EBOLA AND TERRORISM BRING GLOBAL CHANGE WORLD WIDE

CHANGES THAT MAY BE COMING

By Ben B. Boothe, Sr.

Our world is changing, because of negative events that may change our way of life. This may bring hardship and stress, because change is always difficult.

Consider, at least 7 nations are involved in active conflicts and war that could expand to other nations.

Consider that more cities and nations than ever have “no fly zones” or may be dangerous for airplanes to fly over.

Consider that terrorists have discovered that a way to punish or isolate a nation is by attacking or closing down its airports.

Consider that some 20 nations are now impacted with the EBOLA infection that kills 50% to 70% of the people who are infected with it, within 14 days.

Consider that even the best hospitals in the world, have not been able to contain, cure, or heal EBOLA patients, and consider that even doctors and nurses have been infected.

Consider that there are warring elements that would view any public place where many people gather together as a target for bombing, or killing.

Consider that any public place, where you may touch or be crowded against other people, could be a place to be exposed to deadly viral infection, such as EBOLA.

Consider the places where people are the most concentrated and have the most physical contact. What about India? If EBOLA hits India, a nation packed with people and served by tightly packed public transportation and terminals, streets, sidewalks teeming with humanity,
think of the Pandemic of a nation of 1.3 billion people hit by a disease that kills 50 to 70% of those it infects within less than two weeks.  

As much as the CDC or the Governor of Texas tell us that there is no reason to be worried, after the best hospital in Dallas and public agencies allowed over 100 people to be exposed to an EBOLA infected man, who later died in Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.  I beg to disagree, and say that educated and informed people must be aware of the dangers, and of the changes that most certainly will come before this period of infection by EBOLA and TERRORISTS is done.  There is one morbid thought, that EBOLA may be both spread, and may destroy the terrorists that soon will carry it. But while we do not propose panic or hysteria, we do propose that people be informed, logical and prepare to help you and your loved ones survive. This may lead to the historic and time proven method, throughout every plague, isolation, to lower the exposure and risk of yourself to potential infection. We are told that EBOLA spreads by contact with body fluids, even sweat. But there are other medical people who say that it may travel by air in some cases as well.   We are told that ISIS and ISIL is a religious organization, but religious leaders throughout the world tell us that it is not consistent with any reputable religion.  They kill for power and greed, like any other killers, and EBOLA infects it's hosts to survive and spread and in the process kills them. Ah, the two seem to have things in common.

But a simple truth is this, both because they are insidious and relentless, will change the way our world functions, until them themselves are controlled or eliminated.  Many people will suffer and die before this happens.  President Obama voiced the warning in public speeches early on, calling EBOLA a global danger.  The world largely ignored him, until it came to Presbyterian hospital in Dallas, where an infected man was allowed to leave, thus exposing over 100 people in Texas, before he returned to the hospital to die.  President Obama also voiced the danger of ISIS, as a threat that must be eliminated, and the world wanted to ignore this, except that people on the internet were seen beheaded by terrorist murderers.  We at BootheGlobalPerspectives sounded the alarm on both, before the President and before the national press, and our words brought responses of support from Islamic, Buddhist, Christian, and other religious and medical professionals.

THE STRANGE SIMILARITY OF ISIS AND EBOLA: Terrorists, are much like deadly EBOLA organisms.  They tend to hurt or kill those who they come into contact with. There doesn’t seem to be a cure for them, except to control and eradicate them. They are infectious in their ability to spread and bring more death and destruction in their path. They take everything from their host, even life. They are deadly and infectious. They only serve to cause suffering and destabilization of humanity.  Neither are religious. To come into contact with either, is dangerous.

