Commonweal Institute Blog

The Bush Administration is about to let a drug company sell one of our few remaining effective antibiotics for use on livestock. This is so the drug company can make higher profits. They do not care that this decision could kill a LOT of us.

Here is what is going on: These days people don't think of infections as serious, not to mention potentially fatal. This is because we have antibiotics to kill the germs. But throughout human history bacteria were one of the biggest - if not the biggest - causes of death. All the way up until the discovery of penicillin - less than 100 years ago - people used to die from things as simple as a cut getting infected.

The germs have been fighting back. They build up resistance to the drugs we use against them, and over time the drugs stop working. This is the reason doctors tell people to be sure to take ALL of the antibiotics in a prescription even if they start to feel better -- you need to kill ALL of the germs or the ones that survive develop resistance. The other reason is that drugs are given to livestock because they help them get fatter quicker. Over time, through simple evolution and natural selection, the germs become resistant to the antibiotics and we all are put at risk. One after another the antibiotics have become nearly useless. In fact, we only have a few effective antibiotics left.

Think about what would happen if germs get a chance to build resistance to the few remaining effective antibiotics. Now read this news story:

Forewarned is forearmed. A new MSNBC report predicts that 2008 will see continued cyber attacks, and better organized ones, that threaten individuals, businesses, and governments.

Progressives have special concerns in this regard. We at the Commonweal Institute consider Personal Choice and Privacy to be one of our core principles. The Internet is a commons, shared by all (well, all who have access to it), which needs to be protected from those who would use it maliciously, as well as those who use it dishonestly for commercial or for political/social control purposes. Use of taxes to support detection and enforcement mechanisms to protect all of us from cyber attacks may be one of those issues that could attract wide support, not limited to progressives. The advantage to having such policing done by a government agency, rather than a private corporation, is that the U.S. government belongs to We the People, so we can demand openness and accountability. I’d sure trust a government agency more than I’d trust some contractor like Blackwater.

The looming threat to social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn) and other social network-facilitating communication methods (e.g., cell phones) described in this article will be of particular concern as social networking continues to grow exponentially. As more progressives join such social networks and get their friends and colleagues to do likewise, the opportunity for detailed mapping of the progressive political network rises as well. Such maps could be used by adverse political elements who would target progressives. Of course, network mapping could also pose risks to the broader society, not just progressives, if done by the intelligence or military agencies, military contractors, foreign governments, or terrorist groups.

Moral of the story? Be alert, be careful, take precautions.

My flight from Washington DC to Atlanta landed late. The connection to San Francisco still wasn't due to take off for a few minutes but the airline didn't hold it.

So I go to the counter and ask what I can do? They only have one flight to San Francisco a day, and the next one is in 24 hours.

Can I get on another airline? Try Orbitz, she says.

Can you get me a room? She gives me an 800 number of a discount service.

Can I get some food? There are concession stands in the airport.

Too bad for you. We've already got your money and you're on your own.

There is nothing I can do, they already have my money.

Welcome to the New America. Welcome to the You're On Your Own (YOYO) society. Welcome to corporate domination. Did you know that it used to be illegal for airlines to treat their customers like this? But now it is expected.

We, the People used to be in charge. We set up the legal, financial and physical infrastructure that enables corporations to serve our interests. You know, that pesky "We, the People" thing. Why else would we have set up corporations except to serve us?

But now it is the other way around. Now the corporations are in charge of us. A select few grew fabulously wealthy from the system we set up to serve all the people, and have used that wealth to manipulate the system to bring all the benefits to themselves at the expense of the people.

When are we going to do something about it?

(Note - the airline employees were not nasty, considering who they have to work for and the policies they have to work under. They seemed resigned to having to tell people this stuff. That's another part of this system -- if you want to have enough money to feed your kids and pay the rent (but not get health care) you're forced to serve the corporation, and be their agents in telling people "too bad." There is a harm that comes to people from being compelled to treat others this way. And if you think you have too much integrity to do that, well we can find someone in India who is hungry enough.)