Morlock Elloi wrote:
I wonder how long will the anthrax hysteria last. Repetitive stimulation yields diminished response over time. This is not to say that there is no danger - but perception of danger seldom has any relation to danger itself.
Ask the Afghans how long bomb hysteria lasts. They been dealing with them for a few decades now.
The only way to protect from living organisms used as weapons (after all - life is a weapon) in the long run is immunity. Sooner or later any small determined group will be able to create some bug. I see no way that government can stop this - it's like trying to stop crypto or C coding. Will not happen.
That or genetic engineering, biotechnology, other advances in medicine and other fields. Brought about in no small measure to crypto and C coding, if only indirectly.
Maybe the high density living that we are so used to is incompatible with new weapons. Maybe societal structures based on projectile-throwing weaponry are passe. New weapons always changed rules, and it was called progress.
Give me enough room for projectiles any day.
One obvious advance is that using and defending from bugs requires more intelligence than pulling the trigger. This may be the main cause of Fear from WMD.
Putting whole societies in the line of fire of microbes is intelligent? Like I've been saying, folks, get a fucking grip. jbdigriz