- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
It’s not the apocalypse, of course, it’s just history, but if you thought the shape of history was meant to be an upward curve of progress, then this feels like the apocalypse.
— Dougald Hine, co-founder of The Dark Mountain Project
It can always sound really glib when historians start dancing up and down and saying, “hey, my book is super-relevant today.” And, justifiably, a lot of historians get jittery or sour-faced at the word or the question “how is this relevant?” So, I prefer a slightly different term, which is resonant.
— Dan Jones, historian
*
We’re living in a time of high anxiety. Strange, given that — at least in the West — we are more secure and more comfortable in our daily lives than men and women have ever been in all of our history. Under the constant barrage of media, people regardless of political persuasion, have become convinced that we are facing an unprecedented crisis of misrule.
It is well to seek out a little perspective, and for that there’s nothing better than delving into history.
*
The welcome news broke this week that ace historian of medieval mayhem Dan Jones is turning his hand to fiction with a trilogy set during the Hundred Years War. According to his publisher:
Essex Dogs covers six weeks in the summer of 1346 when Edward III led 15,000 soldiers from the beaches of Normandy to the field of Crécy, where the cream of the French nobility was slaughtered, along – or so it seemed – with chivalry itself.
Jones explained: “The outcome of this battle — and the experience of the Normandy campaign that preceded it — would shape the course of European history for a century afterwards. It forged the shape of nations, and the fabric of human lives.
“The question was, how was I going to tell this story? The Essex Dogs provided the definitive answer… and this is how it went down.”
His second book will take the Essex Dogs to the year-long siege of Calais, while the third follows an ill-fated expedition escorting the Edward III’s 13-year-old daughter to Castile, where she was due to marry the heir to the throne.
Learning of this outstanding development set me to pondering on two of Jones’ excellent narrative histories: The Plantagenets and Wars of the Roses — and the timeless resonance of the tale they tell. It may seem perverse to take comfort from reading about a society wracked by centuries of crisis, but there it is. I am compelled to resist fear and hysteria and the sense of entitlement that tells us we should be exempt from the tides of history.
This is not to minimize the signs of trouble over the land. The entire premise of The Running Iron Report is that the civilization we have been born into has developed speed-wobbles, and we’d do well to be prepared to ride out the bucks and the spins. What is frustrating is seeing so many otherwise intelligent and well-educated people tearing at their hair and rending their garments, acting as though such things should never be.
Throw a dart at history and you’re likely to hit an age of upheaval, wrenching change… and high anxiety.
*
The history that Jones so vividly depicts reminds us that misrule is far more common than strong, capable governance. In a period that saw significant impacts from climate change, periodic famine and rampant disease, and nearly constant armed civil strife, England nevertheless managed to survive — and eventually become a recognizably “modern” state. It was by no means a pleasant time to live through and there were many, many terrible ways to die. But… it wasn’t the apocalypse. It was just history.
The perceived “upward curve of progress” may have flattened out, and by some measures it may be in decline. We’ve been sold a version of history that would lead us to believe that that shouldn’t happen. But it does; it has done over and over again. Think our political situation is a mess? Try living through Edward II’s reign.
*
Jones’ books are outstanding — excellent history, delivered as a cracking good yarn. How can you resist a historical tome that begins:
“The prince was drunk. So too were the crew and passengers of the ship he had borrowed.”
If you prefer a different mode of storytelling, Jones’ works are presented as well-crafted docudramas:
From The Plantagenets:
From Wars of the Roses:
*
Matthew says
We’re living in a time of high anxiety. Strange, given that — at least in the West — we are more secure and more comfortable in our daily lives than men and women have ever been in all of our history. —
I sometimes wonder if we are not more adapted to lives of struggle than to the relative comfortable life we have in the modern West.
That is a very important point. In my view, a major aspect of civilization’s discontents.
Matthew says
Which brings up the question, what is the solution to the problem. I don’t think it is to seek more war and tyranny. Perhaps, to seek out healthy challenges.
Just as with our personal lives, channeling our natures into positive directions is key to success and satisfaction — hard to do. Harder on the society level. I don’t think there is a “solution,” per se — just a constant work in progress.
Matthew says
There are never any “solutions” at the societal level, just trade-offs.
