Soft Soap

This is from today's UK Guardian, from a report on the finding in Scotland of a swan infected with bird flu.

"There were recriminations during the day from local people at the speed with which the authorities had removed and tested the contaminated carcass, which was seen moving with the tide in the village's small harbour for days. It was not until Thursday last week that the partially eaten remains were removed by the Scottish authorities for tests.

Tina Briscoe, a university researcher who raised the alarm after spotting the dead bird, said: 'It was reported in the evening to Defra and they collected the bird around lunchtime, about 12.30 or so, the following day. I would have expected a quicker reaction, particularly because in the tidal water it could have been washed away or cats could have picked on it.'

Charles Milne, Scotland's chief vet, defended the speed with which the dead bird had been tested. 'There were a series of laboratory procedures that needed to be gone through,' he said."

The Guardian printed that. They have accepted the chief vet's statement and printed it as if it were a rational answer to the question of the delay in getting the bird out of the water for inspection.

And so we go on. Events occur; officials respond with some insufficient cover-up; our robotic press report it; and we accept it.
Fools we are.