r hettinga rahshipwrightcom begin pgp signed message hash sha1 1112 pm 0200 81802 robert harley wrote ps funny new world world population supposedly immunity old world diseases died like flies old world population completely unaffected new world diseases tabacco syphilis bullshit meter redlining see jared diamonds excellent guns germs steel story eurasians outrageously huge dense populations incubate immunize whole classes fatal diseases unobstructed eastwest transsupercontinental disease transport vectors horses silk road sailing ships spread around game man thing war technology crops domestic animals everything else worth life remember joel mokyrs definition progress lever riches progress stuff cheaper cheers rah begin pgp signature version pgp 75 iqaawubpwatt8pxh8jf3ohaeqj3yacghh145pzkgdiocf4rqfpofqdnuaojn tiulabvqjoywd4flha5ssrn 4wra end pgp signature r hettinga internet bearer underwriting corporation 44 farquhar street boston 02131 usa however may deserve respect usefulness antiquity predicting end world found agreeable experience edward gibbon decline fall roman empire httpxentcommailmanlistinfofork sun 18 aug 2002 192723 0400 alqaedas fantasy ideology policy review 114