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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (87384)	3/28/2003 5:36:30 PM
From: Sig	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

<<Yes, there are already cures for bubonic plagues, but maybe you already know that pharmacologists are always trying to develop new and better cures?>>> This discussion leads to the a few points The next steps in the War on Terror will be in response to the threat posed by biological agents in the hands of terrorists. Shooting a nuke, where you and your country die, becomes a lesser risk The nuclear industry is mature and requires huge technical resources and thus easier to keep track of. But the biological development is just beginning and can be conducted in small labs. Along with developing cures by modifying cells or receptors comes the ability to mutate germs to become immune to drugs or more deadly and there are great numbers of companies and employees engaged in that effort. (developing the cures) Can they all be stopped from accepting huge bribes by Nations or Terrorists in exchange for their knowledge? This also represents an economic threat to our pharmaceutical companies when others duplicate our drugs, noting that S America produces and sells to Africa Aids drugs at a far lower price than our companies do. (which raises many separate issues) Perhaps it is human nature to live with fears. We all did in the Cold War but survived very nicely. If that is the case, we should not fear 6mm armed N. Koreans as much as other more deadly things. Mother nature drops enough challenges in the way of new "bugs", so we dont need Terrorists adding any more. Sig@Ihopetheycatchwhatevertheyspread.com