[BostonCard]

Or he's not being quoted entirely accurately.

Since the quote was taken from congressional testimony, it is possible to search the transcript and find the relevant hearing.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?302149-1/u...sm-threats

Kadlec's relevant testimony is at the 1hr 49 min mark.  It was delivered back in 2011.

It's clear in context that he was trying to highlight the importance of bioterrorism preapredness, and I think he was specifically thinking of an engineered anthrax strain that would be designed to be antibiotic resistant when he made his quote (Joe Lieberman's previous comments were about anthrax).  Nothing wrong with that, but my point remains that it was factually incorrect that "mother nature" doesn't itself "design" through natural selection, antibiotic resistant organisms.

Also, although he later was referring to the legality of biological weapons while comparing them to nuclear weapons, worldwide deaths from COVID-19 (252,000 at last count) have eclipsed the combined deaths caused by the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima (~150,000) and Nagasaki (~75,000) combined.  Obviously, there is no legality to be adjudicated here, but "mother nature" has unleashed a WMD in COVID-19.

BC

[BostonCard]

Or he's not being quoted entirely accurately.

Since the quote was taken from congressional testimony, it is possible to search the transcript and find the relevant hearing.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?302149-1/u...sm-threats

Kadlec's relevant testimony is at the 1hr 49 min mark.  It was delivered back in 2011.

It's clear in context that he was trying to highlight the importance of bioterrorism preapredness, and I think he was specifically thinking of an engineered anthrax strain that would be designed to be antibiotic resistant when he made his quote (Joe Lieberman's previous comments were about anthrax).  Nothing wrong with that, but my point remains that it was factually incorrect that "mother nature" doesn't itself "design" through natural selection, antibiotic resistant organisms.

Also, although he later was referring to the legality of biological weapons while comparing them to nuclear weapons, worldwide deaths from COVID-19 (252,000 at last count) have eclipsed the combined deaths caused by the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima (~150,000) and Nagasaki (~75,000) combined.  Obviously, there is no legality to be adjudicated here, but "mother nature" has unleashed a WMD in COVID-19.

BC