Jim says
Love those series’!! Got 5 kids on a snow day. I feel like Henry VI! I think we will watch them. Just enough pillage and plunder to keep the boys happy! Thanks!!
As for history, basic human behavior doesn’t change much over time. There’s always a lesson to be learned. From Cain killing Abel to Stalin killing Trotsky.
If there’s greater anxiety today for me it comes from the relative lack of control over stability. I think there was always a comfort knowing you could protect your borders whether it was your home or country. The modern decline seems worse only by the ease and gravity of visiting uncontrolled irrational violence on the other side of the world in 20 minutes or a day’s travel. Even if it’s comforting to think the US can preempt a Soleimeni with a push of a button.
Time and distance were always the great equalizer. If not a change of heart at least being able to wack your enemy with a broad sword or artillery. Somehow trusting Putin to keep nukes locked up or insuring Kim Jung is plied with Cristal and concubines doesn’t help my inner control freak.
I think you’re on to something re: control. Even if it’s an illusion of control, the more we have, the better we feel. Much of the modern or post-modern world is so clearly beyond our control that we can’t even indulge in an illusion that we control our own lives. A major civilizational discontent, methinks.
Glad to provide rich materials for a snow day.
The modern battlefield has no fronts. It is a 360° environment, and that is unsettling to an extreme degree. I’ve been reading Level Zero Heroes, a tale of MARSOC in Bala Murghab — which is WAY the fuck out there — and am astonished that any thinking commander would have anything to do with the janky allegiances and politics in that country. Combined with the worst rules of engagement imaginable — from McChrystal of all people — and it becomes an impossible battle to fight, and therefore an impossible war to win. Which we could have learned by reading about the British in the same damn place 200 years ago. But mostly we don’t. I do find, however, that placing current events on a very long timeline makes them much more humorous, and therefore bearable.
That distills it down just about perfectly. That’s where I’m trying to operate — in the Black Humor Zone. My favorite kind of people lurk there.
Matthew says
Humor is a mechanism for dealing with shit. It revolves around pain, disappointment, et cetera. Black Humor is a necessity in today’s society.
Humor and anger can both, also, be covers for fear. Humans have a unique super power in the animal kingdom, which is the ability to disguise our emotions. And it often happens whether the human is aware of it or not.
Matthew says
That’s a good point. I never thought of humor being a cover of fear but that explains a lot human behavior. I knew about anger being used as a cover of fear quite well. Now these can both have great utility. If one is on a battlefield getting angry at the enemy is probably useful in order to function. However, like anything else it is only useful in an appropriate situation. You meet people who live comfortable if not privileged lives who are angry.
I think a lot of activist types use the anger covering fear thing. This includes both right-wing and left-wing activists.
Both anger and fear can be extremely useful when they are controlled — which is one reason, one supposes, we have evolved with them still in our toolbox. Gavin DeBecker’s excellent book “The Gift of Fear” provides a solid insight, I think, into the useful characteristics of fear. Anger can be also be useful but I think what we see too often these days is unadulterated rage. Rage isn’t useful, and is more indicative of a lack of self-control. Combine rage, narcissism, and sociopathology, and it explains what happens in crowd psychology — which I think, in the social-media age, can now be whipped up almost instantly. Fascinating stuff.
lane batot says
Chimps and other primates have some ability to “fake” their emotions–something we share in common with them! Canines, on the other hand, can SMELL your emotions, so no faking with them. Which is why it is usually wise to trust yer dog’s judgement of strangers!
I would expect something similar in a fellow primate. Dogs are not infallible in their detection…I’ve seen extremely well-trained K9’s tricked, and the point is that they may be talented at sussing out camouflaged behaviors in humans, but are mostly unable to camouflage their own– an angry, dejected, happy, or fearful, dog wears it on his collar and in his tail.
