Business Talk Magazine

October 27, 2023 – (BOSTON)

NEWS RELEASE

CONTACT:
John Norris
617-680-3127
John.Norris@Safely2Prosperity.com
https://www.safely2prosperity.com

As a former FDA COO and Harvard faculty member, I taught and practiced health and healthcare risk management for over 40 years. But never have I been so worried for our nation and its businesses, jobs, and people. So, I am ringing a bell.

Since the beginning of my career, I have dedicated myself to one overwhelming concern: Risk management HC services and products and their use to benefit the life and safety of a single person to all of humankind—and prevent their misuse from destroying life or the safety of us all. For the past four years, I have specialized in the risk management of infectious disease spread—the last frontier of medicine.

As Executive Chairman of my new company, Safely2Prosperity, it’s my immediate job to monitor the crucial and horrible Israel-Hamas-War-related events constantly. As it is the full-time job of the company’s CEO, Former Lockheed Martin senior executive Dr. Haden Land.

If you don’t yet get the risk management point, how many ways must Dr. Land and I say it to you, our respected reader, before you get it? The Israel-Hamas War presents a significantly enhanced risk of a bio sneak attack on Israel, the US, and one or more of their allies. And possibly, if things go badly enough, a full-blown bio war. 

Never let it be so.

Of what to be aware? What are the details?

If the current conventional weapons war is not managed correctly, things might get out of control to the extent that one or both of our fears might be realized. If this risk materializes to one degree or another—and if our government agencies and businesses are not adequately prepared—the damage to life and property (and our culture and way of life) could be devastating and catastrophic—perhaps irrevocably. 

Dr. Land and I keep blowing the whistle, but only some hear it—and then listen to what it means for them, their enterprises, their employees, and their families. 

You might recall that during the first wave of COVID-19, the US economy was damaged in the range of $14T (and on top of that, 1.1M deaths of people worth countless trillions of dollars if we quantified their highly discounted financial value as courts often crudely and cruelly do). 

Both numbers are astronomically large. But you hear little in the press about them anymore. We wonder why. Fatigue? Fear? Pain? Guilt? (After all, it was mostly the “disposables over 60” who died.) Too upsetting to look anymore?). We can’t stop reminding them that everyone who died was someone’s son or daughter. And many were aunts or uncles, and parents or siblings. They were not disposables. 

And all but certain businesses deemed “critical enterprises” were shut down for lengthy periods. Many companies lost employees to their competitors and failed to recruit appropriate replacements, even temporary ones. And many businesses in specific industries, such as the meat-packing industry, forever closed their doors. 

Things might be worse for the next significant wave of COVID-19, especially when combined with substantial waves of the Flu and RSV. If the three diseases were disguised as nature-made and spread by human or mechanical agents of Hamas and its allies, things might become five- to ten-fold worse.

Why might Hamas use a weapon of mass destruction? 

Hamas and its allies have already shown they care little about the rules of war. When they performed a sneak attack to kill a thousand unarmed Israelis and Americans, they made this abundantly clear. 

Nothing in the moral, ethical, religious, or legal code of Hamas and its allies would inhibit or prohibit them from using a weapon of mass destruction. Some commentators say they lack “ethical and moral sanity.” And these evil groups “believe only in pure barbarism and brutality.” 

We do not go that far. We hope many of their troops are redeemable. And we do not condemn those Palestinians who entirely reject Hamas and its hatred of the Jewish people—and its desire to wipe Jews off the face of the earth through organized genocide.  

Why not nuclear? 

The strong likelihood of quick and massive retaliation is the critical deterrent here. Atomic weapons are typically more powerful immediately, near-term, and long-term. Chernobyl’s still destroyed land is strong evidence of this. 

But they are detectable in seconds and retaliated against in minutes. And a more massive retaliation can be launched against sponsors and proxy in just a few minutes more. No modern nation, absent insanity, will use them or authorize their proxy to use them. Hamas and her allies are passionate but far from insane.

On the contrary, they have stated and written repeatedly that they are committed to the mass destruction of Israel and the US. They intend to stop nothing short of a complete genocide. They are committed people who mean what they say and will do it if they can.

So, if desperate, cornered, and about to be destroyed, why wouldn’t Hamas and its allies (or Hamas alone and without authorization from its sponsors) look to and pull the trigger on a weapon of mass destruction if it was the right weapon? Perhaps for them, this weapon would be a massive attack of infectious disease—spread through one method and means or another.

Likely, they would not. But they might. And there now is an enhanced risk that they would. And we must all be aware of this risk, and especially our agency and business leaders must make sure we are adequately prepared.

Why do Americans have such little concern? 

Because the Middle East is so far away and on the other side of two oceans (one in each direction), and because people living in the Middle East have been warring on and off for centuries without changing much, Americans do not yet get that they are the direct (not just indirect) target of Hamas and her allies’ rath. 

It has not been easy to wake them up to this fact. But for their sake, and the world’s sake, they better wake up soon to this fact and what to do about it.

