive yet they continue to live in a flood zone or insist on moving into one which are called ‘coastal developments’ which are marketed as exclusive (aka expensive).  These are the same exclusive units purchased by highly-educated professionals who already know (or should know) the flood risks. And of course no one dared mention how legally sold alcohol plays a critical role in the thousands deaths annually in auto accidents and domestic violence vs. a couple of Ebola-related deaths in the US.

Any at time there are dozens of deadly viruses and diseases festering in places most Americans can’t find on a map let alone pronounce. Ebola was extremely localized since 1976 before it decided to take a world tour this past spring. Prior to this time there was no need to crank up an expensive vaccine. This was the perfect set-up scenario for power-hungry politicians to frighten an over-medicated, borderline hypochondriac American public whose doctors have a pill for every non-lethal symptom.

Ebola, like any other deadly virus or disease, is the perfect target for politicians because it’s a virus, not a person, and an equal opportunity killer. It’s the viral ISIS whose aim is to infect, torture and kill in the most gruesome, painful manner imaginable. There’s no need to worry about inadvertently insulting a particular racial, ethnic or age group, gender, or someone with a different lifestyle. For politicians discussions on topics with challenging real day-to-day problems are ‘complicated’ requiring too much work in which their every private and public utterance is scrutinized. By using Ebola as a clever distraction conflicts of interest are eliminated.

Interestingly since mid-terms have come and gone the Ebola affair has receded from the front page news. But fear not. As the upcoming elections approach in 2016, this issue will be conveniently resurrected with the enthusiastic assistance from the enabling media as a fear mongering ‘dance with the devil’ public relations campaign to once again distract Americans from what is really important in their lives.

 

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