If the bird flu wiped out 7 out of 8 people worldwide...

[Guynemer]

Much of the mortality related to the flu is due to things like dehydration and bacterial superinfections. These sorts of things couldn't be helped in 1918; they can be helped today.

So, please, everyone: calm the **** down.

[pchang]

Exactly

Modern medical management will greatly reduce the mortality rate. Thus, a bird flu pandemic would mostly kill the poor, old, and very young. Those left can replace the very young in pretty short order. And, who cares about the other two groups?

[Gibsie]

So it could actually be a blessing in disguise!

Right, I'm going to write a novel wherein the government engineers a strain of flu virus to wipe out all the oldsters and the poor, because they can't afford to pay all the pensions. And, to guarantee its success and that morons will treat my very word as scientific fact and prophecy, I'm going to say it'll be a liberal government/ conspiracy that does it.

[DaShi]

No one will believe it. Only conservatives are behind conspiracies. FACT!