We have written over 100 articles or posts on different aspects of this risk. But only after the sneak attack by Hamas on Israel have we “gone ballistic” with our concerns. The level of risk increases daily. And if other mid-Eastern countries join the war, the rate of increase will escalate.

If you go massive, what are the further details on why not go nuclear? Why is bio so much more preferred?

In a “Wall Street Journal” article referenced below, the author opined, like us, that for many reasons described below, the next world war (there is always a next world war) will be a bio war, not a nuclear war.

We take this thought to another level. We believe a regional war conducted by a desperate enemy, such as Hamas, with or without the permission of its nation-state sponsors, could lead to a bio sneak attack by our enemy when they are “cornered.”

Suppose Hamas and her allies decide to use a weapon of mass destruction, possibly including a “dirty bomb” (a mixture of explosives, such as dynamite, and radioactive powder or pellets capable of spreading radioactive material for a short distance), which might be the only nuclear weapon to which they might have access. Why would they instead use a bio sneak attack, not a nuclear one?

The seven pros and cons of nuclear vs bio

There are at least seven reasons why they likely would prefer to use a bioweapon. We list here a. few of the reasons making nuclear weapons a poor choice. After this, we list the reasons making bio-weapons a far better choice.

1. Launching a nuclear weapon is a readily detectable event. (This factor is essential in knowing almost immediately the “when and how” of launch with a high degree of certainty.)

2. It is measurable in minutes, not weeks. (This factor is vital in knowing almost immediately the “what and where” of the point of landing and the likely size, direction, and level of spread with a high degree of certainty.)

3. The geographic source of the launch is readily detectable. (This factor is valuable in pinpointing the terrorist group and/or nation-state responsible for the launch and identifying the best target for massive retaliation for the first launch and deterrence from further launches.)

4. The spread of nuclear particles or fallout is readily detectable on-site at the target post-explosion and distribution. (Even the spread of only a small number of particles can be detected hundreds of miles from the bomb’s blast crater, whether the missile, bomb, or parcel is shot, dropped, or placed.)

5. It is detectable in minutes, not weeks. (The flash, sound, and jar of a large nuclear weapon explosion can be detected manually almost instantly from many miles away. If a large weapon is used, even nuclear detectors located a hundred miles from the bomb’s blast zone will sound an alarm in minutes and might be detected hundreds of miles away by countries downwind of the explosion.)

6. A dirty bomb or a small nuclear weapon, but less so, a large nuclear weapon, has corralling limits on the degree and breadth of its spread. (Even if it is large, a single nuclear weapon cannot reproduce itself and spread across an entire nation if the nation is large geographically. A one-megaton bomb can, on average, only destroy 80 square miles of real property and the people within it.)

7. No matter how small the single nuclear weapon used, America’s response would be quick and massive. (Even a hidden, terrorist-hand-placed small atomic weapon that does minor physical damage and kills few Americans will create an enormous emotional response and demand massive retaliation on the American people’s behalf. The villains likely would deny they were the source or distributors of the weapon. Worse, Hamas is unlikely to own even a single nuclear weapon, even a dirty bomb. Only some of its sponsors do. They might say that Hamas stole it from them. And nobody would believe it. Simply, it wouldn’t work. The sponsor countries would receive massive retaliation as the true source of the sneak attack.)

On the other hand, for bioweapons, to one degree or another, the utility factors read opposite those of nuclear weapons.

For example:

1. Launching a bioweapon (or, more likely, hundreds or even thousands of small bioweapons) is not a readily detectable event. (It is done with a whimper, not a bang.)

2. It is detectable in weeks if not months. (Some current diseases are asymptomatic for extended periods post-exposure and then post-infection. What’s worse, a human-manufactured variant of an existing pathogen or a new pathogen might be engineered not to express symptoms for months. Worse still, diagnosing a new disease might take months after symptoms appear. The cumulative deaths and injuries could be profound by then.

3. The geographic source of the launch is not readily detectable so long as infected individuals remain asymptomatic. (Accordingly, hundreds to thousands of distributions can be performed manually over weeks by a small group of agents (but more is better. It is rumored that Hamas and its allies have up to 3,000 agents ensconced in Israel and America) without government agencies and businesses being able to detect even one of the hundreds to thousands of sources. For national security and national defense reasons, we will not discuss the best methods and means to perform the distributions. But some of these are obvious. The best we can do initially is to protect our workspaces and homes as best we can: spotting the first signs of infection, isolating those individuals off-premises, and contact-trace those they exposed and quarantine them off-site.)

4. Even on-site at the target post-distribution, the source of the spread of a pathogen is not readily detectable. (Under some methods and means of distribution, some pathogen distribution can be soundless, sightless, and otherwise undetectable at the distribution site.)

