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https://sentientmedia.org/whos-to-blame-...urn-to-us/
INTRO: Earlier this month, the parasitic New World screwworm was detected in U.S. cattle for the first time since 1982. Since then, Democrats and Republicans have been pointing fingers, with politicians in each camp blaming the others’ policies for the screwworm’s reemergence. Is either side right, and if so, which one?
The truth is that we don’t know, at least not entirely. The series of events that resulted in screwworm landing on a cow in the U.S. played out over several years across multiple continents, and many of the most crucial details as to how that happened are — and will perhaps always be — unknown. It’s simply not possible to draw a causal connection between any given policy and the fly’s arrival in the US.
However, we can at least examine the various claims being made about how the screwworm was able to return to U.S. cattle four decades after its eradication. Because while none of these claims are demonstrably true, some have more merit than others.
To recap, the screwworm is a parasitic fly that lays its eggs in the open wounds of mammals. It was a serious problem in the U.S. for most of the 20th century, killing countless cows and devastating the domestic cattle industry. Since the 1960s, the screwworm has been mostly kept out of North America using something called the sterile fly technique, which involves releasing sterilized screwworms into population hotspots in order to stop its ability to reproduce.
In the decades that followed, the U.S. and Panama have jointly maintained a sterile fly facility in Panama, effectively creating a barrier preventing the fly from reaching the US. In 2022, however, that barrier was breached. The fly slowly made its way north over the years, and in June, it was detected in a calf in the U.S. — the first time screwworm was found in U.S. cattle since 1982. As of June 26, there have now been 25 documented cases of screwworm in the U.S. since the beginning of June, according to the USDA.
Unsurprisingly, this kicked off a blame game between Democrats and Republicans in Washington. Let’s take a look at what each side said, and which — if any — of their claims hold up to scrutiny... (MORE - details)
What to know about the screwworm outbreak ... https://youtu.be/T6Wf9EFpKX4
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/T6Wf9EFpKX4
INTRO: Earlier this month, the parasitic New World screwworm was detected in U.S. cattle for the first time since 1982. Since then, Democrats and Republicans have been pointing fingers, with politicians in each camp blaming the others’ policies for the screwworm’s reemergence. Is either side right, and if so, which one?
The truth is that we don’t know, at least not entirely. The series of events that resulted in screwworm landing on a cow in the U.S. played out over several years across multiple continents, and many of the most crucial details as to how that happened are — and will perhaps always be — unknown. It’s simply not possible to draw a causal connection between any given policy and the fly’s arrival in the US.
However, we can at least examine the various claims being made about how the screwworm was able to return to U.S. cattle four decades after its eradication. Because while none of these claims are demonstrably true, some have more merit than others.
To recap, the screwworm is a parasitic fly that lays its eggs in the open wounds of mammals. It was a serious problem in the U.S. for most of the 20th century, killing countless cows and devastating the domestic cattle industry. Since the 1960s, the screwworm has been mostly kept out of North America using something called the sterile fly technique, which involves releasing sterilized screwworms into population hotspots in order to stop its ability to reproduce.
In the decades that followed, the U.S. and Panama have jointly maintained a sterile fly facility in Panama, effectively creating a barrier preventing the fly from reaching the US. In 2022, however, that barrier was breached. The fly slowly made its way north over the years, and in June, it was detected in a calf in the U.S. — the first time screwworm was found in U.S. cattle since 1982. As of June 26, there have now been 25 documented cases of screwworm in the U.S. since the beginning of June, according to the USDA.
Unsurprisingly, this kicked off a blame game between Democrats and Republicans in Washington. Let’s take a look at what each side said, and which — if any — of their claims hold up to scrutiny... (MORE - details)
What to know about the screwworm outbreak ... https://youtu.be/T6Wf9EFpKX4