American Biodefense: How Harmful Concepts about Organic Weapons Form Nationwide Safety (Cornell Research in Safety Affairs)

Organic weapons have threatened U.S. nationwide safety since a minimum of World Warfare II. Traditionally, nevertheless, the U.S. army has uncared for analysis, improvement, acquisition, and doctrine for biodefense. Following September 11 and the anthrax letters of 2001, america began spending billions of {dollars} per 12 months on medical countermeasures and organic detection programs. However most of this funding now comes from the Division of Well being and Human Companies moderately than the Division of Protection. Why has the U.S. army uncared for biodefense and allowed civilian organizations to take the lead in defending the nation in opposition to organic assaults? In American Biodefense, Frank L. Smith III addresses this puzzling and largely untold story about science, expertise, and nationwide safety.

Smith argues that organizational frames and stereotypes have brought about each army neglect and the rise of civilian biodefense. Within the armed providers, influential concepts about kinetic warfare have undermined protection in opposition to organic warfare. The affect of those concepts on science and expertise challenges the standard knowledge that nationwide safety coverage is pushed by threats or bureaucratic pursuits. Given the concepts at work contained in the U.S. army, Smith explains how the teachings realized from biodefense will help resolve different necessary issues that vary from radiation weapons to cyber assaults.