well being (or being well?)
The Alberton Papers, Vol. VI, #XV
By Dick Darne 7-21-08
As my readers have noticed, the Think Tank has been on vacation for a few weeks. I had pretty well shut my own brain down for a rest, while enjoying the company of my granddaughters and nieces. Things throughout the country and world did not improve but probably worsened. In spite of all the fist pumping, rah-rah, we are number one, shining beacon on the hill, can do no wrong chosen nation rhetoric, reality must take over eventually.
What have we to show for thirty years of rule by whackoes? Over four thousand of our finest young people in their graves, countless Iraqi civilians dead, a quantum multiplication of terrorists, torture as a matter of policy and the reputation of our country, which at one time was the envy of the world, is in the dumpster. Practically all of the mainstream media firmly in control of the largest corporations, rivaling if not surpassing Pravda in churning out propaganda. The airwaves filled with hate and fearmongering, what passes for public discourse dominated by fear and loathing of all things different from us. So the descent begins; fear, hate, dehumanize, persecute, imprison, enslave, torture and kill.
Let’s take a look at the Terrorist Watch list, compiled by our illustrious Dept. Of Homeland Terror. They have about one million "terrorists" on it. That’s one in three hundred. Look around. In Alberton, that’s about one and a half terrorists. In the other areas, you do the math. Or to put it another way, there would be three hundred terrorists at a U. Of Nebraska Huskers football game. If memory serves me, the last time we had actual terrorists kill people on campus was at Kent State, when the Ohio Nat. Guard fired on the students, who were peacefully protesting. There is a far greater danger of being killed by a comet or meteor, so better get comet/meteor insurance today. Come to think of it, we are hundreds of times more likely to be killed by a dog than a wolf. Get a dog rider on the policy. Don’t forget that fear makes you stupid.
How’s our well being, as related to the rest of the world? Well, we are ranked forty second from the top in our life expectancy. Thirty fourth in infant survival. We are five percent of the world’s population, but we account for twenty four percent of the people in prisons. We spend more on health care (5,200,000,000/day) and yet have shorter lives than any west European or Nordic country.
There’s lots more food for thought, such as, rising prices, food shortages and starvation in much of the world, corporate thievery, war profiteering and corruption. There are thieves and murderers walking around unpunished. There are cowards from both parties enabling, if not participating, in all this. There’s lots more, I’m calling the Think Tank back to duty soon.
Be fearless and use your cognitive abilities. Stay tuned. dd
By Dick Darne 7-21-08
As my readers have noticed, the Think Tank has been on vacation for a few weeks. I had pretty well shut my own brain down for a rest, while enjoying the company of my granddaughters and nieces. Things throughout the country and world did not improve but probably worsened. In spite of all the fist pumping, rah-rah, we are number one, shining beacon on the hill, can do no wrong chosen nation rhetoric, reality must take over eventually.
What have we to show for thirty years of rule by whackoes? Over four thousand of our finest young people in their graves, countless Iraqi civilians dead, a quantum multiplication of terrorists, torture as a matter of policy and the reputation of our country, which at one time was the envy of the world, is in the dumpster. Practically all of the mainstream media firmly in control of the largest corporations, rivaling if not surpassing Pravda in churning out propaganda. The airwaves filled with hate and fearmongering, what passes for public discourse dominated by fear and loathing of all things different from us. So the descent begins; fear, hate, dehumanize, persecute, imprison, enslave, torture and kill.
Let’s take a look at the Terrorist Watch list, compiled by our illustrious Dept. Of Homeland Terror. They have about one million "terrorists" on it. That’s one in three hundred. Look around. In Alberton, that’s about one and a half terrorists. In the other areas, you do the math. Or to put it another way, there would be three hundred terrorists at a U. Of Nebraska Huskers football game. If memory serves me, the last time we had actual terrorists kill people on campus was at Kent State, when the Ohio Nat. Guard fired on the students, who were peacefully protesting. There is a far greater danger of being killed by a comet or meteor, so better get comet/meteor insurance today. Come to think of it, we are hundreds of times more likely to be killed by a dog than a wolf. Get a dog rider on the policy. Don’t forget that fear makes you stupid.
How’s our well being, as related to the rest of the world? Well, we are ranked forty second from the top in our life expectancy. Thirty fourth in infant survival. We are five percent of the world’s population, but we account for twenty four percent of the people in prisons. We spend more on health care (5,200,000,000/day) and yet have shorter lives than any west European or Nordic country.
There’s lots more food for thought, such as, rising prices, food shortages and starvation in much of the world, corporate thievery, war profiteering and corruption. There are thieves and murderers walking around unpunished. There are cowards from both parties enabling, if not participating, in all this. There’s lots more, I’m calling the Think Tank back to duty soon.
Be fearless and use your cognitive abilities. Stay tuned. dd
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