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I have a gripe. Ah, what quaint colloquial language, so pedestrian! In a way this missive is still about the wonderful world of medical mishaps but the fundamental flaw driving many of these medical mishaps is a universal one, applicable to what I see as the cause of so many serious problems in modern civilization.
What arrogance! Me, trying to define the problems of the world. There is nothing like reaching high, is there? I am not being original, Kurt Vonnegut referred to this problem as: “the schizophrenia of modern man” and I doubt if the idea was original with him. I am just getting a little freaked out by this Orwellian, 1984 clone society we live in.
My epiphany about "our times" happened when I stopped working because of health reasons. It was during the summer before the 2010 elections and the “clown car” of unique and endlessly amusing characters running for high political office got me hooked. Remember? The “I am not a witch” lady in New England (Christine O'Donnell), Carl Paladino in New York, (with the baseball bat), Sharron Angle, the “second amendment solutions” lady in Nevada?. Ahhh, it was a great time for politics.
Don't get me wrong, I gave up on national politics when.....I think it was with Carter: A nice decent guy, smart, and attractive on television; totally unqualified for the job of POTUS but easy to market to the nation, a man with a compelling personal story, (like that matters). When my attention turned back to politics 2 years ago I viewed it as a sport-like professional wrestling.
High expectations for our political system are not a problem for me. One thing just sticks in my craw though, or maybe it is more like a piece of fried chicken wedged between two teeth, is the use by our fearless leaders of the phrase: “Good person stuck in a bad system”. That phrase just sets me off.
Two instances of the use of this phrase that are very recent and relevant come to my mind. The first was heard when some bright young person, (probably a graduate of Brown or somewhere like it), talking about how his young friends on Wall street could bear working for an evil system that would torch every square inch of the world for an extra 3% of profit. You know what he said. I won’t repeat it,; it's in bold above.
The second was a strange personal moment for me. I saw a living fossil, a genuine working class populist progressive politician named Dennis Kucinich. I grew up in northeastern Ohio and actually met him 2 times when I was young; google him, he’s an interesting guy. Congressman Kucinich recently gave an interview about the loss his seat due to gerrymandering and he also spoke on his overall gut reaction to the profound disfunctionality of the national government; specifically Congress. Do I have to say what he uttered? It's in bold up there. Yes et tu Dennis. All you have is the Nuremberg Defense, congratulations.
The “Nuremberg Defense” is a phrase coined to represent the defense the leaders of the Third Reich gave to exonerate themselves of personal responsibility for the horrors of that regime when they were on trial for their lives. They claimed almost to a man that they were good guys caught up in a bad system, just little cogs in a big machine, implementers not deciders. Their defense was pathetic but it was all they really had.
Here is the crux of the matter: If those who run an evil system and who recieve power, wealth, prestige and status from that system for their efforts are not responsible for the actions of that system who is? Yes they are responsible. They should resist that system at least to the level of not participating in, or providing support to, the aforementioned malevolent system if they seek the status of moral humans, not amoral zombies. There is no way out, they can’t hide behind the Nuremberg Defense, they can only hope that you can skate out to...? There is always somewhere to hide... Switzerland? Argentina? Perhaps they will just die of natural causes before---what? Before nothing, maybe, things could just keep on keeping on the way they now: Slowly degenerating.
Things could stay the way they are now in the US for at least another generation. People will keep on hanging on, hoping that things will not get any worse, but they will of course, it is the momentum of history at work. The apathy of the American electorate is legendary now: A level of depoliticised indifference that that would be the envy of most degenerate tin pot dictators in the world.
I'm to blame too, I'm pretty comfortable and I have to admit that voting, (for Judd), and making cynical sage comments is going to be the extent of my involvement in bringing change to the system. I don't know of there is any hope. If you think about the great unwashed masses in the US, the oligarchy has them right where they want to them if their goal is mind control---ignorant and afraid---that is where they have the lumpenproletariat these days.
There is my gripe. The schizophrenia of modern man, the Neuremburg Defense, the whole ball of wax and yes, the medicine biz moral position fits right in with this new modern "ethical" model. Any suggestions on solutions? Am I just being stupid? Should I just keep my head down, look out for number one and work on my own "bug out" plan?
Stay tuned Harryc
Thank you for responding. I have been reaching for something that I really had an interest in writing about which would provoke a response. My monomaniacle raving about the medical system kind of satisfied me but I always wondered about its marketability. I think it will be another generation before change will even be possible because conditions will deteriorate slowly. Also, as is evident in the middle east, nothing but random chaos takes place when it is only the people who are living on the margins of society to begin with are taking action to promote systemic change: It is when the middle classes and institutions like the military and law enforcement stop supporting the existing system that widespread systemic changes are possible. I think it was Marx or Lenin who said that revolutions are gestated in empty bellies. There is no reason to assume that any changes that will take place will result in a more rational or equitable system, it may just change who is on top. I do believe that we are on the cusp of another great awakening but wow, fasten your seatbelts. Defeatism? No, realism, you cannot discount the effect of 40 years of Orwellian style programming inculcated into the mass mind by Roger Ailes and his alcolytes. Look at Obama, his actual record makes him look right of Regan.....stop me Lord< I'm raving again! I don't know, I don't think there is really much difference between Romney and Obama, except that Romney has some experience as an administrator and a manager. Its actually funny: Romney can't talk about his policies or plans because if he does he loses his ultra-conservative base and any possible chance of winning the election. Think I'll still vote for Judd though, why not? Oregon is a solid blue state, (especially with the illegal immigrant vote), and by the time they start counting ballots out here it will already be all over. Judd is qualified, he has a full head of hair, does not wear glasses, is most likely at least nominally Christian and has a height to weight ratio which is within the normal range; once he is sworn in he can grant himself a pardon and get out of jail, everybody wins! ha ha harryc
High expectations of this political system? There are some fundamental problems with this system. Oh! Oh! I have to write much more than will fit here in this reply! The current political scene is one in which both major parties are irresponsible financially and in many other ways. It comes down to this: what is the purpose of government? I can tell you the government set forth in the founding documents of this country is NOT the government we have today! Change is required and will come, mark my word.
Damn, is this the words of defeatism, that the general public all think the same.. if this be the case, we are in for a torrid time in the future. The time has come for the people to take back what is rightfully theirs, the control of the Government, kick out the dead meat, the sick lame and wounded, replace them with people that care. If we have to wait for a new generation, its going to take a miraculous intervention of a divine type to return the world to a place of peace and prosperity. The world waits with baited breath for the elections, if the American people become complacent and nonchalant it will not bade well for all of us. I, like Cynthia, hope that change is imminent and will surprise you beyond words...
Yikes! Do hope that change will rise up and surprise you. Not wait another generation...
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