Choose A Symptom, Ignore The Disease

 
This presidential election is about choosing a symptom and living in denial of the disease.

Willful ignorance, cognitive dissonance, reductive rationalization, diversion or delusion -- call your suicide pact Kool Aid whatever you want -- has little sway with the Grim Reaper.  Just ask Steve Jobs.  He thought he could beat the Big C.  He was dead wrong.

America made its bargain with unspeakable Evil and now is afflicted with the cancer of its own corruption and self-sabotaging choices.

To avoid the pain, it has euthanized its democracy.

To avoid thinking about extinction, it has embraced fantasy, magic, demagoguery.

To avoid the humiliation of moral bankruptcy, it has exalted profit over people.

To mask its treachery, it wraps itself in the flag, thumps on the Bible, and proclaims: "You're either with us or against us."  Anyone who doesn't fall in line is carted off to a for-profit prison.
To keep the sheeple giddy as we sashay to slaughter, it now promotes puerile pandering, grandstanding and simpleminded showmanship over a principled, thoughtful, honest and constructive national conversation.

Thus . . .

Elections have become a circus.  The center ring is reserved for the ones with the shiniest teeth-whitened smiles, biggest megaphones, and most dazzling tricks.
It's all so very entertaining, eh?  What will Donald Trump say next?  Ha ha ha!

America has hollowed itself out from the inside.  As is embarrassingly and frighteningly evident from the current presidential campaign, the political system can now only collapse into its own vacuousness -- the black hole of a sham democracy.

Trump, Cruz, Clinton, Sanders?  They're symptomatic of the times.  The inflammation.  The nausea.  The diarrhea.  The vomiting.  They're the struggling, heaving, gasping of a deathly ill body politic, telling us something's very wrong.  Quick!  Call an ambulance!  Vital signs are fast disappearing!

So I say . . .

Don't yell at Hillary.  Or Trump.  It's like yelling at a stuffy nose.  Or a rash. 

They're just symptoms.  It's a waste if time.

We need to get to the root of the problem.

"What's the disease?  Cancer you say?"

Cancer is not a simple pathology.  It's complex and multi-pronged -- which, of course, is why it so stubbornly resists a comprehensive and enduring cure.

The form of cancer which is destroying our nation is a like self-replicating Hydra which has metastasized throughout the entire infrastructure of our economy, ravaged the entire political system, leeched the media of any integrity and efficacy; it has polluted even the basic support systems of our churches and community organizations; it has completely poisoned the collective consciousness of our citizenry. 

This brazen and aggressive malignancy feeds on:

1)  Unchecked imperial ambitions.
2)  Exceptionalist hubris and arrogance.
3)  The crushing power of corporations.
4)  The militarization of everything.
5)  Plutocratic tyranny and greed.

Trump?  Clinton?  Cruz?  Sanders? 

Choose your symptom.  As if it makes a difference.

Each has his or her own special twist.  A plausible version of reality.

Adult fairy tales.  Bedtime stories.  Go to sleep now.  Dream the American Dream.

At the same time . . .

If we listen very carefully to them, as tedious and exasperating as that often is -- with their carefully-crafted rhetoric, focus-group tried-and-tested talking points, slick sound bites, patriotic pandering, tongue-wagging, finger-pointing, massaging and masking of the truth, manipulation of public perception, their smooth seductions and patronizing provocations -- we do indeed see what the real problem is.  It's right there staring back at us through the rheumy, half-closed eyes of a patient on life-support, whispered, but still audible, in the phlegmy rhythm of an incipient death rattle.

Our country is very, very sick.

And yes, I include Sanders as a symptom. Here is a decent human being who is being vilified as an extremist and a socialist nutcase because he promotes such controversial ideas as:  Every person has a right to a living wage, and every citizen should get proper, affordable health care.  Isn't that an obvious sign that the central nervous system of America is being ravaged by some malignant flesh-eating bacteria?

 

Yet make no mistake about it . . .

None of these candidates will talk about the disease itself.

Because none of them has a cure.

There's only one cure.

Us.  That's right . . .

You and I.



[ This originated at the author's personal website . . . http://jdrachel.com ]



Choose A Symptom, Ignore The Disease

Americans . . . GET A GRIP!

 

Since 9/11, a grand total of 45 Americans have been killed by terrorists.

45!

That's about 3 per year.

I'm not going to callously marginalize the tragedy of 45 deaths. All these were people who had families, friends, dreams about the future. Each one is a sad example of what it means to live in a dangerous world.

