They call soccer the opiate of the masses, a necessary diversion from the perils and pessimism of everyday life, the great escape.
Which makes the current outbreak of swine flu — "influenza porcina" in Spanish — all the more depressing for Mexico. It has infected thousands and likely killed hundreds. It has paralyzed the world's second-largest metropolitan area. It has closed schools until May 6. It has decimated the tourist industry.
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