No, my peeve is not that the president must know everything, it is the press and a loudly vocal portion of the public who think the president must solve all their problems and be in control of every world event.
Swine flu got you worried? Why isn't the government stopping it? Close the borders! Measure the temperature of every person crossing the border. Quarantine everybody!
In fact, the government has already done the right thing. They told everyone to wash their hands frequently. I know, I know, it sounds like so little. You want to see some action. Bring out the medical emergency teams, and squash this thing before it gets started. But what exactly would you have them do? Where would you send a response team when people all over the country are infected? No, the best response is still to inform people about the best technique for stopping the spread of the disease: Wash your hands!
A potential swine flu pandemic is a big, scary event. It is reasonable to expect the president to have some position on this, and I think he has stated a very reasonable position. He cannot control everything in the world. Instead, he is offering useful, practical advice. Kudos to President Obama.
On the other hand, a military 747 flying over NYC is not a big event. Yes, it was handled cloddishly. Yes, it scared many people in NYC, but many people want to blame President Obama for this event. Do you really think President Obama keeps track of the daily movements of airplanes he may fly on? I hope not. I hope he spends his time worrying about bigger things than that.
Tomorrow's peeve: media coverage of aviation related events. Hint: Air Force One is not a single airplane.
For today, remember Benjamin Franklin's words: Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
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