The USA hired one to be president not so long ago
Pfft they're just frontmen in a popularity contest.
Intentional destruction of life
- Thread starter Willowbark
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Pfft they're just frontmen in a popularity contest.
Well what else do you expect from the majority of the US Population?
Some common sense.
Soldato
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There's a vaccine and possible treatments that havn't been properly tested because they wern't around when Smallpox was an actual problem.
Soldato
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That would be intentional release though and what we're talking about is accidental plus if it were that easy don't you think terrorist organisations would've already done it?
Soldato
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"The Majority of the US population" and "common sense" will not go into a sentance together without the words "have no" in between.
Until there is a proven cure I don't think you should be so blasé about this. Hardly anyone has been vaccinated against smallpox and worldwide the vaccine is pretty widely spread (http://www.who.int/biologicals/areas/vaccines/smallpox/en/index.html).
It is not easy at all, and would take time (perhaps 5-10yrs to get someone into the required clearance level) but that doesn't make it any less of a threat if it is a concerted effort. Al Qaeda have shown increasing interest in obtaining biological and chemical weapons.
Just look at how poorly the USA reacted to the anthrax letters of 2001 and that was one man and a relatively containable substance. If you don't see the threat of an intentional release of a deadly virus, to which there is no proven cure and very little vaccine stockpiled I'm not sure what else I can say really.
It is not easy at all, and would take time (perhaps 5-10yrs to get someone into the required clearance level) but that doesn't make it any less of a threat if it is a concerted effort. Al Qaeda have shown increasing interest in obtaining biological and chemical weapons.
Just look at how poorly the USA reacted to the anthrax letters of 2001 and that was one man and a relatively containable substance. If you don't see the threat of an intentional release of a deadly virus, to which there is no proven cure and very little vaccine stockpiled I'm not sure what else I can say really.
Soldato
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I agree Intentional release is a possible outcome... but accidental the entire facility would have to drop the ball for that to happen.
What I'm saying here is that destroying smallpox is the better course of action, if it's possible it could be released (intentional or accidental) the end result is the same.
Destroying it would do little to prevent its intentional release. The chances of anyone acquiring it for intentional release from one of the sources that still hold it are very slim, and if they truly cannot be trusted to keep it out of dangerous hands they cannot be trusted to actually destroy it when they say they will either.
Meanwhile, the exact genome of smallpox is a matter of public record, as are the techniques needed to construct a functioning virus from the genome.
So I don't see that destroying the smallpox will make much difference to an intentional release. As for accidental, well, there was an accidental infection a few years back but it was dealt with quickly and cleanly. I rather doubt there's much risk of worse occurring.
Surely recent events in Japan show that even with the most stringent of security preperations the unexpected can happen.
I stupidly looked at some pictures of people with smallpox the other day, my vote would be to make lots of vaccines and then get shot of it.
Surely there is a way round preparing for an outbreak that is more risk proof than keeping the actual virus and we have so many weapons of so many different kinds now anyway that the only people who would want to use it as a weapon are people like terrorists.
I can't see Russia or the US running out of nukes and there still be enough enemies still alive to start chucking yoghurt pots of smallpox at soldiers.
Surely there is a way round preparing for an outbreak that is more risk proof than keeping the actual virus and we have so many weapons of so many different kinds now anyway that the only people who would want to use it as a weapon are people like terrorists.
I can't see Russia or the US running out of nukes and there still be enough enemies still alive to start chucking yoghurt pots of smallpox at soldiers.
Man of Honour
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Read the thread, we can make it if we want.
Yeah because getting it out of cold storage taking it out warming it preparing it to a suitable dose and injecting yourself wouldn't be observed at all.
The military is known for it's lax attitude to security.
Lets you attack covertly.
well when you put it that way it just sounds ridiculous doesn't it. I mean who would want to live in a world without chemical weapons.
A virus is just a replicant, no different to a prion in my mind.