Re: Fears of nanotech

Spudboy100@aol.com
Sat, 4 Sep 1999 10:43:08 EDT

In a message dated 09/04/1999 9:15:38 AM Eastern Daylight Time, GBurch1@aol.com writes:

> State terrorism has also been surprisingly limited. Saddam Hussein COULD
> have used chemical or biological warheads in his SCUDs, but didn't.
Hitler
> could have, but didn't use biological or chemical weapons on the
battlefield.
>
> Why?
>
> I don't propose to have an answer for these questions, but they do point
to
> some limiting factors that curtail the frequency with which WMDs are used.

> Of course, the problem with advanced nanotech is that it presumably lowers
> the threshold for an isolated Bad Crazy to build a WMD. If it only
> increases
> the danger by a factor of ten, the effect could be devastating.

I believe Adolph didn't employ biologicals, because, although some work was being done in devastating plagues, German intelligence (abwehr) had confirmed a UK-Canada-USA-Aussie "leadership" in this area. The Nazis did have a great lead in chemical weapons, however, and had developed Nerve agents, between 1936-1939 at I.G. Farben ( a company which had been stolen from its Jewish owner in 1934). The chemicals are the gases/agents were soman, tabun, and sarin. I believe, the nazis were terrified of reprisals, especially by Britain.

Saddam Hussein also had to be concerned about Israeli strikes, if he used bio or chem agents. He was well-aware, it appears, that the Israelis would not simply be content with sending the Republican Guard packing; as the USA was in 1991.

Conclusion: Even the bloodthirsty/crazzies fear "un-acceptable dammages" that would un-ravel their rule. They may not know reason; but they understand pain.