More on the Influenza...and on Obama

Classes in Mexico have been ordered to restart on May 7th for colleges and high schools, and on the 11th for elementary and junior high after a forced closure for sanitary reasons (you may want to read the post below). With this, and the opening of restaurants, etc. life is ging back to normal in Mexico (particularly in Mexico City). Nonetheless many schools have ordered their students to stay home if the feel any flu-like symptoms and to use surgical masks in their facilities. Apparently, Mexicans will have to learn to live with the swine flu (I insist its a joke to call it human influenza, as many Mexican media have begun to call it to avoid using the term refering to pigs or the more scientific term A/H1N1).

Fortunately, the alarm has gone down. People should not panic, they should only continue to follow the instructions that avoided its spread. Although at times annoying and exagerated, these measures are a small price to pay (if not, you may check the story on Manuel Camacho, a renowned polititan who seemingly caught the virus, check www.eluniversal.com.mx for coverage on this story and on the whole pandemic).

The virus is real. It's no coverup story for the legalisation of personal drug use in Mexico, it is not the new Chupacabras, it is any of these weird stories you may hear about on Facebook or Twitter. For instance, Google caught a significant rise in the searches for influenza related words in Mexico two weeks before the alarm was given. This usually happens because when people begin feeling the symptoms they search for them on the net.

And I'd like to comment on the first of the silly stories you hear on Facebook that I mentioned and with this pass to the second topic of this post, Obama. a week before the alarm on this new strain of influenza was give, President Obama visited Mexico, closing one of its hottest neighborhoods, Polanco. The allegation I read on Facebook was that he would have suggest the use of this flu as a story to avoid the headlines of the legalisation of the carrying of personal doses of drugs such as mariguana, cocaine, heroine, etc. and thus lessen the problem of drugtrafficking (we should keep in mind that El Chapo Guzmán -the most important druglord in Mexico, and ostensibly the world- is now one Forbes' richest men and one of Time's most influential leaders). Yes, drug use was depenalized in Mexico, but so far this reform has had (and will have) no impact on the power of druglords because it doesn't change incentives to move drugs in any case it encourages them to keep on doing buisness, but not to lower their prices; as long as the supply side remains as a black market operation, druglords will not lose their power.

On another issue, Obama has been US President for over 100 days. Is he doing well? Democrats in the US and left-winged intellectuals are extatic with his presidency. He has become a kind of JFK, an American President with whom everybody has fallen in love. To these people I say, watch the US government spending. The monetary supply has already more than doubled (seniorage) to cope with the government spending to help the country not fall into a bigger crisis. The flu epidemic has only brought, yes, more spending. If China should stop buying US bonds two great effects would hit the US economy: hyperinflation and a smaller aggreate demand, which would mean a smaller GDP. So Obama could be endangering the US economy, and could eventually not be remebered as a good-looking African American statesman but as the man that left the US broker than what it was. Nonehteless this is just my humble opinion.

Yes, I was wrong...Is it time to worry about the influenza?

As my friend Héctor well pointed out, by no means can we consider the latest events in Mexico a political stunt. Yes, I think it will help governing PAN in the intermidiate election, since voters tend to favor the status quo when it comes to dealing with crises (as for instance happened after September 11, 2001, when the Republican party got many more votes than originally expected) specially when the government is taking the correct actions towards dealing with it. Nonetheless, the flu pandemic is a reason to worry and has no politcal reason behind it.

Then spread of the swine flu (or the A/H1N1 influenza, as it is now becoming politically correct to call it) is no one's fault. Conservative US media have begun to think its spread in the US is the fault of Mexican illegal aliens. There is nothing more erred than this. In a globalized world (particularly flu) pandemics spread like never before (remember the avian flu?)

Mexico City, once one the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, once full of people, is now empty. Its once exhilarating nightlife is now shut down. Its restaurants are now closed. Its 18 million inhabitants are now confined to their homes. Expendable government agencies are now closed until May 6th (hospitals, gas stations, the police, and the army continue working). Schools are closed as well until May 6th (but probably until May 11). Not a soul in town. In Mexico this is a long weekend, because of labor day followed by 5 de mayo (the battle of Puebla holiday), buisnesses where asked to shut down during these days if they were able to.

WHO has raised its epidemic level to 5. This means the epidemic in now in more than 1 country. Is it time to worry? Its time to take action, no to panic. Government instructions to avoid the spread of the disease include, wearing a face mask, washing your hands constantly, avoid saying hi to people through a handshake or a kiss, etc. Please, if you're in Mexico or elsewhere, follow these easy instructions, they do no harm, and their just for a while. To avoid the spread of this strain of flu is our responsability.