Introduction

Abstract

The news media these days seem to be full of reports about death and destruction. When Time magazine published its list of the top 10 news stories for 2009, all but two included tales of destruction and death. There was the ongoing war in Afghanistan, which experienced a dramatic surge in Coalition casualties. In Iran, a protester made worldwide news when her death was broadcast around the world on YouTube. A lone gun man rampaged through the US military base at Fort Hood, taking 12 lives in the process and wounding many others. Pakistan was an ongoing site for terrorist attacks and fighting between the Taliban and military forces. In the escalating drug war in Mexico 1800 murders were committed in the first nine months of 2009 alone. Then there was the swine flu pandemic, which killed well over 10,000 people worldwide and almost caused mass panic as governments around the globe attempted to stop it from spreading.