Liberal website ThinkProgress had a piece yesterday on “The Ugly Racial Undertones In Our Panicked Response To Ebola.” Consider, for example, the “disproportionate” national response to the Ebola outbreak, as opposed to the relatively calm reaction to Britain’s outbreak of Mad Cow disease.
“With Mad Cow disease (in Great Britain), you didn’t restrict travel; when you had bird flu in China you didn’t restrict travel,” Leo Mulbah, who heads up the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta, told the Detroit Free Press. “So why now?”
In his interview with the newspaper, Mulbah suggested it’s because countries like Liberia don’t have the same political or economic clout as countries in Europe or Asia. That’s certainly true. On top of that, however, there’s another dynamic that’s been gaining increasing attention over the past few weeks: The undercurrent of racial stereotypes and prejudice.
Thanks to Ebola, some xenophobic attitudes have been on full display recently.
ThinkProgress editor Judd Legum tweeted a link to the piece, but the comparison of Ebola and Mad Cow didn’t convince many.
Remember when there was a mad cow disease outbreak and all the politicians proposed a travel ban to England? http://t.co/iyIdHEjEuK
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 17, 2014
@JuddLegum remember sars travel ban….oh wait
— Maxine Baptiste (@brownsugar7878) October 17, 2014
@JuddLegum I had steak tartare during that time in England. Travel bans in this day and age are goofy. Send more healthcare workers instead.
— Mark Thrun (@MarkWThrun) October 17, 2014
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/523171181797842944
@seanmdav @JohnEkdahl Stupid doesn't begin to cover it.
— Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) October 17, 2014
@seanmdav I can answer for him if he doesn’t respond.
— American Journalists Publish Chinese Propaganda (@JohnEkdahl) October 17, 2014
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/523171535109230593
https://twitter.com/maxwellarm/status/523171595678797825
@JuddLegum remember when you showed how little you understand the differences in how the two diseases spread?
— Good Tweetman (@Goodtweet_man) October 17, 2014
@JuddLegum @seanmdav I remember Oprah telling her minions not to eat meat and being sued as a result.
— EdAsante (@EdAsante77) October 17, 2014
@seanmdav I remember they wouldn't let a SINGLE COW onto a commercial passenger jet! #specism @JuddLegum
— Jason Hart (@jasonahart) October 17, 2014
@baseballcrank @seanmdav @JuddLegum April Ryan of American Urban Radio asked that at the WH briefing. Must be lefty talking point of the day
— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) October 17, 2014
https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/523170759817310208
@JuddLegum the stupid hurts … how is BGE spread??
— Victor Morton (@vjmfilms) October 17, 2014
@JuddLegum A travel ban for cows? Yes.
— jerylbier (@JerylBier) October 17, 2014
I remember cattle being slaughtered to stave off an outbreak.
I suppose that is your strategy here as well?@JuddLegum— Brad Slager: aka Wuhan Solo (@MartiniShark) October 17, 2014
DEEEEEEEEERP RT @JuddLegum Remember when there was a mad cow disease outbreak and all the politicians proposed a travel ban to England?
— RBe (@RBPundit) October 17, 2014
@RBPundit @JuddLegum No. But I remember that it destroyed the British beef industry because the whole world banned imports of British beef.
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) October 17, 2014
@charlescwcooke @RBPundit @JuddLegum totally misleading.
— Terry Smithson (@dcjournoterry) October 17, 2014
@dcjournoterry @RBPundit @JuddLegum Which bit?
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) October 17, 2014
@charlescwcooke @RBPundit @JuddLegum that a ban on beef is the same as ebola. come on
— Terry Smithson (@dcjournoterry) October 17, 2014
@dcjournoterry @RBPundit @JuddLegum That was my point.
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) October 17, 2014
@dcjournoterry @RBPundit @JuddLegum It’s ridiculous for Legum to compare the two that way; even more silly to pretend there was no reaction.
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) October 17, 2014
Your comparison fails, Juddle Gum. Restrictions on cattle "travel" FROM the infected area were put in place. #Idiot @JuddLegum @RBPundit
— Tested Negative for Coronavirus 2x J.G. Petruna (@jgpetruna) October 17, 2014
@seanmdav If you don't understand/recognize the difference between banning cattle from traveling and humans, I don't think I can help you
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 17, 2014
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/523183374023028736
@seanmdav No, I never said that. But you must be really confident of your views. That's why you call people "monumentally stupid."
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 17, 2014
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/523184098714877952
@seanmdav I fully understand that. You completely misunderstand my point though. Have fun with the insults though.
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 17, 2014
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/523185447141638144
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/523185726511652864
https://twitter.com/BenHowe/status/523185941343514624
@seanmdav So members of Congress called for travel bans on every other disease transmitted thru human contact?
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 17, 2014
@seanmdav Also, Ebola is also not transmitted through casual human contact. Have fun with this though.
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 17, 2014
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/523187718374031360
.@seanmdav @JuddLegum I'm sure many infectious disease specialists will be interested in Judd Lugum, M.D.'s analysis.
— Jason B. Whitman, OD (@JasonBWhitman) October 17, 2014
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/523189013378007041
@seanmdav Didn't Judd Legum & the Racial Overtones open for Angry Cow Dynamite in Akron last weekend?
— Ginny (@ginthegin) October 17, 2014
Sorry, Mr. Legum, the job’s been filled.
Juddle Gum seems to have exactly the medical training/experience of the new ebola czar. @JasonBWhitman @seanmdav @JuddLegum
— Tested Negative for Coronavirus 2x J.G. Petruna (@jgpetruna) October 17, 2014
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