lane batot says
I would be interested, sometime(a separate post subject, perhaps?) to hear about instances where highly trained K‑9’s got tricked–not arguing here, just genuinely interested(I’ve been reading a bit lately, and watching documentaries, on War Dogs throughout history). I know dogs are not infallible, but they have abilities we do not, certainly, and a whole field of their abilities detecting pheromones and other scents needs much more research! One thing I’ve seen regarding dogs’ ability to recognize threats and protect their people that I think is just confusing to dogs, and gives an inaccurate “rating” of their perceptions, is these contrived “attacks” on their people by individuals performing, as it were, an “acting” role–they are not REALLY attacking, just PRETENDING to, and often the dogs do not respond very defensively. Could this be the lack of the right scent of a real aggressor? Could the body language also just not be quite right? Many of the dogs I’ve seen in videos of this “test” just seem confused–could they be thinking that maybe these people are just playing? Dogs certainly understand the concept of play-fighting among themselves. And people too, DO often carry-on that way! Conversely, I hear again and again(and witnessed it myself with a very friendly, virtually cowardly–but always beloved–little mutt I once had myself), of normally very outgoing, not typical guard dog types, defending their people vigorously in certain circumstances, to the surprise of all! Fascinating subject, certainly.…
Breaker Morant says
Off-topic-but fitting with the general theme of RIR. I don’t know if you have seen, or heard of, the Project Veritas videos that dropped this week of the Bernie staffer praising the Soviet Gulags (among other things). Obviously, he will be dismissed as one-of, but I tend to think there are many like him in that campaign. Apparently, more videos will drop this week.
If anyone is interested. Parts 1 and 2 are here.
https://twitter.com/JamesOKeefeIII/status/1217829901279035393
I have talked before how transcendent I found Solzhenitsyn’s “The Gulag Archipelago” to be. I first read them 20 years ago and found Volume 1 to be a bit of a slog, but fell in love with Volumes 2 and 3. I have been in the process of re-reading them again and finished #1 this fall. I found it much better this time around. A few books jumped in front of the next book, but I plan to finish it this winter-especially now.
Be that as it may, I never dreamed that “Gulag” would prove to be directly relevant to the current political cycle. But much of what the staffer said straight from the pages of “Gulag.” It was uncanny.
The funniest thing he said was “Liberals get the wall first.” Again from “Gulag,” The left had to purge their own.
To me, these Gulag praising tapes are not just a tactical political issue or whatever. They make the hair stand up on the back of my neck (where he would like to put a bullet.)
I also like how he thinks he would be deciding who gets shot or gets sent to the camps.
If anyone is interested there is a recent 1‑volume abridgement of “Gulag Archipelago” that should eliminate the slog, but keep the good parts. Jordan Peterson wrote the forward.
https://www.amazon.com/Archipelago-Peterson-introduction-Aleksandr-Solzhenitsyn/dp/1784871516/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9-Swx9GI5wIVDfDACh3hnQMsEAAYASAAEgKL5fD_BwE&hvadid=295228000951&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9020087&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4382078886672764159&hvtargid=kwd-565387098239&hydadcr=20617_10166973&keywords=gulag+archipelago+jordan+peterson&qid=1579195472&sr=8–1
There are plenty of Bolsheviks who are awaiting their time to crawl out from under their rocks. For some reason, people don’t freak out about them as much as they do the Sad Boy Nazis. Far as I’m concerned, they’re the same thing.
Matthew says
If you bother to study their ideology you’d find they are pretty similar. Nazi is short for National SOCIALIST German Workers Party after all. They were even more similar in application. The Nazi’s were suppose to be nationalistic and the Soviets inter-nationalistic, but the Soviets put the Union above other countries and even within the Union Russia was considered more important than other countries.
Jim says
The current love of all things Communist come from the fact that we didn’t do a post-mortem of the USSR like we did Naxi Germany so there’s no Gulag memorial like Auschwitz.
As for Gulag Archipelago. This is my favorite quote from Solzhenitsyn towards the end of the Soviet system. It reminds me of the current nostalgia for Socialism.
“From the most ancient times justice has been a two part concept, virtue triumphs and vice is punished.
We have been fortunate enough to live to a time that virtue, though it does not triumph, is nonenonetheless not always tormented by attack dogs.
Beaten down, sickly, virtue has now been allowed to enter in all its tatters to sit in the corner as long as it doesn’t raise its voice. However, no one dares say a word about vice.”
Reading David Satter’s “It Was A Long Time Ago, And It Never Happened Anyway: Russia and the Communist Past,” which addresses just how harmful consigning that history to the memory hole has been.
