"In the long run, we're all dead." — John Maynard Keynes

The World Health Organization warned Wednesday that a swine flu pandemic is likely imminent. "It's really all of humanity that's under threat," said Dr. Margaret Chan, the organization's director general.

Frightening though the risk may be, it's also important to keep the numbers in perspective. Consider these risks and numbers:

Total number of laboratory-confirmed swine flu cases, as of noon Wednesday Central daylight time:

United States: 91.

Mexico: 26.

All other countries: 31.

Total laboratory-confirmed swine flu deaths: 8.

Annual seasonal flu deaths, U.S.: 36,000.

Shark attacks in U.S. waters, 2008: 59.

Annual deaths from food-borne illness, U.S.: 5,000.

Hospitalizations for food-borne illness: 325,000.

Accidental poisoning deaths in 2004, U.S.: 23,618.

Deaths from falls: 19,665.

Annual pneumonia deaths: 58,564.

Motor vehicle accident deaths, 2004: 43,667.

Diabetes deaths, 2004: 73,138.

Estimated annual deaths from medical errors: 42,000 to 98,000.

Heart disease deaths, 2004: 652,486.

Annual tobacco-related deaths, U.S.: 438,000.

Alcohol-related deaths, 2004: 21,634.

U.S. lightning strike fatalities, 2006: 47.

— St. Louis Post-Dispatch- - -Buckle up, taxpayers. General Motors' latest survival strategy would put you in the driver's seat. This doesn't mean you would be forced to buy Chevys, Buicks and Cadillacs on penalty of an IRS audit. It's worse than that. You would own the company.No, it's even worse than that. You would own the company — and your government would run the company. How so?GM says it wants to borrow another $11.6 billion from you (on top of the $15.4 billion you've already lent). It offers to repay less than half of the $27 billion total by giving you the largest stake in the company — 50 percent. How would it (you) repay the rest of those loans from . . . you? GM is silent on this.No, really, it can get even worse than that: Even with all of your investment, you would not have a free hand to transform this company into something capable of actually making money: Your partner would be the United Auto Workers union, which would own 39 percent of GM, and your supervisors in the front office and on the assembly line would be the Obama administration and the 535 members of Congress. You think they would meddle much?Your No. 1 priority would be to — what? Make money? Save jobs? Maintain retiree benefits? Build small, fuel-efficient cars? Repay yourself for the risk you have accepted and the money you have lent?The answer is, all of the above.If you think meeting so many imperatives would be an impossible task, then you understand why this is such a terrible idea.GM's new plan speeds up the shrinking of what was once the largest automaker in the world. The Pontiac brand would disappear, and GM proposes to get rid of more dealers, plants and union jobs than it planned to ax as recently as February. But there's no guarantee this smaller company will succeed. What if Americans don't want to buy what Government Motors is selling?GM makes more money selling big pickup trucks and SUVs like the Chevy Silverado and the Cadillac Escalade than it does selling small, fuel-efficient models. It's developing the futuristic Chevy Volt, but that is going to be one pricey small electric car. What if Americans prefer to buy Fords or Toyotas or Hondas — or cars from a company not run by the government?Thankfully, GM's bondholders probably will sink this plan. They're being asked to surrender $27 billion in bond debt for a 10 percent stake in the company and they're already balking at that. Unless they agree to the plan soon, GM likely is headed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by June 1. A court would oversee reorganization of the company. That's where GM's unsustainable labor contracts and all these conflicts can, and should, be sorted out.

— Chicago Tribune