Tuesday, July 09, 2013

Back Again, So Soon?


Back in Paul Virilio reality again. More fearsome accidents. Again, no one takes responsibility, or bears it. With industry comes the industrial accident. Do we ever seriously question the means and ends, where we are going or where we are coming from? 

In Small Changes (1973), Michigan novelist Marge Piercy observes that certain pharmaceutical pills, medicines and treatments come with labels describing possible side effects. 

The idea of "side effects" is a semantic one, because, she points out, really there are only "effects," some useful, some harmful. 

The same can be said of any form of delivery -- medicinal, economic or technological. With any one thing, other things come, too. 

Pandora's Box is opened, and out flies all but the one thing left inside the box (or jar): the spirit of hope.

How important is breath and water to each and everyone one of us living creatures of Earth? 

Are we responsible for breathing clean air and drinking clean water? What do you think?

Today's Rune: Signals.  A snippet of "Tokyo Storm Warning" here.

2 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

I always make the point in my pscychopharm class that there's no such thing as Side effects, only effects.

jodi said...

Erik-Ooooh, I like what Charles pointed out!