But think about it . . . only 45 people have been killed by terrorists in the last 14+ years.

Last year alone, there were 16,121 HOMICIDES.  11,208 of those were people killed by firearms!  That more than one gun killing PER HOUR!

Every 51 minutes in America, someone is killed by drunk driving.  Almost 11,000 a year!

Last year 1,658,370 new cancer cases were diagnosed.  589,430 people died of cancer! That's 1,615 A DAY!  67 people PER HOUR!

Over 102,000 people die every year from hospital associated infections -- by the time you finish reading my article, two people will have died from filthy medical facilities.

Get this:  Even greater numbers, meaning in excess of 216,000, die every year because of medical error!  Yes, you read that correctly.  Almost 600 people die EVERY DAY because of misdiagnosis or error in reading medical charts. "Golly gee. I'm sorry. It said 20.00 cc. I was sure it was 2000 cc. Oops! Can you notify the family of the deceased for me?"

I could go on and on.  But this offers some perspective:  Rare as it is to be electrocuted in a storm, you are seventeen times more likely to get killed by lightning than by a terrorist.

Let's cut to the chase . . .

Since 2001, the U.S. has spent over $3 trillion on the War on Terror.

That's $3 trillion with a 't'.

For $3 trillion we could have outfitted everyone with bulletproof vests, cured cancer, put breathalyzer shut-offs on every single car to keep drunks from getting behind the wheel, disinfected every hospital in America, outfitted every single American with a lighting rod, and probably had some money left over to train nurses and doctors how to read a chart.

What's going on in this country . . . home of the brave, land of the free?

Oh yes, indeed we are free.  Free to wake up frightened, go to bed frightened, live every moment frightened because . . . THERE ARE TERRORISTS LURKING EVERYWHERE!  They hate us, they hate our freedoms, they want to chop off our heads, rape our women!

I agree about one thing for sure . . .

We should be afraid!

We should be afraid that our priorities are completely whack and that our government is overrun by self-serving lunatics, at the beck and call of our out-of-control military!

Here are some questions we should ask ourselves . . .

How many of you have known a friend, relative or neighbor who has died of cancer?

How many of you have known someone who has a family member killed by a drunk driver?

How many of you live in a community where someone was murdered?

Contrast your answer with . . .

How many of you know someone who was attacked by a Muslim?

How many of you know someone who was killed by a terrorist?

Folks . . . the War On Terror is a fraud!

It's just a cash cow for our bloated military-industrial complex.

All I can suggest is this:  Every time one of the fear mongers come on TV and show you guys in ski masks and tell you to hide under your bed . . . GET A GRIP!

You are more likely to get hit by a bus while you're under your bed, than be attacked by a terrorist while standing at a bus stop.

Here, folks, is my prediction for each and every one of you for 2016.

Ready? 

You WILL NOT BE KILLED by ISIS or al Qaeda or al Nusra or by boko haram guerillas.

Actually, you're much more likely to be killed by your local police.


[ This originated at the author's personal website . . . http://jdrachel.com ]


Americans . . . GET A GRIP!

Starts With ‘C’ Rhymes With Dancer

 

I often get very frustrated with politics. So I  do understand why people
prefer to look the other way, though indifference and ignorance
lubricate the self-destructive mechanisms which I believe are taking us
towards either World War III, economic collapse, social Armageddon . . .
or all of the above.

At the same time, there is so much which is confusing, horrifying, nauseating,
just plain stupid and wrong, it's impossible to keep up with all of it.
Most crises seem so far away,  not relevant to the day-to-day business
of just trying to survive and keep our heads above water. ISIS, the
Ukraine, China, Afghanistan, Palestine, all place a distant nineteenth
to paying the mortgage, feeding ourselves, trying to put clothes on our
backs that don't disintegrate in the laundry, keeping the neighbor's dog
from pooping on the lawn.

Regardless of how consequential all of these international disturbances may
ultimately be, the simple truth is they don't hit home until they hit
home. The primary reason Americans are now concerned about Ebola is
their fear that it may spread in America, understandably so, though
chances of infection are pretty remote. But until people started dying
inside our own borders, it was just more bad news piled on bad news from
"somewhere over there" where bad news seems to grow like mold on an old
chunk of cheese in the back of the refrigerator.

