Swamp Things

Friday 25 April 2008 at 12:42 am I learned something quite unexpected tonight: when one leaves a toilet untended for two years, the water evaporates from the trap and then one gets... the wonderful fragrance of sewer gas.  It probably also means the floodgates were opened to whatever demonic horror-movie creatures live down there, so who knows what's lurking under my bed now?  I guess that explains why my cats have been uncharacteristically avoiding it today.

The Voice of American Imperialism

Wednesday 09 April 2008 at 01:05 am Wanna know what the modern voice of American Imperialism sounds like?  It certainly doesn't sound anything like what your granddaddy and ancestors heard.  It's been polished and sweetened to the point that it's hardly recognizable, but it was on display tonight when ABC News' Nightline journalist Terry Moran interviewed General Petraeus and Ambassor to Iran Ryan Crocker.  The Bush Administration is at it again, using the media to manipulate and mislead the public directly, just like it used the media to mislead us into the war in the first place, it continues to use it to mislead us into agreeing to "stay the course" of our grievous error.

Inequality, Health, Longevity and the Gene Pool

Thursday 03 April 2008 at 11:13 pm Is anyone else watching the Unnatural Causes series on PBS?  I learned a few things.  I think most people would learn a few things watching it.

Racism and other forms of social and economic inequality in the United States need to end.  NOW.  Forget throwing money directly at the health system!  That's throwing money after the SYMPTOM, which is poor overall health.  Throw money and attention after the real problem: concentration of wealth, racism, continuing rampant capitalism, and every other form of socioeconomic Darwinism.  Health will improve when the actual problem is addressed, and then we won't need a ridiculously expensive health care system.

There is still a class struggle, in the world at large and especially in the United States.  The struggle is for dominance, control of resources, wealth, longevity, health, and ultimately the gene pool.

Do you consider yourself to be a good, ethical, humane person?  Are you one of the people contributing to this process, or are you one of the people fighting to stop it?  If you're one of the former, how do you reconcile your self-centric actions with your need to believe that you're a good person?