So, we are under threat from a new ‘plague’ this one is the swine flu.  At least it has shoved the credit crunch off the front page.

Why do we seem to think we should be exempt from the dangers presented to the rest of the world, the natural order of one ‘creature’ gaining advantage over another.   Even if that creature is a bug.

The world has always had pandemics of one sort or another.   These are not due to God punishing us for our misdeeds, if that was the case, most of the upper management in the Banks would be toes up by now.

No, most of these major outbreaks, whether the Black Death, Leprosy, Spanish Flu, even Malaria are just other creatures finding weaknesses, opportunities to break into new food outlets.   Similar to Tesco/Wallmart opening up a Metro in your town/village.

However, we give ourselves airs and graces, and pronounce ourselves ‘chosen’ or ‘children of God’, we should remember that little thing about pride coming before a fall.   We are merely human, attached to a chain of other creatures without which we would cease to exist, or at least would be very poorly.

Take Chronins Disease.   Studies have shown that since we cleaned up our act and  separated ourselves from the rest of the planet, we have become more susceptible to many diseases and illnesses.  How many illnesses like Chronins Disease, would be reduced if we still had those little parasites like roundworm living in us.  Yes studies have shown that injecting sufferers of that disease with roundworm has controlled the symptoms.

Contrary to many views (and our squeamish nature), parasites aren’t all that bad.   In fact most parasites serve their host (after all, biting the hand that feeds you don’t get you far, does it), and they provide a certain protection from other diseases in return for free food.   How many out there have heard of the phrase “A peck o’ dirt before ye die”.  Translation “A pinch of dirt before you die”.   In other words, germs can toughen you up.   I’m not talking about a mass exposure to disease willy nilly, I’m talking about letting ourselves get used to basic germs, to toughen ourselves up to the daily natural ’stuff’ put there.   If every surface in your home is positively sterile, how can your child’s body learn to deal with the little germs, and if they can’t deal with those, they won’t deal with the bigger stuff.

After all, could an ‘old fashioned upbringing’ eliminate many of our health problems which riddle our children nowadays.   Could exposure to the natural world eliminate asthma, chronins disease, peanut allergy, and many more ‘chronic’ illnesses our society is air to.

Should we accept (reluctantly) that nature will always find a weak spot and eliminate a number of us.  Or should we continue down the path of producing humans who are unable to survive natural events/diseases, to the point that we leave ourselves open to a major plague which won’t just wipe out the weak, but will take us all out.