zoot, unknown, yes but …
I was thinking about our unpreparedness as a country when I got up this morning and that a disease of this magnitude happening was a “when”, not an “if”. In fact, this was modeled for us 102 years ago. And in a country with the written word, paper, printing, libraries and then far more sophisticated means of storing and retrieving information and a society where the vast majority are literate. That no one remembers or knows what to do?
The “primitive” societies before us on this continent with no written word would have (before white man and the 90% culling of native populations) had medicine men, their apprentices and a solid line of stories. What worked 100 years ago would be part of their working legend. And (I know this sounds foo-foo but there is far too much medical knowledge that ancients have acquired and by how else?) the medicine man would seek knowledge that might well be “take your tribe to here” or go this plant, take these leaves and do this with them” or “put a sign on your door and stay inside” (well that was the Jews halfway ‘cross the world).
In the name of science we have turned our back on both of these sources of wisdom. Then we elect politicians who have no use for the scientists. (And all this after spending the past couple of centuries developing an infrastructure to rapidly deploy this disease to every corner on earth that might contain living homo sapiens.)
Which brings up the interesting question – what is the most intelligent species on earth? We claim it but don’t act it.
Ben