Ugly Hombre says
Bernie is a Bolshevik- plan and simple- and most of his staff and followers are Socialist/Communist “Fellow Travelers” of various stripes. The young Comrade who got caught on tape admiring Uncle Joe’s murdering M.O. is more typical of the breed than you would think,
https://townhall.com/columnists/robertknight/2019/02/26/bernies-bolshevik-bona-fides-n2542149
And they- the “Socialist Democrats” would have no problem unleashing a new Socialist /Democrat Cheka against any resistance E.G. gun owners and Constitutionalist’s should they gain power. And odds are they will. The ‘youth’ of America are oblivious to the true history and meaning of our country and ignorant as hell to the facts of Socialist /Communist rule. They want free stuff, open borders and safe spaces, they think America is evil and racist. There are to many of them and the old school work for what you want Americans are fast going the way of the dino-sours.
I talked to one Bernie bro, in the gym the other night, he told me “Health care is a basic human right”!
“No not no, but hell no- you don’t have a right to the labor of some body else kid, its not your right to take the fruits of some one else’s work.”
“Of course, if you can practice what you preach- I might come over to your side- how about you come over to my place and mow my yard for free Comrade? the grass is hip deep-Waddaya say? lol
Matthew says
This is like people who think they are virtuous because they think the rich should pay their “fair share.” Putting aside the questions on who determines what a “fair share” is, what most of these people are saying is they want the rich i.e. people with more money than them i.e. people other than them to pay for things. Quite often they give little themselves.
lane batot says
Plenty of other countries have affordable health care for their citizens without being communist or socialist–that is THE MYTH that the United States health care perpetuates to keep things status quo–in other words, a crooked system screwing EVERYONE over. Our Medical Administration is a RACKET–wake up and don’t drink their Kool-Aide. The Ultra-Wealthy(many of which ARE in the Medical Field) have ALWAYS made some effort to keep the peasants in control with poverty–their extravagant lifestyles require it. We have to pay taxes anyway–I’d prefer MY taxes to go to helping the poor, rather than the Ultra Rich WHO DON’T NEED IT! Ultra-Rich wanting tax breaks so they can what? Get another, bigger vacation home? Play some more golf at the Country Club? While multitudes don’t make enough from their hard working menial jobs(usually serving the Ultra Rich) to make bare minimum ends meet? Go ahead and keep supporting the Ultra-Rich duping you, and you will help contribute to another, INEVITABLE(if you look back in history) Revolution–which COULD lead to that Communism you fear(as we should all). I certainly DON’T want to see it happen, but if the greedy, spoiled Ultra-Rich keep having their way, it is INEVITABLE! Quit giving them your support, as if they actually give a damn about anyone but themselves(some wonderful exceptions to that, of course.…)
Ugly Hombre says
“Plenty of other countries have affordable health care for their citizens without being communist or socialist–”
Where?
lane batot says
You said it yourself below, regarding the Nordic countries. Is it a perfect solution? Nope. Did the governments that instituted it become Communist? Nope.
Breaker Morant says
One aspect of Solzhenitsyn that I have lacked the time (and maybe the inclination) to get into much is that he tore pretty hard into the Materialistic culture of the west. I really need to read more into that.
If I remember correctly, he made a 1978 Commencement speech at Harvard calling the west out on some stuff that went over like a fart in church. I found the following about that.
»>”“Solzhenitsyn’s June 8, 1978, commencement address at Harvard was the most controversial and commented-upon public speech he delivered during his twenty-year exile in the West, for he critiqued the spiritual crisis of both East and West. But far from being inspired by hostility to the West, Solzhenitsyn refuses to break faith with a civilization still capable of drawing intellectual and spiritual sustenance from “the moral heritage of Christian centuries with their rich reserves of mercy and sacrifice.
“But members of the U.S. antiwar movement wound up being involved in the betrayal of Far Eastern nations, in a genocide and in the suffering today imposed on 30 million people there.”
Breaker Morant says
Made a posting error in my above post, the last sentence (which may be hyperlinked), was meant to be in a separate paragraph as a specific example from the speech that, obviously, would not have gone over well at Harvard
lane batot says
Saw this guy hosting a PBS series about the history of England’s castles–excellent! Would like to see all this stuff, too.….
