I am a pacifist by spiritual conviction, a believer in non-violence who rejects the concept of a just war. But today, I am calling on my country and others willing and able to mount an all out war. The looming threat is not a rogue nation or terrorist group but rather something incredible small but huge in importance, the Ebola virus.
Let me hasten to say this is not more hysteria over the arrival of confirmed Ebola in Dallas but rather a response to the ramifications of a deadly pandemic in our interconnected world. I was not at all surprised by the diagnosis of a case in the United States, it was inevitable.
I am not going to rant about the "failure" of airlines and/or governments to inform passengers who traveled with the patient before he was symptomatic. The scientific evidence is clear that the disease is not transmitted during the prodrome. Part of the tragedy is the amount of inaccurate information being spewed by those more interested in promoting emotional reaction than disseminating useful and accurate information.
The announcement that the United States will deploy military medical specialists to West Africa should have been seen as admirable and forward thinking, but instead there have been complaints of unfairness and fear that these troops will endanger our soil. Apparently, using the US military for preventing bloodshed and suffering is unthinkable.
History tells us otherwise. The military was instrumental in the control and almost elimination of yellow fever. The military is uniquely constructed to provide a structured and coordinated response to a disease threat. Military medical specialist has extensive training in unusual and serious diseases, but non-medical troops have the advantage of being able to control populations and prevent spread of disease.
The ability of the military to mount mobile medical unit is well-established. It is clear to anyone who has examined the situation any detail if there is a profound need for facilities to safely and effectively treat the sick. A MASH model could be a solution in countries lacking adequate hospital beds even before Ebola. Protecting staff and patients in such facilities is also well-established in military protocol.
Make no mistake, the war has already been declared and no one is excluded from the threat. The only question is how we as a nation respond. Of course non-military organizations such as Doctors without Borders are essential in this role in this fight. With the addition of military personnel with medical expertise and the ability to secure treatment facilities would add to the role of non-military entities.
The invasion has already begun. The need for response is clear-cut and immediate. The people of the world need to find innovative solutions to stop the spread of Ebola in medically underserved countries. Doing so will protect first world nations with their extensive contact with the rest of the world.
Military operations often call for creativity and adaptation to particular circumstances. Military medicine has historically used unconventional but available materials and techniques for field conditions. For example military doctors were able to cobble together an artificial kidney from a washing machine and other available items. This was and is life saving.
For me the notion of our armies marching off to fight not our fellow human beings but a threat of disease is a beautiful thing. We often justify battle is a reason to correct wrongs and to improve the lot of others. Why not fight a war not with rifles, bombs and violence but with resolve, humanitarianism, and all the tools of modern science? This sort of war heals rather than harms and calls on humankind to emphasize our commonality rather than our differences. I say fight, and now.