Day 739

Day 739 Tuesday January 15, 2019    852 Days to Go

This is one of those times that I see correlations in many different arenas. Notably: Ancient Rome, Modern Medicine, and the Iranian Revolution. Maybe, I don’t need to go any further because it is intuitively obvious what the connections are, but just in case I’ll continue.

But first, an observation. It seems that the news is six months or so behind me. Somehow, what I say seems to catch on half a year later. (I am a man among men!)

Okay, moving on. Wait. I have to run something through the Trumpolator. That is the device I use to take what Donald Trump says and translate it into what it actually means. Here we go:

“I did not work for Russia.” => “I worked for Russia.”

“I am insulted that you even asked me that.” => “I’m still working for Russia.”

“In fact, that is the most insulting question I have ever been asked.” => “I am Putin’s, and Russia’s bitch.”

That wasn’t too hard now was it?

Okay, onto the correlations:

Ancient Rome – There was a professor on NPR who has taught Roman history for over twenty years he said that he used to get questions about how the empire fell. However, recently, in the last few years, he’s been asked about the Republic and how it ended. It ended in tyranny and then the empire. He said that there were signs of its demise. That its end was coming. One of those signs was the fact that the outlandish or unthinkable became commonplace. People were no longer offended by outrageous acts. Another thing he pointed to was the willingness of people to chip away at the foundations, just a little bit, in order to enrich themselves. HUM???

I’ve often thought that the governing foundations of Rome were a problem: 50 families, 2 pro-consuls each with a one year term. That didn’t leave any room for upward mobility or representation of others. It did allow for hubris, greed, and jealousy, which eventually did in both the Republic and the Empire. I would also note that Carthage fell to Rome because the government of Carthage would not resupply Hannibal because those in its governing body were jealous of him and his family. They let him flounder and eventually Rome got the better of Carthage and burned it to the ground, and put salt in the fields. I wonder at what point the Indians who allied themselves with Cortes to defeat the Aztec realized that it wasn’t going to work out well for them?

There’s an article in Wired magazine about a guy who says there is evidence that taking Metformin will extend your life. The problem he has is that the FDA doesn’t have a category for anti-aging. It’s not recognized as a disease, or a condition, or something they could approve. This guy says that the problem modern medicine has is that it is chasing the wrong goals. It is trying to cure cancer or Alzheimer’s, but it’s not trying to make you healthy or extend your life. In other words, it’s playing wack-a-mole with disease. It’s not working on anti-aging. Yes, you will die from the same diseases he says, but they will come much later in life. The other problem with Metformin is that it’s been around since the 1600s and no one is going to make a boatload of money off it so there’s little interest by big pharma to do anything. Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why not have the government step in? Oh no, socialism! Besides, when was the last time Mitch Mcconnell did something to help the American people, or anyone? 

Lastly, let’s look at the Iranian Revolution. I remember reading an article that told of a guy jumping in a truck and driving it somewhere to help the folks overthrowing the Shah. “Why?,” he was asked. “For the Ayatollah,” was his response. He didn’t do it for himself, but to help the common cause. 

We need to stop chipping away at our principles and foundations and get back to making this country great again. We need to do that by embracing the things that made it great. Those are not the things Donald Trump and his band of Russian enablers, neo-con money grubbers, or alternate fact idiots are espousing. They are the words of Hamilton, Henry, Roosevelt, Kennedy and the like. It’s time to save the country and the world.

852 Days to Go

PS What a croc!