Monday, October 24, 2005

Everyone's trying to get in on the act

Yeah, we blur the line between saying things that are real and things that are absurd. We hold the right to do that because we truly don't see a difference between the two. All life is absurd. While we do it to no real purpose, other than to see how much we can blur that line, I found a real article that could have been one of our jokes but was actually serious.

I found it in The Week, under Best Columns: Europe. It's from Madrid, Spain's ABC, written by Juan Manuel de Prada. Check it out:

"Maybe we had it coming. For years, we Spaniards gleefully mocked the U.S. for it vicious persecution of smokers. The vilification of tobacco users, we said knowingly, was "just the clearest symptom of the raging paranoia that is rotting American society like gangrene." The ever-widening bans on smoking showed the growth of "latent fascism" in U.S. politics. With sneering conceit, we congratulated ourselves that such a thing could never happen here. We were wrong. Parliament is outlawing smoking in the workplace. Opposing parties that can't manage to agree on a bill to combat terrorism have miraculously united over "harassing smokers." Spanish smokers will now have to cluster furtively outside their office buildings, just like those pathetic Americans. Such behavior will be terrible for office morale. Either smokers will be resented for their cigarette breaks, or they will find them more trouble than they're worth and stop hiring them. This type of "social segregation" is the "beginning of totalitarianism.""

Does anybody else feel like shooting themselves after reading that? That was a real, printed opinion. The only thing more painful than reading it is the thought that someone gets paid to write something that I do for free as a joke. I'm sorry I have to stop a moment and weep.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

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Friday, November 04, 2005 2:23:00 AM  
Blogger Roberto Iza Valdés said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

Friday, November 04, 2005 6:18:00 AM  
Blogger Dave said...

At the risk of sounding completely off the map, there has never really been proof that second-hand smoke causes cancer. In fact, the source often pointed to as solid fact, The EPA report on Second hand Smoke, actually says that second hand smoke is casually associated with 3,000 lung cancer deaths a year to nonsmokers. It's casual becasue second hand smoke has carcinogens in it. That's about it. Still I'd rather not take my chances and refrain as much as possible from any kind of smoke. It's near impossible for me to avoid air pollution, because I live in New York City.

I tend to think that any restriction on vice is futile. I applaud the 24 hour drinking rule. I could, if I really wanted to drink for 24 hours right now. I may not be in a public place for the hole 24 but for about half of that time I could be.

Is alcoholism a problem, yes. Are health issues linked to smoking a problem, yes. What should be done instead of restricting these actions? We should be offering life fulfilling alternatives (idle hands, blah blah blah). May I suggest forced racing between smokers and drinkers. The winner of each race will eba llowed to coninue their training regiment, the loser will be sterilized.

Monday, November 07, 2005 5:02:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Post <--- Great Name For This Post.... absurdmenspeak. Anyway, I just decided to pop in and tell you I was here and read for a bit.

Regards,
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Monday, November 07, 2005 5:24:00 PM  

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