1. What is your first impression of the novel?
After reading the first portion of the novel, “The Hot Zone” by Richard Preston, I got the impression that this novel is more serious in the sense that it is mercilessly portraying reality. The initial section of the novel describes a few different characters who have either been infected by a deadly disease or are dealing with patients who have been experiencing intense symptoms of a deadly disease. In the end of this section, some of the most pleasant and harmful characters who have been introduced in this novel, severely suffer from diseases and as a result, die. Furthermore, my first impression of this novel is that it harshly portrays the real facts of life and therefore I find this novel …show more content…
Why did Nixon outlaw development of offensive biological weapons in 1969? Do you think the US Government has stopped this type of weapons development?
In the year 1969, President Nixon outlawed the development of offensive biological weapons in order to calm down the continuous disapproval that his government had been receiving toward these biological warfare programs driven by the Vietnam War. In addition, Nixon’s National Security advisor, Henry Kissinger, also pushed for this outlaw due to the report he received from a former colleague, Matthew Meselson, who practiced as a biologist. Meselson presented various studies to Kissinger proving the dangerous and restricted effectiveness of biological weapons for America’s armaments.
Although President Nixon officially declared the formal termination of biological weapons, I really do not know whether they stopped or not. However, I would not be surprised if perhaps these weapons would be secretly used by our government today. It’s a bit sad, but you cannot always 100% trust the words of our government. Not only because the individuals who have respectful positions in government have occasionally proved otherwise, but also because many times the government has to issue certain orders for the good of our country because they can see the bigger picture that regular citizens like us, cannot see. However, I really do hope that our government, regardless if they did or did not keep their word regarding biological weapons, have the good of our country in mind and not any detrimental ulterior
After reading the first portion of the novel, “The Hot Zone” by Richard Preston, I got the impression that this novel is more serious in the sense that it is mercilessly portraying reality. The initial section of the novel describes a few different characters who have either been infected by a deadly disease or are dealing with patients who have been experiencing intense symptoms of a deadly disease. In the end of this section, some of the most pleasant and harmful characters who have been introduced in this novel, severely suffer from diseases and as a result, die. Furthermore, my first impression of this novel is that it harshly portrays the real facts of life and therefore I find this novel …show more content…
Why did Nixon outlaw development of offensive biological weapons in 1969? Do you think the US Government has stopped this type of weapons development?
In the year 1969, President Nixon outlawed the development of offensive biological weapons in order to calm down the continuous disapproval that his government had been receiving toward these biological warfare programs driven by the Vietnam War. In addition, Nixon’s National Security advisor, Henry Kissinger, also pushed for this outlaw due to the report he received from a former colleague, Matthew Meselson, who practiced as a biologist. Meselson presented various studies to Kissinger proving the dangerous and restricted effectiveness of biological weapons for America’s armaments.
Although President Nixon officially declared the formal termination of biological weapons, I really do not know whether they stopped or not. However, I would not be surprised if perhaps these weapons would be secretly used by our government today. It’s a bit sad, but you cannot always 100% trust the words of our government. Not only because the individuals who have respectful positions in government have occasionally proved otherwise, but also because many times the government has to issue certain orders for the good of our country because they can see the bigger picture that regular citizens like us, cannot see. However, I really do hope that our government, regardless if they did or did not keep their word regarding biological weapons, have the good of our country in mind and not any detrimental ulterior