Michelle Malkin » Too pig to fail: Officials seek to remove “swine” from flu name to save pork industry

Too pig to fail: Officials seek to remove “swine” from flu name to save pork industry

By Doug Powers • April 29, 2009 08:42 AM

The Obama administration—in keeping true with their penchant for changing the names of things — is trying to stop using the word “swine” in swine flu:

U.S. pork producers are finding that the name of the virus spreading from Mexico is affecting their business, prompting U.S. officials to argue for changing the name from swine flu.

At a news briefing, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack took pains to repeatedly refer to the flu as the “H1N1 virus.”

“This is not a food-borne illness, virus. It is not correct to refer to it as swine flu because really that’s not what this is about,” Vilsack said.

I’m all for helping keep businesses from being victimized by the uninformed (many voters can empathize because the same thing often happens to us on Election Day), so maybe another name is in order. But what should it be?

The Obama administration has already stopped using the terms “terrorism” (now “man-caused disasters”) and “war on terror” (now “overseas contingency operation”), so there should be no problem changing the name of the “swine flu.”

How about “Virus caused disasters”? “Rosie O’Donnell fever”? The “Arnold Ziffel sniffles”? “Arlen Specter”?

As it turns out, Napolitano and Vilsack aren’t alone in their disenchantment with the “swine flu” label:

Israel has already rejected the name swine flu, and opted to call it “Mexico flu.” Jewish dietary laws forbid eating pork.

It’s not settled yet, because somebody in Israel is about to get a call from La Raza.

The Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health also objected to the name, saying the virus contains avian and human components and no pig so far has been found ill with the disease.

Translation: The name “swine flu” reeks of pigophobia

And there is growing sentiment in the farm sector to call it the North American virus — although disease expert Anthony Fauci told a Senate hearing the “swine flu” designation reflected scientific naming protocol.

“Let’s see… ‘bird flu’—been there. ‘Chickenpox’ is old. ‘Elephantitus’—did it. ‘Mad cow’—done that. ‘Monkeypox’—used it already. Yep, ‘swine’ is next on the list. Run with it…”

For U.S. pork producers the swine flu name has hurt, forcing government officials into the position of stressing that American pork is safe to eat and that other countries should not ban imports.

Isn’t the government that’s now pushing pork on us the same one that’s always telling us we’re way too fat? Confusion: the new white meat.

Pork, soybean and corn prices have fallen in the last two days, “and if this continues, obviously you have significant potential, which is why it’s important to get this right,” Vilsack said.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? “Pork bailout!” Soon we’ll be told the industry is “too pig to fail.”

At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there was also talk of stripping the “swine” from swine flu, which CDC acting director Richard Besser said was leading to the misapprehension that people can catch the disease from pork.

True. If you could catch the disease from pork, much of Congress would be in Bethesda Naval Hospital heaving their worthless guts out right now.

“That’s not helpful to pork producers. That’s not helpful to people who eat pork. It’s not helpful to people who are wondering, how can they get this infection,” Besser told a briefing.

I love pork. I also love sausage, pork chops and barbeque. The fact that it never occurred to me to stop eating these things because of the “swine flu” means that I either bothered to learn about the facts about this virus, or am willing to die for bacon. Truth be told, I think it’s a little of both.

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#101

On April 29th, 2009 at 2:21 pm, chapoutier said:

So, how bad is this form of virus compared to the regular form? Last year, 36,000 people died from influenza in the U.S. So far, ONE two year old Mexican child died in the U.S. this year. Let me translate this in Obamanese;

First off, you are wrong. One person so far (that we know of) has died of this strain, not including the regular flu deaths that have already occured this year. Second, how many people do you think would have died last year if there had not been a flu vaccination? Certainly more than 36,000. Then ask yourself how many people are vaccinated against the swine flu right now.
#102

On April 29th, 2009 at 2:27 pm, granite said:

On April 29th, 2009 at 2:12 pm, right_on said:

Why not refer to it as the National Health Care Contingency Plan Virus?

Let me translate this in Obamanese;

This is a “crisis” we cannot afford to waste. Now’s the time to rush through our health care agenda!

I agree we should watch this closely.
See my post #24 above.
#103

On April 29th, 2009 at 2:28 pm, vinny said:

So far, not a single American who was infected with this virus in the United States, has died. The toddler in Texas came from Mexico City, developed respiratory complications and 3 weeks later was rushed to a large hospital in Texas. He died of pneumonia. I agree with right_on, in that this “crisis” will be used for political gain.
#104

On April 29th, 2009 at 2:31 pm, vinny said:

For that matter, not a single human who was infected with this virus within the US, died. I suspect that the Mexican outbreak is much larger than being reported. There were 800 symptomatic people reported in Mexico city, but I believe that the NYC cases are linked to a trip to Cancun. It seems to be very underestimated among the Mexican population.
#105

On April 29th, 2009 at 2:37 pm, vinny said:

BTW, if 800 people were symptomatic enough in Mexico city to be recorded in some sort of census, the actual number of sick individuals is likely manyfold larger. The fact that those people who recently came from Mexico are spreading it to others, means that it is contageous among humans. If this is like any other seasonal flu epidemic, expect 5-25% of the population to become infected. That being said, the lethality of this virus is likely exagerated.
#106

On April 29th, 2009 at 2:43 pm, SpeakEasy said:

Chap,
I believe right_on’s point was this is not quite a “crisis.” Absolutely we should try to provide vaccinations to as many people as wants it but this is not a sweeping wave of death. Just another virus- one that should be treated as carefully as any other. Why all the drama?

