Douglas Frame Ethics, individualism, political philosophy, Present Times

COVID-19: Brain Dysfunction and Enviro Work

COVID-19 can result in brain damage. The effect of COVID is cumulative, that is, if you have COVID more than once, these subsequent infections compound the damage from previous infections. Such facts about this damage to the brain must be foremost in the managerial class thinking.

The wisdom of office work in the aftermath of COVID is drawn into question as a practical matter. “DOGE”‘s advisory government members, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy plan to save money by having civil servants who have worked remotely, be forced to work in traditional pre-COVID centralised offices. Those that refuse to do so would have no other option than to leave their jobs. This would not be the first time in history workers would be forced to work in potentially unsafe conditions, with the only alternative, losing their livelihood, if they refuse to follow the dictates of the managerial class.

Studies continue to show persistence among some people having long term COVID, such as “brain fog”. It may be the case that brain damage and other forms of long COVID suffered by some of these unfortunates can be irreversible. Brain damage may continue to negatively impact functioning, including ongoing deterioration of cognition in old age, although the extent of this cannot be known with certainty at the present. After approaching the latter years of life, only then will the full damage be shown.  COVID first only became prevalent in the past five years.

There are many other reasons why hopefully the bosses would not enforce such a policy requiring in office work if other alternatives could be found. Those with COVID, where there is harm to the other workers, (i.e., in poorly ventilated offices), if they worked remotely negative outcomes could be avoided. This would also make the families less at risk because remote workers would not be sick. Anything that decreases transmission is preferred, especially if it still is unclear the long-term course of any COVID infection or infections.

In the news it has been reported that after the COVID pandemic, students are scoring markedly lower on standardised tests. While studies show that children have a much lower risk of morbidity and mortality from COVID, persistent damage cannot be ruled out. A decrease in functioning is often attributed to the lack of interaction with peers when home schooled, which makes it crucial to know each individual who is or has been infected.

Using a sensitive diagnostic criterion, a serious look must be made to ascertain the outcomes of those in school classes in even “mild cases” and to make sure all these cases are identified and rigorously evaluated. The relationship between the seriousness of the individual infection and the risk of future persistent damage, (including residual long COVID) has not been quantified, although those with a severe infection seem to be more likely to acquire long COVID. Perhaps one might have mild COVID but persistent long COVID.  In any case one can still move forward with an effective strategy.

People who work in centralised offices are at greater risk of contracting COVID, as people who work in offices tend to be working more closely together in greater numbers, perhaps with poorer ventilation and therefore increasing the risk of transmission. Not only is such an environment favorable to virus replication, but over time as people continue to be effected, the damage wrought to the human body increases including the risk for permanent brain dysfunction.

The ethical problem becomes that not only the damage done to the individual is wrong, and can be avoided, but also the risk of the products of their labor, whether tangible or not, could have many deleterious outcomes on all aspects of vital civil service work as well as public work. This consequence of the civil servants production could have many unforeseen effects. Repeated infections further complicate the evaluation of ones functioning. The viability of critical products manufactured by such workers, could further be drawn into question with unforeseen consequences.

Under many circumstances there is no reason people cannot work efficiently while working remotely, if the managers so choose to allow it. In many cases such an outcome would be clearly preferred. With the age of the Internet and its advantages of Video Conferencing, Email, chat platforms; there is no reason much work cannot be done in this manner. Not only can the worker be protected, but the integrity of their products can be ensured.

Using materials such as gasoline, plastic, paper and other compounds, it is widely known that alternative  materials can be found for products that are environmentally sound, but the capitalist investment in old technologies and new strategies based on outmoded materials continues on with the status quo. Like gas and plastic, the capitalist may already own not only the materials of production, but the infrastructure to produce them, so it is not profitable to change course. This in turn can result in less than safe factory procedures, especially where there is a fertile environmental workplace where COVID can easily proliferate. Fortunately with some ingenuity such barriers can be overcome.

Not only was the US population greatly harmed by COVID and still is, not taking post pandemic realities seriously, including long COVID, which has not only further impacted the health of the US workforce, but also the viability and integrity of the products produced can be thrown into question. The issue of brain health, especially on a national scale must be seriously examined.

