# We're all going to die!!!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-all-going-to-die/321978>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [September 16, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-all-going-to-die/321978 "2005-09-16T15:22:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-all-going-to-die/321978/41 "2005-09-17T22:34:35Z")

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> [@Long Time First Time](#):
>
> Since the 1918 flu that killed thousands …(snip).

Actually that pandemic killed about 20 _million_ people worldwide, perhaps more than were killed deliberately by WWI. I’m not going to spend much energy worrying about the new flu, though. Remember how the world population was going to be decimated by AIDS because they just knew it could be transmitted by mosquitos? And handshaking? And public toilet seats? I haven’t used any mosquito repellant, I’ve shaken the hand of at least one person I knew had AIDS, and I’ve used public restroom facilities, and so far I’m only feeling a little sick. 😛 Nothing’s ever as bad as the doomsayers say it will be.

And if it is…well, I’m almost 63. I’ve had a pretty good run. Screw all you young people! 😃

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**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-all-going-to-die/321978/42 "2005-09-17T23:32:03Z")

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> [@clairobscur](#):
>
> The newshow is just doing its job by commenting on actual news. You should rather complain to the WHO.

This is not “actual news”. This is “potential news”

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**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-all-going-to-die/321978/43 "2005-09-18T00:39:35Z")

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Sorry, I didn’t see the program in question so I won’t comment on it directly, but it is worth noting that a virulent influenza strain from birds does have the _potential_ to be a catostrophically deadly event.

Also, I don’t think that people in Africa right now are saying, “Yeah, that damn Barbara Walters was trying to scare us about AIDS 15 years ago, good thing we didn’t listen to _her_!”

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-all-going-to-die/321978/44 "2005-09-18T01:02:39Z")

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> [@Dark Side of the Floyd](#):
>
> Will you let me use this as a sigline sometime?

I think your sig is perfectly appropriate to this thread. “I \<heart\> Fretwankery.” indeed.

**threemae** : Also very true. It’s difficult to filter news, mainly because it requires actual thought. The WHO and the CDC probably provide all of the information you require to assess infectious threats, but without thought you’re still at the mercy of whoever is peddling the biggest bandwagon.

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