Of course if we want to use this as the basis to accomplish something substanative, lets enforce border control.
#107

On April 29th, 2009 at 2:48 pm, chapoutier said:

I believe right_on’s point was this is not quite a “crisis.” …but this is not a sweeping wave of death.

Yet. Lets give it more than a week, whadayasay?

Just another virus- one that should be treated as carefully as any other.

Speculating about how this is some grand conspiracy to implement social change is a good way to make sure its not treated seriously, wouldn’t you agree?
#108

On April 29th, 2009 at 2:50 pm, rambler said:

Changing the name doesn’t make it a more appealing disease. When are these people going to get over themselves? They’ve spent more time deliberating over pc terminology than solving problems, after all, it’s more important to sound intelligent than to be intelligent. We can’t offend anyone either.
#109

On April 29th, 2009 at 2:54 pm, Edouard said:

Semi-related…

Egypt has begun to slaughter each and every pig in the country because of the threat of swine flu, even though not a single case of swine flu has yet been reported in the country.

Madness.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090429/ap_on_he_me/ml_egypt_swine_flu
#110

On April 29th, 2009 at 3:17 pm, SpeakEasy said:

Chap, okay, let’s give it a while. As far as the conspiracy theorists, I agree and do not condone. That was the drama of which I wrote. Also the renaming silliness; I am not a fan of Newspeak.

No opinion on border control? (meant as discussion, not accusation).
#111

On April 29th, 2009 at 3:32 pm, Elm Creek Smith said:

Oh, let’s go with alliteration without losing the link to the source:

FRIJOLE FLU!!!!

Hope is not a plan; not all change is good. WE are the civilian national security force! Close the freaking frijoles border! The resistance is here; the resistance is now. RESIST!!!!!!!!

ECS
#112

On April 29th, 2009 at 3:38 pm, blogagog said:

This could be good news for the consumer though. Look for sales on pork tenderloin next week!
#113

On April 29th, 2009 at 3:42 pm, vinny said:

Grand conspiracy to implement social change:
1. Taking over banks (check)
2. Taking over auto industry (check)
3. Socializing medicine (who needs 60 votes?)
4. Private school vouchers (screw them)
5. Control of Newpapers (check)
…
#114

On April 29th, 2009 at 3:48 pm, Tuesday said:

If JanNo is serious about shooting down false labels, she ought to stop the Democratic Party from using its name. Stop them, too, from the bastardization of the words “liberal” and “progressive.”

We could, after the above, revert to using them in their correct meaning and context.

They can use Obamanation. At least as a fairly new word, its import is pretty clear: as a group, members are willing to ignore everything they have learned from history so they can show the world the U.S.A. have a black president, nevermind his criminal past, his inexperience, and his (rotten) personal agenda.
#115

On April 29th, 2009 at 3:56 pm, happyscrapper said:

This flu may become a lot worse…if it mutates. I think that is what is feared in this one. Because it was transmitted from swine to human and now from human to human, it seems to be a very virulent virus. The flu epidemic of 1918 started as something that was mild and not taken seriously. By late summer that year, it mutated. My Dad’s little five-year-old sister died in November 1918 of the flu. Granted, they didn’t know as much about these things as we do, and we now have antibiotics to treat the pneumonia. But we have to take this seriously. Just don’t let it take our eyes off the real stuff going on in DC…that is what they want!
#116

On April 29th, 2009 at 5:40 pm, JD in D.C. said:

PLEASE, PLEASE be FAIR!

Start calling it the “LaRAZA Flu!”
#117

On April 29th, 2009 at 6:31 pm, DBNinKY said:

Parents brought to US to seek medical treatment.

Well that’ll be one less worry if the Democrats rationed health care plan is instituted – our medical services will become as sub-par as theirs, so they’ll all stay home.
#118

On April 29th, 2009 at 11:51 pm, Oink said:

Folks, it’s not a matter of being “fair” to the pork industry – it’s a matter of not destroying it completely!

Look, my screen name is “Oink.” We have pigs. My kids show pigs in 4-H. My father raised market hogs for DECADES and he never EVER once became sick with the flu thanks to catching it from a pig. NEVER.

But, people CAN catch the flu from swine. It IS possible. As you all know (all INFORMED folks), the issue of catching the flu from a pig with the flu is not new. What is new is the HUMAN TO HUMAN transmission. Culling (killing) pigs is not the answer. The answer would be for the US to not allow folks in from Mexico. That’s where the problem started. It’s fine if people want to go to Mexico, but it will be a different story if they want to come back.
#119

On April 30th, 2009 at 9:55 am, corona said:

Never fear!

Noted epidemiologist Slow Joe Biden is on the case.