Re: The influence of memes on genetic evolution

From: Van oost Kenneth (kennethvanoost@belgacom.net)
Date: Sat 19 Apr 2003 - 19:24:27 GMT

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    ----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith Henson" <hkhenson@rogers.com>
    > I am amazed to hear such a statement on this list. The concern is not
    > about the people who have died from SARS, but the potential death toll and
    > disruption from the whole world getting it. The last major pandemic
    killed
    > 20-40 million, reportedly 8 million in Spain where it had an exceptional
    > death rate.

    Keith,

    My major point, I pointed my argument in a drastic ironic way I agree, but that was my intent, nonotheless I stick to what I said, people simply don 't care ! They will when the disease hits their front door and than again.... You do really think that the man in the street, cares what happens in China, that people die and that some disease will hit them hard if we can 't control it !? I don 't !

    People are just occupied with the little things they do everyday, without any care about tomorrow or the week to come, some do no doubt ! Like Scott mentioned in his post, do you think in general that people care about Aids/ Hiv, that people did change their sexual contacts and change the ways they have sex, use con- doms and contraceptive !? At least here in Belgium, young people didn 't change their ways drasticly.

    The reason why !? Hm, one thought springs to mind, confi- dence in the medical, political and social capacity to deal with such matters_ people die all the time, from Aids or an heart- attack, in peoples mind their ain 't a difference atleast if the one who has to die ain 't a friend, a parent or a relative....

    And the potential deathtoll is yet to be seen, I agree we have a problem, but really how big is it !? Is it a real threat or is it like Grant says, a storm in a glass of water, a meme- war !?

    Just heard on the news, in Holland a man died due to a severe pneumonia consequently caused by the birds- plague raging the land recently...something that doctors didn 't know. Ought we to be afraid, do people care, must we kill our chickens a day before Easter !? None of the sort, we go on doing our daily bussiness.

    Must the general public be warned about this possible new threat !? Is it contagious and how does it spread !?

    Regards,

    Kenneth

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