A global pandemic could kill more people than nuclear war, former VP candidate Lieberman warns - CNBC

[TomSea]

A global pandemic could kill more people than nuclear war, former VP candidate Lieberman warns
 Matthew J. Belvedere   | @Matt_Belvedere
Thursday, 9 Mar 2017 | 11:57 AM ET
The United States needs to sharpen its biodefense strategy to guard against the possibility of a global pandemic and the potential of a terrorist attack using a virus, Joe Lieberman, a former longtime U.S. senator, told CNBC on Thursday.

"Two things keep me up. One is that a group like ISIS will develop a synthetic form of the flu, a powerful flu, and move it into our population," said the 2000 Democratic vice presidential candidate. "The second, which is probably the more likely, [with] similar effect, is that there be an infectious disease pandemic."

The latter concern about a pandemic hits home for Lieberman.

Continued: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/09/a-global-pandemic-could-kill-more-people-than-nuclear-war-former-vp-candidate-lieberman-warns.html

[Smokin Joe]

From the Party that brought Ebola to the Americas...to your ears.

[Cripplecreek]

Disease is certainly the most dangerous weapon terrorists could potentially get their hands on.

A nuke is bad and can kill a lot of people but everybody knows when it goes off and much can be done to mitigate further damage. A disease, depending on its incubation period can spread far and wide among the people before anybody notices.

[Smokin Joe]

Disease is certainly the most dangerous weapon terrorists could potentially get their hands on.

A nuke is bad and can kill a lot of people but everybody knows when it goes off and much can be done to mitigate further damage. A disease, depending on its incubation period can spread far and wide among the people before anybody notices.

No argument, here. With the fading of basic hygienic behaviour, any deadly disease with a longer incubation period, capable of forming fomites (surviving as a viable organism on inert surfaces outside the human body) would be particularly devastating in an urban area. Even worse at something like sporting events, concerts, or venues where people come from all over.

[Elderberry]

[TomSea]

[Wingnut]

Nature will take care of the excess population.   It is how the world works.

[Frank Cannon]

Nature will take care of the excess population.   It is how the world works.

Nature and a .357 Magnum....

[truth_seeker]

There are plenty of international intrigue books on this pre and post 9/11/2001.

Biological warfare. I have wondered about destroying food crops.

[geronl]

In most wars the highest death tolls aren't from bullets.

[DB]

Drones dispensing fire could do massive damage to crops, forest and even cities. Brave new world...

[Suppressed]

Biological warfare. I have wondered about destroying food crops.

Bingo. 

Doesn't have to be a direct approach...food crops instead of human disease.  Or, another vector instead of food crops. Ecological webs can be vulnerable in many ways.

[Smokin Joe]

Nature and a .357 Magnum....

Dangit, Frank, that was supposed to be a .44 Magnum ("the most powerful handgun in the world")

[Smokin Joe]

Bingo. 

Doesn't have to be a direct approach...food crops instead of human disease.  Or, another vector instead of food crops. Ecological webs can be vulnerable in many ways.

Starvation is a weapon of mass destruction.

[thackney]

There are plenty of international intrigue books on this pre and post 9/11/2001.

Biological warfare. I have wondered about destroying food crops.

Light reading:

http://www.lemodesittjr.com/the-books/ecolitan-matter/

[Victoria33]

Fastest way to kill millions is corrupt/bring down the internet.  That shuts down electricity, stops trucks delivering food and shuts down the money system.  The first to die are serious patients in hospitals, then the populace begins to die. etc., etc.

[thackney]

Fastest way to kill millions is corrupt/bring down the internet.  That shuts down electricity, stops trucks delivering food and shuts down the money system.  The first to die are serious patients in hospitals, then the populace begins to die. etc., etc.

Shutting down the internet would not shut down utility electrical generation.

While internet is used for remote monitoring, it is not necessary for control and operation.

Same with protective relaying for the associated substations and transmission lines.

[truth_seeker]

Fastest way to kill millions is corrupt/bring down the internet.  That shuts down electricity, stops trucks delivering food and shuts down the money system.  The first to die are serious patients in hospitals, then the populace begins to die. etc., etc.

So we are now so dependent on the web, that people will die without it? How did we survive before we had it ?

We flew to the moon, did heart transplants, etc.

[Wingnut]

Dangit, Frank, that was supposed to be a .44 Magnum ("the most powerful handgun in the world")

"and would blow your head clean off,....."

 

[Just_Victor]

There are plenty of international intrigue books on this pre and post 9/11/2001.

Biological warfare. I have wondered about destroying food crops.

It don't know if this seems obvious, but a an attack on the food supply will empower the food producers, ie. the USA.

[Smokin Joe]

It don't know if this seems obvious, but a an attack on the food supply will empower the food producers, ie. the USA.

As long as they are still producing food.

[Wingnut]

You know, the world would be a beautiful place to live if it weren't for all the humans.

[Cyber Liberty]

No argument, here. With the fading of basic hygienic behaviour, any deadly disease with a longer incubation period, capable of forming fomites (surviving as a viable organism on inert surfaces outside the human body) would be particularly devastating in an urban area. Even worse at something like sporting events, concerts, or venues where people come from all over.

Small Pox.  Far fewer people are inoculated than there used to be.

[Wingnut]

Small Pox.  Far fewer people are inoculated than there used to be.

On the bright side a huge Pox Pandemic  might swing the anti vax crowd over.   Nah probably not. 

[Cyber Liberty]

On the bright side a huge Pox Pandemic  might swing the anti vax crowd over.   Nah probably not.

Depends on whom it kills.  They won't care if it's a bunch of brown people in Africa.