Have you ever wondered what is LESS dangerous than a terrorist?
After considerable research I can tell you. The information is compiled from National Vital Statistics on deaths
Trivial death risks
- Killed as a passenger on a train - odds 1 in 10,300,000
- Killed by explosion of pressurised vessels such as a pressure cooker or tire - odds 1 in 10,700,000
- Killed by being struck by a person - that's being fallen on or bumping into them not fistfights - odds 1 in 11,000,000
- Killed by being bitten by a dog - odds 1 in 16,000,000
- Killed by being bitten or stung by a bug other than bees,wasps or spiders - 1 in 22,150,000
- Killed by ignition of nightwear - odds 1 in 22,150,000
- Killed by excessive man-made heat or cold e.g. trapped in a freezer - odds 1 in 28,800,000
- Killed by venomous spiders - odds 1 in 28,800,000
- Killed by a flood - odds 1 in 32,000,000
- Killed by unintentional firearms discharge (You intended to fire a blank) - odds 1 in 57,600,000
- Killed by explosion of fireworks - odds 1 in 57,600,000
- Killed while occupant of street car - odds 1 in 72,000,000
- Killed by contact with venomous snakes - odds 1 in 96,000,000
- Killed by a vending machine - odds 1 in 112,000,000
- Killed by shark attack - odds 1 in 264,100,000
- Killed by rabies in USA - odds 1 in 880,000,000
- Killed by a meteor - odds 1 in 765,000,000,000,000,000
Terrorism with a risk of 1 in 9,300,000 is more dangerous than all of these but terrorism is LESS dangerous than this list:
- Earthquakes - odds 1 in 9,290,000
- Scalding by hot water - odds 1 in 8,200,000
- Riding on a bus - odds 1 in 7,200,000
- Stung by hornets, wasps and bees - odds 1 in 5,300,00
- Cave-ins or falling earth - odds 1 in 5,000,000
- Storms - odds 1 in 4,500,000
- Lightning - odds 1 in 4,300,000
- Legal execution in the USA - odds 1 in 4,300,000
- Bitten by mammals other than dogs - odds 1 in 3,800,000
- Falling from high place - odds 1 in 2,800,000
- Overexertion, travel and privation - odds 1 in 2,250,000
- Accidental firearm discharge - odds 1 in 1,200,000
- Drowning in bath tub - odds 1 in 800,000
- Alcohol - odds 1 in 800,000
- Falling from a ladder - odds 1 in 700,000
- Falling from a building - odds 1 in 520,000
- Drowning in a swimming pool - odds 1 in 450,000
- Tripping/slipping at same level - odds 1 in 450,000
- Falling off a bycycle - odds 1 in 375,000
- Falling out of bed! - odds 1 in 370,000
- Death at your office desk - odds 1 in 140,000
- Riding a motor cycle - odds 1 in 90,000
- Accidental poisoning - odds 1 in 86,000
- Assault by firearm USA - odds 1 in 24,000
The real risks to your life
All of these pale into insignificance when compared with the real risks to your life:- Heart disease - odds 1 in 3
- Cancer - odds 1 in 5 (and falling)
- Strokes - odds 1 in 20
- Respiratory disease - odds 1 in 20 (more if you smoke)
- Diabetes - odds 1 in 30
- Alzheimer's disease - odds 1 in 31 (and rising)
Despite spending billions on a trivial risk - remember falling out of bed is 25 times more dangerous than terrorism - we seem unable to stop it. We could easily cut the risk of heart disease though by just educating people to eat less and exercise more often. The cost in terms of health education advertisements would be trivial compared with the arms budget.
Why doesn't this happen? Why are we so concerned about terrorism?
I suspect the real answer is greed. Not from people overeating but the greed of people who make fortunes persuading people to fight each other. Those who finance, make and supply arms and munitions. For their profit:- They need to persuade people that terrorism is a serious threat to their lives.
- They need religious leaders to be at odds with each other.
- They need preachers of hate to stir up fear in the weak willed, easily led people.
- They need the media to focus on trivialities and stir up the paranoia which sells their stories.
- They need politicians to be coerced by lobbyist enticements and forced into stupid actions by ill-informed electorates.
We are fighting the wrong people!
Our target should not be the morons but the men in suits ultimately behind them.
