Prior to the atomic bomb era the deadly atomic weapon in Science Fiction was ‘nuclear dust’. Widespread death was caused by disbursing radioactive dust throughout the atmosphere bringing about death from radiation poisoning.
It wasn’t until nuclear science was driven by WWII to create the atomic bomb that the nuclear weapon of mass death and destruction became the atomic bomb
Interestingly we’ve come somewhat full circle so that among the terrorist scenarios popular for movies (and undoubtedly among the nightmares of those charged with anti-terrorism) is terrorists using dirty bombs; bombs that are designed to vaporize radioactive material into dust form and disburse it into the air of a building, buildings or city.
As in the pre-1945 Science Fiction the radioactive particles are breathed in by the population causing radiation poisoning and death.
Depending on the concentration and radioactivity death can take hours, days, weeks, months or even years – as was the case with the soldiers used in the A bomb tests of the 40s and 50s who developed and died from cancers decades later.
Of course microscopic airborne particles do not have to be radioactive to cause illness, cancer and death.
Asbestos is banned in Canada and other developed nations because it’s microscopic fibres stay in the air/environment and cause asbestosis, cancer and death.
Indeed the deadly nature of asbestos is such that if you were to ship Quebec asbestos to the USA and disburse the micro fibres throughout buildings or cities it would be considered an act of terrorism.
Yet Mr Harper and his Conservatives are exporting asbestos abroad, killing people around the world.
Mr Harper has stated he sees nothing wrong with spreading asbestos’s deadly micro fibres and death to less developed nations around the world. Nor does it appear Mr Harper or his Conservatives will pay any penalty for this trading in death.
Mr Harper has stated he sees nothing wrong with spreading asbestos’s deadly micro fibres and death to less developed nations around the world. Nor does it appear Mr Harper or his Conservatives will pay any penalty for this trading in death.
Yet you can be sure that if you or I were to take Quebec asbestos and disburse it’s micro fibres throughout the offices or homes of Mr Harper and his Conservatives, they would be screaming for you or I to be arrested and charged for assaulting (or attempting to kill them) with a deadly weapon – asbestos.
Reflecting the sad reality that in Canada, in the world as a whole, some are far more equal than others. Unfortunately those who are far more equal also are oft far more ethically challenged as well. With negative, even deadly, consequences for those who are not numbered among the political class, the wealthy, the connected or the privileged
Find yourself asking what’s wrong with today’s young people or complaining about the state of society these days?
What do you expect when we have made human life the cheapest commodity of the planet?