Showing posts with label Olympics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Olympics. Show all posts

Monday, October 5, 2009

Critical Political Effectiveness

A few days ago, my wife and I visited the Lyndon B. Johnson museum and Library at Austin'sUniversity of Texas campus. We saw a detailed history of Johnson's  life and political activities from childhood to death. What struck us was the thoroughness of his apprenticeship and life's training as a political figure and campaigner, his long-hours of work (often from 4 A.M. to midnight),  his extraordinary Congressional career which earned him respect, and political chips, from Representatives and Senators on both sides of the aisles, and his principles concerning civil rights which dated to his early career as a teacher in a Texas Mexican-American primary school.

When Lee Harvey Oswald murdered President Kennedy,  Vice President Johnson had the energy, talent, politcal experience, credibility, focus, commitment and contacts  to become an extraordinary President, actively involved in passage of  revolutionary civil rights  and health care reforms, including the establishment of Medicare.  However, his commitment to continuing the Vietnamese war eroded  public support and led to his decision not to seek reelection.

In my opinion, President Obama lacks a number of the presidential  qualities of President Johnson. Obama's decision to flee Washington to pursue the illusion of a Chicago Olympics, rather than to provide needed leadership to ineffective Harry Reid in the Senate battle over health care reform, demonstrates a lack of  focus and a failure of staff  to work with him to set an appropriate agenda. Obama abandoned the appearance of serious comitment to health care reform to chase after international games. Like the Olympics, his actions suggest amateurism.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Olympics, China, Hand Foot & Mouth Disease

With the beginning of the Olympic games in China, days away, the outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease ("HFMD") in that country, with associated childrens' deaths, is a cause for some concern. If visitors from the United States are exposed to the virus and bring it back to the US with them, there is a risk of an epidemic which may further test our already stressed health system.

Hand, foot and mouth disease, a highly infectious and easily spread viral disease, is causing death among Chinese children and is beginning to spread among children in Vietnam and Singapore, as well http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=2008-05-04_D90ETD5G1&show_article=1&cat=breaking. HFMD may be caused by either a coxackie virus A16 or EV71. EV71 may also cause viral meningitis and, rarely, more serious diseases, such as encephalitis, or a poliomyelitis-like paralysis. EV71 encephalitis may be fatal. Cases of fatal encephalitis occurred during outbreaks of HFMD in Malaysia in 1997 and in Taiwan in 1998.EV71 encephalitis may be fatal. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol9no1/02-0112.htm

According to the CDC, hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common illness of infants and children which is characterized by fever, sores in the mouth, and a rash with blisters. It begins with a mild fever, poor appetite, malaise ("feeling sick"), and frequently a sore throat. Then, one or 2 days after the fever begins, painful sores develop in the mouth which begin as small red spots that blister and then often become ulcers. They are usually located on the tongue, gums, and inside of the cheeks. The skin rash develops over 1 to 2 days with flat or raised red spots, some with blisters. The rash does not itch, and it is usually located on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. It may also appear on the buttocks. A person with HFMD may have only the rash or the mouth ulcers. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/hfhf.htm

According to the CDC, HFMD is moderately contagious. Infection is spread from person to person by direct contact with nose and throat discharges, saliva, fluid from blisters, or the stool of infected persons. A person is most contagious during the first week of the illness. HFMD is not transmitted to or from pets or other animals.

No specific treatment is available for this or other enterovirus infections. Symptomatic treatment is given to provide relief from fever, aches, or pain from the mouth ulcers.