5. Using some methods and means of distribution and specific pathogens means it is not, nor, in the case of a new variant or new pathogen, will it likely be detectable in minutes, weeks, or even months. (It might be the case that the source will be small and make it extremely difficult to detect: The so-called “Death of a Thousand Cuts.” Most bacteria are not pathogenic. And some of those that are can be hard to see unless you look for them specifically. Viruses are even more challenging to detect.)

6. There are no corralling limits on the spread of bio-weapons. (For example, in weeks, an infectious dose of a highly contagious pathogen to a super spreader could spread infectious doses to a hundred others, and each of them might do the same. In other words, depending on the method and means of distribution and the number of firmly ensconced agents serving as direct (suicide) or indirect (planted) spreaders, certain infectious diseases might spread rapidly through an entire enterprise unless their heads/CEOs prepared their agency or business to increasingly prevent, mitigate, and control the pathogen’s spread once the infection becomes symptomatic. The distribution of nuclear particles is chaotic. Under certain circumstances, the organized, proper distribution of pathogens could be tightly controlled and therefore targeted toward critical infrastructure.)

7. If a small single bioweapon is used at each facility location of a business, for example, America’s response would not be quick and massive. (Delayed or confusing detections of attacks often result in weak responses to those attacks. They create more fear than action.)

As a nation and as our government agency and business leaders, we have ignored this specific risk for far too long. We have been significantly unprepared for years, if not decades. It has been “Swept under the rug.”

We are not talking about a lone wolf. We are talking about a large, well-planned, sophisticated, and highly coordinated effort.

How much damage such an attack might create depends on how well we are prepared. Sadly, our repeated pleas, and the pleas of many others, of “Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?” have not been sufficient to reduce the risk of bio war. Like our ears, their ears are also deaf to the facts.

This kind of risk is difficult to manage. Both the pathogen and the means of its distribution can each be totally, partially, or not at all nature-made or human-manufactured. Accordingly, regarding the pathogen, there are six variables to manage, different from the typical three.

Think of the pathogen as the explosive within a rocket. And the method of initial distribution as the fuel. The most dangerous aspect of bioweapons is that they are “the gift that keeps on giving.” In this case, the explosive can grow and grow entirely independently. It is not a “one-and-done” kind of attack. 

A further complication

More than one type of pathogen might be used simultaneously. For example, the Pneumonia pathogen might be distributed along with COVID-19, Flu, and RSV pathogens. Each is deadly enough. But if inhaled simultaneously or in a tight series, they might be even more deadly.

Our strategic survival plan is one of preparation and adaptation. Ignoring the significant risk we raise is an “action” that is a component of a substantially flawed plan. It will result in a deadly or otherwise devastating blow.

Whether iCOVID-19’s pathogen and distribution method and means were nature-made or human-manufactured remains unsettled. Regardless, we cannot again be caught off-guard—it would be the same massive and deadly assault but in different clothing. Once again, a million Americans might be killed. Only this time, children might represent the most significant number among the dead. If so, none of us could go on. 

The bottom line 

We must “hope for the best but prepare for the worst.” It’s everyone’s issue—from the government to businesses to Main Street. And it is not just a national defense matter. It is broader. It’s very much a national security matter, too. 

We all must help.

Those who hide now or play dumb are hurting themselves and so many others. Our leaders must lead. It’s dawn in America.

What to do immediately? And why?

A few days ago, just in time to prepare us all for the CDC “Tripledemic,” and now for Hamas’ and its allies possible infectious disease spread sneak attack and all-out war, one of the four companies worldwide legitimately capable of accomplishing the needed tasks, Safely2Prosperity, launched a breakthrough v2.0 of its risk-management product.

This multi-disease, multi-location, infectious disease spread risk management program assures preparation to the extent reasonable and practicable at a fair price.

Millions of government agencies and businesses (for-profit and not-for-profit) need this strategy and its digital tools.

Top Chief executives understand the imperative of safeguarding their senior leadership and the entirety of their organization, including employees and families—and their extended families, such as students, patients, customers, vendors, and suppliers. And other constituents—for example, their lenders, shareholders, and insurance carriers.

Two recent articles published in world-renowned newspapers illuminate the urgent need for companies to act. One appeared in The Wall Street Journal. It is titled “World War III Will Be Fought With Viruses.” The other was published in The New York Times. It is titled “Covid Didn’t Take a Summer Vacation.”

Use the URL Safely2Prosperity.com to obtain more information. And, if you like, a brief conversation.

Again, we all, especially our government agency and business (including for-profit and not-for-profit) leaders, must now “hope for the best but prepare for the worst.” Seriously prepare.

About Safely2Prosperity

Safely2Prosperity (S2P) is an innovative health-tech company conceptualized and built by industry luminary Dr. John Norris. John.Norris@Safely2Prosperity.com. And S2P is led by former Lockheed Martin senior executive Dr. Haden Land. Haden.Land@Safely2Prosperity.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Safely2Prosperity’s (S2P’s) future operations, financial performance, product development plans, and other projections. Safely2Prosperity undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

© 2023 Safely2Prosperity LLC and Dr. John Norris, JD, MBA. All rights reserved.