Ugly Hombre says
The real myth is that Socialized Medicine works it don’t and that’s a fact, head on down to Caracas or Havana and check it out. See for yourself. Sure sure the “Nordic” countries made it work.
https://news.unclesamsmisguidedchildren.com/swedens-socialized-medicine-tries-kill-young-woman/
Not..
I know many Brits and Canadians that curse their National Health services and tried to get to the US and pay out of pocket when they had a serious problem.
Bernie’s recent serious medical problem would have killed him if he lived in a country with government run health care (well maybe not since he is a millionaire and a high caste political wonk)
I got 20 years plus in the medical field and I can tell you it don’t work, Obamacare for example was a socialist medical scam and unconstitutional and drove up prices and drove MD’s out of the field. It hurt our medical system big time.
You don’t have to believe me just wait it out- the “Social Democrats” will gain power and destroy the remnants of quality American health care and turn the country into a Socialist state with all the that’s wonderful things Socialist rule brings with it. Lack of medical care, poverty, slavery, total government control etc. Too many of them brain washed by the media, the leftist educational system etc. they don’t know any better. That’s the bad thing.
The good thing- is those who work to bring it about will have to live in it and curse their own naivety.
Matthew says
I once talked to a guy who lived in Britain about the health care system. While he was glad he did not have to pay anything (except he did from his taxes) he described the quality of the system as “night of the living dead.”
I also was once on a bus with a Canadian who delivered a rant on the corruption in the health care system of his home country. The best way to get surgery in a decent amount of time was bribe a doctor. He wasn’t against a safety net per se but he did not like his countries system.
That’s not to say there aren’t a lot of problems with America’s system.
Ugly Hombre says
“The best way to get surgery in a decent amount of time was bribe a doctor.”
Yep- same in China, Cuba etc- or pay up front with dollars outside the Socialist medical system direct to the hospital.
lane batot says
Your ONE incident in Sweden can be upped by probably a few million in the U. S., of incompetent/ignorant doctors. I’m sure they exist all over the world, regardless of how the bills get paid! The only difference, perhaps, is in the U. S. you get REAMED financially regardless of whatever mistakes they make. NO MISTAKE, there doesn’t seem to be ANY real great solution anywhere(so far), but at least more socialized medicine, and Obamacare TRIED to help the poor. The system as it stands certainly DOES NOT. I have heard politician’s all my life saying “I WILL institute a feasible health plan for all!”–including the present President(who was going to have the best medical plan EVER!), but so far, NONE have been successful–or even really tried. Lack of medical care? Poverty? Near total guvmint control? No “slavery” yet(unless you consider so many menial jobs as a form of wage slavery–but so far„ you can always quit and get another slave wage job–I know, I’ve done that frequently!)–but all that sounds just like how things are RIGHT NOW! And you don’t see that? What I’m trying to point out is–if the poor keep getting more populous(as they are under the present way things are going), and the Ultra-rich keep getting richer(that upper “1%” always getting mentioned),and the gradual extinction of the middle class–one day, all those numbers of poor folk(FAR outnumbering everybody else) are gonna get fed up, and start dusting off the guillotines–and all the statistics and arguments to the contrary won’t have a bit of influence at that point. It won’t be “fair” then, you can bet, and it won’t be pretty. Doubt it could happen here? Just check out HISTORY. It tends to repeat itself. Although I sure HOPE people wake up, learn to SHARE a bit more, quit being so selfish and focused on “the mania of owning things”, and have a bit more compassion for their fellow man–THAT’S what will make America great again.….
Ugly Hombre says
“Poor folk(FAR outnumbering everybody else) are gonna get fed up, and start dusting off the guillotines–and all the statistics and arguments to the contrary won’t have a bit of influence at that point. It won’t be “fair” then, you can bet, and it won’t be pretty. Doubt it could happen here? Just check out HISTORY”
Well the history is- the poor got fed up in Russia had a revolution and bought into the Bolsheviks baloney- Lenin, Stalin and company killed 58,627,000 Russians most through starvation- they thought the Czar was bad little did they know- the jokes on you Comrade. No medical care for enemies of the people. That means anyone who disagrees with the current ruling Communist devil that holds power, bare bones substandard care for regular serfs.
