The Coming Plague, New Republic review (was Re: The genetic stability of Ebola virus)

[Michael L. Perdue]

On Tue, 8 Aug 1995 g1687jkarh at umbsky.cc.umb.edu wrote:

> 
>      This might read as moderately insensitive, but....
> 
>      This is an interesting idea. Now it seems that our economy is stagnating
> and the standard of living is declining rapidly. Because of the failure of the
> marketplace to produce jobs at a sufficient rate, jobs are scarce and the
> employers know this. We need a new plague. One sufficient to create a labor
> shortage, in the most desired jobs, of sufficient magnitude to assure that
> it will be an employees (rather than employers) market, at least for the next
> few generations and preferrably for at least the maximum likely interval 
> between significant plagues. 
>      Ideally, to benefit those who are struggling in this economy, the plague
> should selectively eliminate labor in higher paying jobs like running fortune
> 500 companies. This way, GOOD jobs will be available to the survivors. If the
> plague struck unemployed people, no new job openings would become available, or
> if lower income people were affected, the new job openings would be for poor
> paying jobs which are (by definition) of less value and less desireable. 
>      Since we can't count on nature to provide this windfall before the next
> rent payment is due or the refrigerator is empty, we must make it ourselves.
> Could a virus or something be made to fulfill this need? A quick glance at the
> racial demographics of who has the good jobs suggests that there are genetic
> differences which could be exploited for this aim. Maybe lifestyles of rich 
> versus poor can be studied to determine differences relevant to the design of
> an ideal plague. 
> 
>      Any ideas? Note: Due to impending passage of the exon amendment, please
> do not post suggestions which require the use of any form of explosive device,
> as these are forbidden. 
> 
>      Sorry, I can't afford to be sensitive. 
> 
> 
> 
Wow, I didn't know Adolf Hitler had left any children behind.  Perhaps 
you could tell us.....is he really dead?