30 April 2009
It may not be as exciting (at least to the government and the media) as swine flu, but from the looks of things it will be more long lasting - and likely more devestating. I shall call it the attack flu, but blame game, it's not my fault may be just as accurate. So why pandemic? Because there are so many elements of world culture that are working together to spread it.
The blame game, it's not my fault syndrome is nothing new. The legal system's enthusiastic embrace of it is not new either. And the political game of attack and destroy has also been around for a long time - it's the confluence of all that, and its enthusiastic embrace that makes it so virulent.
If no one is at fault and things go wrong, as they will, what can be done? Find someone to blame - then sue them - then destroy them so as to take what they have. voila! The ones to blame are always the ones that do something; after all, you have to have evidence to flaunt, evidence that the media and politicians will pick up and run with; for let's face it, the media trumpeting the politicians is the key to making it happen - especially the daily TV mini-soundbite schmooze of politician pontification. Then the lawyers and the politicians suck the victims dry and destroy the reputations.
What could be more complete and effective? The lawyers, along with their co-conspirators, get rich. The media survives for another day in a state of euphoria. And the less scrupulous and more ambitious politicians have a hay day - those, that is, who make their success on attacking everything available to attack - for their own selfish gain. Oh, and the promising everyone else that they will be better off as a result of it - and the everyone else believing it completes the cycle..
And the result? Overpriced goods, an excess of rich lawyers, a political system that becomes more chaotic and less responsible by the hour, a destructive and bankrupt foreign (read security) policy, a debt designed to bring the beast (us) to its knees, and a political elite that hopes to finally be permanently in power. And of course a happy electorate that think they are making out at the expense of everyone else. All softened by smooth propaganda and ignorance. Subject ultimately to reality, only if the victim survives.
But that's what flu virus does - attacks healthy cells, multiplying itself while killing the cells. It can be fatal, but it needn't be if there is an effective anti-toxin serum. So where is the serum for attack flu? It might be difficult to develop if the government controls the means of production., but then if the results become bad enough, quickly enough, you never know.