In China they got fed up with CKS and worked to give Mao power the result was 73,237,000 Chinese killed by the Chinese Communists they thought the Chinese KMT were bad little did they know, Ongoing- 2 million + Uygher’s in National Socialist torture camps right now. Today in China, if you don’t bribe a doctor you get bare foot Dr. type care. if you have money you can get a new kidney, if not- well to bad Comrade.
Communist Paradise North Korea- 3,163,000 killed for anti Kim thought etc on going. They thought the original Kim was going to help them instead they got Communist hell, and no food and no medical care.
In every case the revolt for Socialist/ Communist rule left the “have not’s” with much less than they had to begin with to the point of losing their lives.. I am sure you know the horrific Socialist rule history of Cuba, Cambodia, Lao’s, Vietnam, Mongolia etc..
In Caracas right now, they are down to eating dogs and cats and zoo animals and zero medical care for the general population. They thought Chavez was going to give them free medical care- now they don’t have toilet paper. And sell themselves across the border in Columbia for medicine
Of course, when Socialized medicine comes to the USA it will be different for sure lol . And history will repeat itself also for sure- those who work for it will regret it and they will find out how much the new Commissars care about their subjects and how much compassion for the “people” they have.
Zero
Just like the Russians, Chinese, Cambodians etc. did.
To late- you asked for it.
lane batot says
You really, really, really ARE totally misinterpreting my comments. Let me capitalize them–maybe you’ll see them better. IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM AM I HOPING TO SEE MASSES OF POVERTY-STRICKEN PEOPLE OVERTHROW “THE SYSTEM”–I ABSOLUTELY AGREE THAT IT WOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT BE TO ANYONE’S BENEFIT IN THE LONG RUN!!!! IT NEVER WORKS ANYWAY! It simply leads to some new, usually repressive regime that is worse than what proceeded, just as you said. HISTORY. HOW IN THE WORLD are you interpreting my pointing that out as something I want to happen? I am SIMPLY(again–SIMPLY!) pointing out that this HAS happened many times before(you DO seem to get that, at least), and if we DON’T CHANGE the course of things as they are going now, it very well might again in our own country–NOT(NOT! NOT! NOT!) something I want to see! Quit twisting my words around to indicate something I am NOT saying! Quit defending something in our present system that IS NOT working well(our medical system)–you won’t EVER improve something unless you can FIRST, acknowledge it needs improvement! And you MUST consider ALTERNATIVES to hope to ever change things FOR THE BETTER, FOR EVERYONE! Not just the elite 1%! However, I’m sure even the most financially wealthy individuals do not like seeing their fortunes totally eaten up if they have serious medical problems! I would like to see REAL, FAIR reform(however it can be instituted), and it SHOULDN’T require a Communist overthrow of the government to do it! That kind of talk is just sensationalist distraction, and smacks of McCarthyism. Any system that is FAIR should be more acceptable to the general populous–it should not be that only the financially wealthy has access to the marvels of modern medicine–but in many cases right now, that is exactly the reality. For most of my life, there is NO WAY I could have afforded ANY kind of health insurance–living well below the poverty level as I was. If I got sick or wounded, I healed by my own efforts, or I would have just died–no different than Medieval times for a peasant(although medical expenses were still not as outrageous then as they are now!) I finally got a job that actually pays health insurance–even so, did I get a serious disease, I could easily be bankrupt in short order. Going to get something checked when sick, the FIRST and MOST IMPORTANT priority is ALWAYS “do you have medical insurance?”, not, “what ails you, and how can we help you?” That’s because it has become so MONEY DOMINATED. That’s why it is so rife with corruption, and will continue to be so if no major reforms are implemented. That’s why things need to change(or else!). Will it be PERFECT when things(hopefully) change for the better? I’m sure not–nothing ever is,totally. But things SHOULD be better than they are now, simply for the sake of humanity and fairness, and defending the present “status quo” is EXACTLY what the crooked, greedy bass-turds want! They should reward you a stipend for your commentary on the subject!
lane batot says
.….and how many times do you hear of people that have to LEAVE the U. S. for medical care, because they can’t afford it in this country, especially the gouged drug prices? Lots.