Humans Are Their
Own Worst Enemy
By James Donahue
A friend recently e-mailed the following. The little story line, while funny, also
points to a flaw that is taking us down the deadly road we are currently traveling.
In the beginning In the beginning God populated the earth with broccoli and cauliflower
and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so man and woman would live long and healthy lives.
Then using Gods great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerrys and Krispy Kreme. And
Satan said, You want chocolate with that? And man said Yea. And woman said, And another one with sprinkles. And they gained
10 pounds.
And God created the healthful yogurt that woman might keep the figure that man
found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane, and combined them. And woman went
from size 2 to size 6.
So God said, Try my fresh green salad. And Satan presented Thousand Island Dressing
and garlic toast on the side. And man and woman unfastened their belts following the repast.
God then said, I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which
to cook them. And Satan brought forth deep fried fish, chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And man gained
more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.
God then brought running shoes so that his children might loose those extra pounds.
And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so man would not have to toil changing the channels. And man and woman laughed
and cried before the flickering light and gained pounds.
Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition.
And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And man gained pounds.
God then gave lean beef so that man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy
his appetite. And Satan created McDonalds and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, You want fries with that? And man
replied Yea! And super size em. And Satan said, It is good. And man went into cardiac arrest.
God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery. And Satan created HMOs
The irony in this funny little story is that it is almost true. The error is that
it hasn't been Satan, but American capitalism that created all of the deadly variations to turn good food into bad. It was
the capitalist system that brought us radio, television, cars, motorized golf carts and all of the other devices that turned
us into couch potatoes. And it was capitalism that turned health insurance into a greedy empire conspiring against the people
who need it the most.
And we let it happen.
Americans have consequently become a nation of
overweight, unhealthy sheep who have lost their ability to think. We are skillfully manipulated through subliminal messages
delivered via our televisions, radios and even the Internet. We can be programmed to buy certain products, watch certain films,
elect certain leaders, and even go to war almost at the flip of a switch.
Why, for example, do you think the people would collectively agree to allow
their president to declare a universal and unending state of war against a political philosophy . . . terrorism . . . which
can never be won? Or willingly allow our leaders to dismantle the freedoms we once enjoyed through the U.
S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, all in the guise of protecting us from terrorism within?
And why would we just yawn and turn up the air conditioner another notch when our
president assures us that a record heat wave, flaming forests, and crazy weather patterns are not caused by global warming.
We even allowed Mr. Bush drop the lawsuits brought by the Environmental Protection Agency against several big electric companies
with coal burning plants that are in gross violation of the Federal Clean Air Act.
That we have used this so-called war-on-terrorism to attack Afghanistan in pursuit
of a radical Moslem leader believed responsible for the 9-11 attack on America. Our subsequent assault on Iraq was an
act of terrorism far worse than anything Osama bin Laden brought against us.
There were slightly less than 3000 people killed in the attacks on the World Trade
Center and Pentagon. Our bombs have killed many thousand innocent civilians in both Afghanistan and Iraq. We also destroyed
homes, crops and food sources. And the killing continues to this day. The irony is that we failed to capture or kill Mr. Bin
Laden. As of this date, we don't even know where he is.
Our attack against Iraq never made much sense. No one could connect that nation's
leader, Saddam Hussein, with the 9-11 attacks.
Are the people acting right in America? We think not.
