SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
We don't need a 100-day reckoning to know the score: war, recession, violence in Pakistan and now a global epidemic.
The landscape before us is a pretty tense: more than thirteen million unemployed, falling prospects, rising gun sales, not to mention the foreclosure of probably an additional ten million homes. Many are fearing a long hot summer, the implications of which will be felt across the land. And now there's Swine Flu.
It's funny that when it comes to Swine flu, we get it. When we're talking about the human body, we seem to understand that vulnerable parts put the whole body politic at risk.
In the face of a virus it makes perfect sense: germs don't
discriminate. Poisons spread. Switch to the topic of poverty and
predatory lending, and we have a problem grasping the basics. Yet
exploitation and corruption jump fences too. The epidemic of predatory
lending, for example, began by targeting Black, Latino (especially
female) borrowers, but predatory practices didn't stay in the 'hood.
On Sunday, as 20 cases of swine flu were confirmed, American health
officials declared a public health emergency. After scares from SARS
and bird flu a few years ago, international protocols were put in place
to deal with global pandemics. At a news conference in DC, Homeland
Security Secretary Janet Napolitano called the flu emergency declaration "standard operating procedure."
Imagine if we'd declared an Economic Health Emergency after Enron,
and the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and the collapse and devaluation
of the Russian ruble?
What we need are some standard operating procedures to deal with a plague of killer economics. Reading today's New York Times about the Treasury Secretary's cosy professional and personal relationship with the very industry he was supposed to regulate, it's clear that quarantine would have served us well.
In the case of epidemics, we investigate the causes and isolate the
carriers. On the economic front, so far, we've forged forward without
virtually no diagnosis -- and promoted the virus-carriers to high
office.
So what, now? Well, we'll need more than a face mask to protect us from Geithneritis. And no amount of Theraflu will do.
Â
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
We don't need a 100-day reckoning to know the score: war, recession, violence in Pakistan and now a global epidemic.
The landscape before us is a pretty tense: more than thirteen million unemployed, falling prospects, rising gun sales, not to mention the foreclosure of probably an additional ten million homes. Many are fearing a long hot summer, the implications of which will be felt across the land. And now there's Swine Flu.
It's funny that when it comes to Swine flu, we get it. When we're talking about the human body, we seem to understand that vulnerable parts put the whole body politic at risk.
In the face of a virus it makes perfect sense: germs don't
discriminate. Poisons spread. Switch to the topic of poverty and
predatory lending, and we have a problem grasping the basics. Yet
exploitation and corruption jump fences too. The epidemic of predatory
lending, for example, began by targeting Black, Latino (especially
female) borrowers, but predatory practices didn't stay in the 'hood.
On Sunday, as 20 cases of swine flu were confirmed, American health
officials declared a public health emergency. After scares from SARS
and bird flu a few years ago, international protocols were put in place
to deal with global pandemics. At a news conference in DC, Homeland
Security Secretary Janet Napolitano called the flu emergency declaration "standard operating procedure."
Imagine if we'd declared an Economic Health Emergency after Enron,
and the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and the collapse and devaluation
of the Russian ruble?
What we need are some standard operating procedures to deal with a plague of killer economics. Reading today's New York Times about the Treasury Secretary's cosy professional and personal relationship with the very industry he was supposed to regulate, it's clear that quarantine would have served us well.
In the case of epidemics, we investigate the causes and isolate the
carriers. On the economic front, so far, we've forged forward without
virtually no diagnosis -- and promoted the virus-carriers to high
office.
So what, now? Well, we'll need more than a face mask to protect us from Geithneritis. And no amount of Theraflu will do.
Â
We don't need a 100-day reckoning to know the score: war, recession, violence in Pakistan and now a global epidemic.
The landscape before us is a pretty tense: more than thirteen million unemployed, falling prospects, rising gun sales, not to mention the foreclosure of probably an additional ten million homes. Many are fearing a long hot summer, the implications of which will be felt across the land. And now there's Swine Flu.
It's funny that when it comes to Swine flu, we get it. When we're talking about the human body, we seem to understand that vulnerable parts put the whole body politic at risk.
In the face of a virus it makes perfect sense: germs don't
discriminate. Poisons spread. Switch to the topic of poverty and
predatory lending, and we have a problem grasping the basics. Yet
exploitation and corruption jump fences too. The epidemic of predatory
lending, for example, began by targeting Black, Latino (especially
female) borrowers, but predatory practices didn't stay in the 'hood.
On Sunday, as 20 cases of swine flu were confirmed, American health
officials declared a public health emergency. After scares from SARS
and bird flu a few years ago, international protocols were put in place
to deal with global pandemics. At a news conference in DC, Homeland
Security Secretary Janet Napolitano called the flu emergency declaration "standard operating procedure."
Imagine if we'd declared an Economic Health Emergency after Enron,
and the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and the collapse and devaluation
of the Russian ruble?
What we need are some standard operating procedures to deal with a plague of killer economics. Reading today's New York Times about the Treasury Secretary's cosy professional and personal relationship with the very industry he was supposed to regulate, it's clear that quarantine would have served us well.
In the case of epidemics, we investigate the causes and isolate the
carriers. On the economic front, so far, we've forged forward without
virtually no diagnosis -- and promoted the virus-carriers to high
office.
So what, now? Well, we'll need more than a face mask to protect us from Geithneritis. And no amount of Theraflu will do.
Â