You are currently being bombarded with Swine Flu stories. The U.S. government is telling you not to "panic," while simultaneously engaging in activities meant to spread widespread fear.
The Centers for Disease Control claims to be in a constant state of readiness in order to protect you from the next pandemic. At the CDC, it always is 1918, and an outbreak of "Spanish Flu" or something like it is just around the corner.
But government may be the last thing you need if there is a real pandemic. In fact, governments played a major role in creating the conditions that turned the "Spanish Flu" situation of 1918 into a world-wide tragedy that led to the death of millions. World War I led to vast swaths of malnourishment as crops were diverted from civilian populations to the huge armies strung across Europe. At the same time, once-productive croplands in Europe were reduced to moonscapes as the armies obliterated the land. Meanwhile, the U.S. government was blatantly lying to "prevent panic" from the onrushing flu epidemic, resulting in many more deaths.