Jonette, Brent, thanks for the input. A pandemic is a realistic possibility, but answer me a simple question, our population is exploding out of control but no one seems to talk about it, almost EVER. Why is that?
Bob, I had to do some research on genetic tampering and the like since I feature it in my novels, and you touch on some good points. Please elaborate on the economic collapse...how would it most likely happen? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts since that is a very prevailant theory and possible reality.
Gaz, You spot of being out of power for a day, imagine being out of power for days or weeks or even months and beyond! There are many reports that certain countries are developing (and some already have) high-altitude nuclear EMP attack?
Great replies that give me food for thought.
Mr. Kane,
After recovering from my injuries, I was placed in convalescent duty and medical boarded from my primary skill position. As a result of this abrupt change, I was offered to be allowed to stay in the military, provided that my recovery progressed well enough that I would eventually be world wide qualified. In that I was forced to cross train into the medical field. Specifically, was placed in those days what we called (Environmental Health, but later became Public Health to mirror our civilian government counterpart). In the early 80's, we had many Vietnam veterans who had married foreign nationals abroad (some had a form of resistant forms of T.B, which required focused medical attention) and while their was little long-term studies on tuberculosis mutations, Center for Disease Control (CDC) and state health departments across the United States began tracking Resistant Strains of T.B. Unknown to most agencies and including the military medical community, except those highly compartmentalized in medical intelligences such as USAMRID, was the continued research being conducted by the former USSR's labs located deep in remote locations in Eastern Russia (Siberia, etc). It wasn't until the fall of the USSR that military and government intelligence agencies had hard evidence that the Russians had been testing strains of the Ebola virus, possibly even mutating these viruses along genetic lines. We know this because of Dr. Ken Ableck (lead scientist in Soviet Virology and Biological Warfare). I have his book somewhere, but can't find it, or I would quote one of his passages that got my attention pretty quick. Note: I don't scare easily, but it was his small passage that now gives me bad dreams at night. Where that research, virus/bacteria samples are located today is unknown to the average person, its certainly not posted on the WWW, but I am sure some of that information/samples are still somewhere located in Russia or sold off to the highest bidder. These are all speculations of course, and no doubt lol, because of the trigger words being used on this post, will ultimately be studies by our government agencies through a super computer to deem whether my words are a threat to national security, but in the end, the data is out there, you just need to find it. I hope you don't find this last statement abrasive. Sorry, I don't have a magic cook book and I will not lend my data to no one...that for me, is where I draw the line in sharing.
I am not going to bore your with the scientific aspects of genetic mutation and virology, safe to say, after reading this information, I began to study more along the lines of virology and genetic mutations. Pandemic diseases are not new to the human species and if you look around you will find the documentation of such period in time. The more notorious ones are the Black Plague and the 1918 flu outbreak, which have made the news or have been recited in many of these T.V. shows that make the air. While I enjoy entertainment and take much of these shows with the slant of fiction, I can't underscore the increase in mutated viruses and bacteria that continue to be reported by the World Health Organization and CDC.
I want to clarify for you something, first, the WHO and CDC are completely understaffed for the stuff that is going on around the world. Even a simple outbreak as the Ebola outbreak that is occurring right now in nations in Africa is engaging a good group of researchers and responders. Second, I am not an Alarmist, but people should start thinking of the "what if's). American's tend to be very ignorant of the goings-on in the world, a byproduct of our social times and also a byproduct of what has always been an "American arrogance or isolationist attitude"... example, just look at Ukraine, very old new to me, but makes the headlines now. Let us not even address China, which has been under my microscope for about 10 years now and I should know, I wrote a thesis paper on the subject of China's naval expansion and the impact it will have in the East China Sea and South China Sea. Third, America's response (both the normal medical community and government preparedness is under budgeted to handle a crisis of a world wide pandemic), regardless of what you believe and read, CDC and government byline is to send push packages to metro communities, what happens to the rest of the rural communities, I've discussed this in an earlier thread. The word pushed by the government is that drug manufactures will make more drugs and supportive care supplies to the locales being stricken, but what happens when those drug producers start missing the goal because their employees are sick and now not available to work. This is where I believe you will start to see the beginning of our social end. People will then begin to react to the governments failure to provide basic commodities and utilities, then transportation networks will begin to be closed off as the government begins to control people's movement, if you have not bugged out of urban/metro areas by then, well then you've made a critical mistake. People will begin to run out of whatever they have been able to stock pile and then god forbid, those that are strong will prey on the weak and the government will be powerless to stop it. I don't care what the government has planned to begin marshal law, the many will outweigh the few, even if the few have better weapons like tanks, heavy weapons, explosives...your not going to stop it from massing on the edges...in the end their are so many cracks. If you don't believe me, here is a simple exercise, go to Dollar General or Walmart...buy a cheap blow-up pool, fill it with water, get some food coloring (this represents whatever is attacking the social system), place the whole color into the center of the pool, now as you do this add, small rocks (don't disturb the dye) enough for a trickle of water (this represents the smart people, the preppers who are bugging out at a time that they started seeing things). Now add some more water slowly from a container (small coffee can) try not to disurb the dye to much, this represents some more information, possibly government reaction to control movement...see more people leave, but not much, just enough, these are the late preppers who thought to stay behind, but now know that they are behind the power curve, but want to get out, before government institutes marshal law. Now get a big bucket like a 5 gallon pail full of water...get five or six stones....have someone place the stones at the same time the entire 5 gallon water is added....this represents the panic that will befall an urban area. What water is left of the pool represents both the dead and the small little population that is left in the metro/urban area, the living will be a mix of hardcore determined preppers unwilling to leave their bastion or have no BOL or are roaming opportunistic gangs (including militia). Do you get the idea.
As far as genetically enhanced biproducts...wow, where do I start...the milk that we buy from Walmart, the corn we eat, genetically enhanced cows, pigs, etc...I could go on and while I have no animal husbandry degree or background in day to day farming, I am not stupid enough to not listen to my friends who visit this site who own chickens, cattle, pigs, and they are concerned enough to express them to me personally and if they are, it makes me want to turn turtle and head for the most remote spot in the world and do a ton of praying.
I am a realist, Mr.Kane, spending time in foreign lands fighting for what I believed was right to protect our way of life was important to me because I love my country, my family and cherish my friends. With that said, I know even though I have been away from the FEBA, whether it being a true war or a disease war, I know their are bad man, manipulated by false beliefs, greed or power that do not have the average citizen (and I mean world citizen) at heart. As such, I would not put it past them to be placing a good portion of their money into safeguarding themselves and their loved ones at the expense of us. Hence, why I am a prepper in my own special way, I may not have the millions or billions, but if I did, I'd be bringing my family and friends to the ultimate BOL, simply because I care for humanity...its that simple.
Good luck on your site, Mr. Kane, I wish you well.
