The real worry about swine flu

I am a pandemic sceptic, but what actually does that mean? I don't believe there will be mega-death from this swine-flu. But i do think that the powers-that-be may use the fear of that, to introduce measures which will reduce our freedoms individually and collectivelly. A little like all of the changes bought in after 9/11. I know it may be hard to remember but there was a time when security at airports was pretty slack. It was slack because there was minimal threat. Nowdays they want to look everywhere and into everything - for what? Ain't no terrorist in my toilet bag mate.

So the pandemic fear will arrive, people will be scared. Businesses will close and, coupled with the economic tsunami we will find major disruption to all our lives in some way or other.

You won't die or even get really sick from swine flu - but you might from the measures put in place to protect you from swine flu.

My believe is that we should all have the resources to survive for at least a week without leaving the house. The Government has enacted new laws which mean they can order you to stay home. If you don't you will be arrested. If you are arrested and are considered a danger because you might have the swine flu - they will isolate you. Where will you be isolated? It could be facilities where good methods are already in place for isolating people - like prisons for instance, or maybe an island somewhere. The key for them will be to use the smallest amount of people to 'look after' the maximum amount of people. You need razor wire for that and guns.

So get ready because this is a continuation of the fear based society that they have created.

For maori we have some double and triple whammys. We are more suseptible to getting the flu because of our genetic makeup, our poorer living conditions, the fact that we earn less and suffer from more ailments and die younger. We have been through it before when pakeha first arrived. We survived, we will survive again, and again. Maori are also colonised so the majority can say, sorry we need that area for everyone, we need to build a camp there for the sick/isolated people. Maori have very little political power in their own country, pakeha can do what they want and it's hard to see how anybody could stop them. Don't think it can't happen - it happens all around the world, every day.

So what can we do. Our strength is whanau, hapu, iwi. Our strength is our people and the kin relationships we have. Bind tight to your kin, bind tight to your culture. bind tight! Communication, caring and consideration are our strengths too. Get involved.