 

 

 

Douglas Frame Ethics, individualism, objectivism, philosophy of religion, political philosophy

Revolution and the Christian Death Cult

Revolution is not necessary. At least in the ordinary way revolution is thought of. Violence is never an option. Even if violence pointed toward victory it would be setting a bad precedent. A movement established by violence is based on a violent tradition. A history of violence results in a future of violence.

The USA for instance is a very violent culture. This is no surprise since it is founded on slavery and genocide. One might think that such a culture is superior because it has spread and supplanted much. The main reason though why this violent tradition has spread is because it is more effective in destroying its opponents and its opponents have been eliminated. This is not a judgment of the tradition, just simply a statement of fact.

Evolution determines the path of humankind. Each change in human history is determined by its past as well as present circumstances. The dominance of certain cultures has resulted in the elimination of peaceful ones nowadays most cultures are those cultures that have a history of violence. The peaceful cultures that have been lost would find a fertile soil today but they are long gone.

One cannot allow for further world wars because of the dire consequences. The world is armed to the teeth. There is a passé tradition called MAD which was in vogue during the cold war between the former Soviet Union and the USA. MAD stands for Mutually Assured Destruction. It was thought that it was somehow an advantage for two nations in this case two that were equipped with thermonuclear weapons in that they would not attack each other because mutual destruction would result. This was a deterrent to any sort of attack. This shows the insanity of modern weapons policy.

It is thought today by the ruling elite in the US that none can attack us and harm us because our position militarily is so superior to other nations. But in the meantime nuclear technology is readily available to other nations and the US can be attacked if such weapons can be smuggled in to the US. Also a terrorist attack on a nuclear power station would result in terrible destruction.

Nevertheless the US has threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons against Iran. The use of nuclear conventional weapons is accepted by many in the US establishment. This is a radical change in strategy which is certain to result in changing attitudes toward the use of such weapons around the world. This is very similar to the change in the US posture regarding first strike policy which has advertently resulted in the recent crises with Iran and North Korea. The US long thought a moral leader now sets the standard for immoral aggression.

In addition to this aggressive posture coveting world control comes naturally the lack of regard for quality of life. Capitalistic fervor manifests in the desire for world control is resulting in a steady decrease in the valuing of life and degrades living condition for all including those of the ruling elite. Now with the rise of the evangelical right and its emphasis on increasing population and the destruction of other species and environmental degradation this has caused a continuing degradation in the quality of life. While some people might be inclined out of self interest to turn back and address the needs for survival of the human species with the growing influence of the evangelical right the emphasis is on material possessions as showing God’s favor results in an ever increasing extent of environmental destruction. In order to rationalize what is obviously impacting the world’s environment some evangelicals have gone so far as to put faith in the coming rapture which will lift the believers off this putrid planet. There is even an impulse among the evangelicals to hasten this destruction so as to allow the rapture to begin.

Such a movement cannot be met with force. This movement has no compunction against taking the lives of the infidels. In fact to take the lives of the infidels may in their view be taken as a show of their devotion to God.

The world is dominated by the destroyers. Largely those that emphasize peace have long been destroyed. Those that compose the destroyers have developed more effective weapons as they delight in killing. How can we develop weapons more effective when the weapons that already exist threaten all life on earth? Rather it seems more effective in fact it seems to be the only option to develop ones consciousness and erase from our being hatred and fear. Perhaps the haters will destroy you but in doing this they may become aware that by destroying you they are destroying any hope for themselves.

In understanding the limitation of the worldview of the egoistic self one can see that holding on to life desperately is simply a way of denying the all of All. While taking a peaceful perspective may make one another target of the destructive perhaps some can be made to see the futility of their own position. It is clear that destruction which has enabled the spread of the violent around the world is not an option now as the violent face each other at the precipice. Those that fear for the self may in fact be persuaded, although the emphasis in a Christian death cult is becoming more and more prominent. Perhaps we can try and remind them that the religion is based on love and charity and perhaps the final calamity can be avoided. Hopefully then a violent revolution can be avoided and instead a spiritual revolution may take place.