Recognizing all of this, I am still very puzzled why people aren't up in 
arms about things which are, without a shred of doubt, a clear and present 
danger to them, right now, right here in our own U S of A. I don't mean unlikely, 
remote threats, like the prospect they will be hit by a drunk driver or be the victim 
of a swarm of killer bees. I refer to very real, very imminent hazards which have 
the potential to kill them, shortening their lives by many years! Who wants to 
die before they have to?

In my travels, people ask me why I left the U.S. in 2006. I have a straightforward reply . . .

The political climate and the food.

Both were toxic. Both were poisonous to my health and happiness.

Since I've already written over a hundred political rants, here let's just talk about food.

The food in America is a death warrant.

Maybe not as poisonous as rat poison but ultimately just as lethal.

 

Some might think I'm being hyperbolic. I don't think so. Americans are being
slowly and methodically undermined by their diet. Meat is chock full of
hormones, antibiotics, toxins, often tainted with fecal matter and 
various parasites, both viral and bacterial pathogens. Vegetables are
often laced with herbicides, insecticides, chemical residues, too often
lacking any nutritional value, due to bad farming, and premature
harvesting to accommodate supply chains that stretch over continents.

As if that weren't bad enough, we fill our faces with so much fat and sugar,
snacks, sweets, and fast food of every shape and color, it's amazing the
sidewalks aren't littered with the carcasses of people who have just
simply keeled over from the sheer glut.

Beyond all of that, which basically is either a matter of choice __ eating junk
food __ or a lack of choice __ the prevalence of unhealthy and
contaminated food staples at the market __ I want to focus on one
specific issue which I see as emblematic.

How many people can say they haven't had cancer directly impact either 
themselves or someone they personally know, perhaps even a close relative 
or friend?

If you said 'no' I would be shocked. According to the American Cancer Society:
"In 2014, there will be an estimated 1,665,540 new cancer cases diagnosed
and 585,720 cancer deaths in the US. Cancer remains the second most common  
cause of death in the US, accounting for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths."

There are certainly many causes for cancer. To whatever degree we can, we try
to avoid exposure to carcinogens or anything which causes or encourages the
growth of tumors.

But what do we do if we are not allowed to know about a potential source of cancer?

Monsanto has been very effective at suppressing any research findings about the
health implications of both its highly lucrative herbicide Roundup and
its expanding range of GMO products.

But reports are beginning to surface. This recent one on Roundup brings into focus
how dangerous this extensively used, putatively harmless chemical killer is.

 

GMOs are the evil stepsister of Roundup. Most GMO crops are genetically
altered to give them resistance to Roundup, so that the weedkiller can
be sprayed on in copious amounts killing the weeds but leaving the
edible plants intact and supposedly healthy.

Given the many reports __ here and here
are merely a couple references __ coming out of research laboratories
from around the world which are suggesting that these genetic
modifications are extremely dangerous, posing all sorts of risks, first
and foremost among them the promotion of grotesque and potentially
cancerous tumor growths, people are requesting that at least the foods
containing GMO products be labeled as such.

This is hardly an inconsequential concern. 88% of the corn grown in the U.S. 
is genetically modified. 93% of our soybeans are GMO. Because these and 
other food plants are the basis for the thousands of processed food products 
commonly included in the typical American diet, now "70 percent of processed
foods in your local supermarket contain genetically modified ingredients."

Mind you, people are not demanding a total ban on GMOs __ though a case 
can be made for one, at least until it is determined with absolute certainty
that these Frankenfoods are safe __ they just want it PUT ON THE LABEL, 
so they can make an informed decision.

 

Polls show that 93% of American voters want GMO labeling.  
93%! This cuts across the entire political spectrum __ Democrats,
Republicans, Libertarians, Tea Party, liberals, conservatives,
anarchists, Free-Tibet-Nuke-The-Gay-Whales Party of Patriotic
Polemicists __ a historic and unprecedented consensus. And we 
can't even get this done!

Our play-for-pay, follow-the-money, corporate lapdog politicians,
from the President, all the way through the entire gutless
reeking-with-corruption ranks of Congress, all beholden to the likes of
Monsanto, refuse to stand up to the scumbags who put profit before
people!

Uh-oh . . . I'm back to ranting about politics.

Sometimes it seems unavoidable, eh?

Anyway, let me wrap this up with a suggestion. While you're munching away
on that corn dog as you drive to your polling place on November 4th, you
might want to ask yourself: 

"Who should I vote for . . . and what the hell am I eating?!"



[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]