One must wonder why the world has been afflicted with these mass outbreaks of swine flu, VD, HIV, EBOLA and Terrorism and other deadly outbreaks of destructive organisms.  In every case a virus of Ebola is similar to terrorists.  Since they are so destructive and deadly, the most obvious way to deal with them is eradication. People who wish to avoid them may have to isolate themselves from the main stream.  In every case, their deadly impacts are often spread by actions that are considered abusive and disrespectful to other human beings. More than ever, we as "civilized people" have learned to live and work together in close communities.  But the future world upon us, may cause us to have to change, and become more isolated, more separated,  to survive. 

Let’s look at potential changes:  People will tend to become more isolated in multiple ways throughout the world. Affluent and educated people may become the most isolated, and the most likey to survive.  

1.   Who wants to sit on a 12 hour international flight trapped in the “tin can” of an airline with people who may be infectious? Air travel will become less appealing.
2.   Busses crowded and dirty will be dangerous for people to stand against other people
3.   Taxi’s if not sterilized may be carriers of disease
4.   Malls, that traditionally try to gather huge crowds in their doors, may become dangerous, infectious places
5.   Restaurants could become taboo
6.   Hospitals could be considered places to become sick rather than places of healing 

•   Aviation
  1. Risk of the random violence of war and terrorism to attack civilian aircraft is real
  2. Risk of disease is now real, consider the risk of being trapped in a metal tube, for a 12 hour flight overseas, with people in the airplane sick, nauseous and coughing?  What if they were sitting next to you, or in the public restroom?  
• Hospitals, Even before EBOLA an unacceptable percentage of people who came to hospitals “caught” a new illness while in the hospital.  Hospitals now may soon be considered disease infested.
• Shopping, Celebrations, Festivals. Could participation in such events be more dangerous in our new world?   Public Churches, Gathering Places, Theaters, Malls
• Theaters:  How would you feel in a dark movie sitting beside or in front of someone coughing or with fever?
• What is the merit of being in a closed church building, or auditorium with hundreds of people of which perhaps 1% may be carrying a deadly virus?
• Malls, markets, shopping centers, crowded stores?
• Doctor clinics, or even local medical offices could begin to be considered dangerous places for you or your children to go to. Would you be safe sitting in a reception room with people coughing?
• Food
  • Consider how many hands have touched food on grocery shelves, from growers, pickers, shippers, retailers?
  • Should food be irradiated or hit with ultra violet rays and if so would it kill dangerous viral infections?

Change is coming. The “global lifestyle” of easy and free travel may be coming to an end, or at least changing radically. The local lifestyle of joyful public places and large social gatherings may simply be too risky because of terrorism and diseases.  The people of the world, my become more isolated, with their food, supplies and even helpers able to join only after disinfection, irradiation or precautions. 

The gated or fortress concept of office and homes may gain more attention.  Homes and offices will have greater security devices, greater protections against invasion, both from humans and viral diseases.  The food supply and delivery chain could change and indeed secure ways to handling and delivering food safely could be marketed, especially if either Terrorism becomes a global infection, or if EBOLA becomes a global pandemic. 

Peace may well be found in isolated ways, instead of crowded groups in the future. No doubt that a higher percentage of our population and society will be more cautious, and no doubt will seek more separation,  isolation and security  in the future. The handshake and hug may be replaced with a fist bump and nod or tip of the hat.  The knock at your door may be your food and shopping security service, bringing you items so you will not have to "go out" for them. The doctor visit, may be a "facetime" or "go to meeting" televised visit and interview with your doctor with him reading your pulse and vitals by internet.  The visit to Europe may be a "virtual tour" handled by a tourist agent with a live CAM feed as he floats the canals of Venice. The next huge street celebration of millions on Times Square may be the day when Ebola and Isis are put to rest.

The best security we can hope for is peace of mind, inner security, and this cannot be taken away from a calm, focused, mindful person. The first meditation I was taught while in Tibet was: "Breath in, breath out. Ah, smile, you are alive!" 

At Global Perspectives, we would like to hear your ideas on changes that you see coming, and how we can adapt and adjust to them, in this new changed world. Write ben@benboothe.com