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U.S. Continues Biological Warfare Research
merryprankster writes "Researchers at Saint Louis University
have engineered a strain of mouse-pox virus which kills 100% of
animals it infects - even when the mice have been treated with vaccination
and anti-virals. The deadliness of the virus is related to the addition of a
protein IL-4 which shuts down cell-mediated immune response. The engineered
virus is not contagious and does not affect humans but the research has drawn
some condemnation as being dangerous and
unnecessary."
Let's see...a researcher at a University is working with a strain of virus to develop better and stronger immunization agents. To do this he needs to figure out what he might be up against that terrorists might feasibly make. The ignorance of the poster, Michael, on science is glaring and obvious. The government funds tons of research every year - it's called grants. If you want to say they are funding bioweapons research look in military R&D labs, not in a University environment. Since the US has basically said they will not do bioweapons research, don't you think doing research in such a public way would be a bit obvious? I mean, getting a grant, publishing papers, etc. on this kind of obliterates the 'secrecy' that would be needed. And, part of the VAST majority of grant stipulations is that you must publish your results. Then again, the poster checked into all of this before making hs accusatory and 100% factual title right? Or...he at least read the article...right?
Yea, and it also states in the article "The new virus, which is about to be
tested on animals, should be lethal only to mice. Just like
the introduction of rabbits to Australia shouldn't have any
negative effects on the native ecosystem. When are we going to stop being so
fucking stupid? So we create a lethal virus so we can develop cures for it.
What, do you think we can develop and cure everything? The introduction of a
different protein can negate any cure we develop. Seriously, think about it.
All of you idiots who are going "Oh, it's ok, it's good cause it
could help us develop a cure are fucking idiots. There is no
cure now and it has a 100% fatality rate. Aren't mice used for research cause
they are very simular to humans in their responses? Idiots.
Go ahead and mod this down as flamebait, it doesn't change the fact that this
is really fucking stupid. There are enougth things out there that are lethal,
we don't need to be making anything more. I wonder if it's been tested on
humans yet, to see if it in fact is lethal. Who wants to be the first to test
it out?
SealBeater
-- Its survival of the fittest...and we got the fucking guns!!!
How do you know you are the good guys?
Because I know the difference between good and bad. Do you? I can draw conclusions based on facts and I can defend those conclusions with evidence.
Righteousness is relative and in this age no one can argue in favour of "Might is the right".
Ah, so the regime of Kim Jong Il is just as "righteous" as the US government? Idi Amin and Tony Blair are morally equal? I don't think so. Righteousness is most certainly not relative. There are absolute truths of good and bad, right and wrong.
I see USA's view of "Although I can do these things freely, you can't" as a hypocrisy.
You can see it as whatever you like. The United States of America was founded on the principle that freedom is an inalienable right of ALL people. This belief gives us all the moral support we need to promote individual freedom (by force if neccesary) all over the world. The current government of North Korea is an enemy of individual freedom, so they do not have the moral support to engage in the same types of activity. It is not hypocritical of the US to engage in behaviors that we find unacceptable for others.
Si vis pacem, para bellum
The only thing more annoying than a Libertarian is an (un|mis)informed Libertarian
Why don't you read the surrender proclamation yourself?
To preempt a US assault on Japanese military forces during and after the Japanese conquest of Asia. Note that Pearl Harbor was a US naval base -- a legitimate military target, whatever one thinks of the surprise nature of the attack.
Nagasaki was a legimate military target and the dropping of the atomic bomb was an act of mercy. Although I will say that it's hard to weigh which act was moral superior/inferior. Let's just say that I do not feel bad about either Hiroshima or Nagasaki.