As usual, a prescient communique.
Re: bioterror - yep, it's a definate possibility. Specifically, on smallpox, vaccination may be helpful - many microbiologists feel that quarrantine along with vaccination of those in the quarranteened area will work in the face of an outbreak. That's assuming an acceptable number of fatalities and is based upon the additional assumption that the offending organism has not been modified to shorten its incubation period. Unfortunately, according to Ken Alibek (who essentially ran the former SU's bio-warfare program before defecting to the United States) the former Soviet Union was working specifically to develop a smallpox pathogen w/a shortened incubation period, therefore nullifying my faith in the tenet that an outbreak could be contained via quarrantine & vaccination. Re: your suggestion that at least all our young people be vaccinated - assuming we now have enough viable vaccine to do this, for this to be effective, we again would have to hope that the organism used in a terrorist attack has not been genetically modified in a way that would render our current vaccines ineffective. Maybe we'll get lucky and get attacked w/a garden variety strain of smallpox. Maybe not. Of course, there are numerous other pathogens no doubt available on the "Black Market" that could cause us particular harm if mass exposure/infection rates could be improved. I'll leave that to your imagination. But you are definately on the right track on this potential hazard.
RE: nuclear attack w/a dirty bomb - this is a bit out of my area, but I think it's safe to say that, depending on the size/amount and type of the nuclear material used, and the dispersal pattern/air currents, etc., someone 22 miles from a city hit with a dirty nuke is not likely to be a good candidate for cash-value life insurance. Assuming I'd be far enough away to survive the initial attack, I'd probably be more worried about the long term effects of radiation exposure on this one.
Why aren't we being told what to do if these kinds of attacks happen? Great question. Our public servants are too afraid to mention it, I suppose. You know, there goes the stock market, and only those hideous, beastly pharmaceutical companies would profit from widespread dispersal of this info due to their various anti-depressant products. I guess those would be the same hideous, beastly companies we'd be depending on for live-saving technologies and therapeutics if we were hit with bioterrorism.
I think you're right on the money with this article. I can only pray that those who are now busy with their senatorial navel-gazing and perpetual preening before the cameras, will see it.
I absolutely adore your work. Would you please consider moving here to fly-over country? True, it's not quite as cosmopolitan as New York, and true, it's not quite as scenic as New York; however, it's also not likely to be the number one or number two target on your average terrorist's hit list. There's a lot to be said for the land of corn and soybeans, from that particular perspective. We will definately leave the light on for ya.
It's also upwind.