FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Feb 25

Is Changing Text in Classic Novels a New Form of Censorship?

by bcurry

This week is Freedom to Read Week (February 19 to 25).  In Canada, we have the Freedom to Read Foundation which organizes this week and is sponsored by the Book and Periodical Council (BPC), the umbrella organization for Canadian associations whose members are primarily involved with the writing, editing, translating, publishing, producing, distributing, lending, marketing, reading and selling of written words.  Through earlier blogs, I have been an advicate for any persons or organizations that oppose the banning of books or overt censorship in reading materials, whether in our schools, libraries or publishing firms.  Imagine that books such as Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Mariko Tamaki’s This One Summer are among those books that have been challenged in North America.  The list is much more extensive in states such as Florida and Texas, where there have been right-wing efforts to ban swaths of stories about Black Americans and LGBTQ people.

The latest example of overreach concern classic books by Roald Dahl, wherein the U.K. publisher, Puffin U.K., decided that there was a need to censor several of the author’s cherished children’s stories.  News broke last week that hundreds of changes were made in the latest editions of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Matilda” and other Dahl classics.  The changes reportedly have been made to align his language with modern standards of inclusion, diversity and accessibility.  In “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” for instance, Augustus Gloop is no longer “fat”; he’s “enormous.”  And the Oompa Loompas aren’t “small men”; they’re “small people.” While Matilda once went to India with Rudyard Kipling, now she travels to California with John Steinbeck.  In “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” even the chickens’ feelings have been spared; they’re no longer called “stupid.”  These changes remind me of the removal of the n-word in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn.  However, these more recent publishers’ changes are even more ridiculous!

This movement is once again a result of attempts by certain factions of today’s society and parents to protect their children from exposure to so-called sensitive materials, as well as the rise of so-called “safetyism.”  For some reason, there are those that believe children and adolescents are so fragile that they need to be protected from stressors.  What I don’t understand is that almost all books are reviewed by schools and libraries before they are made available to children and adults alike.  According to well defined criteria, they are then placed in the appropriate areas depending upon the recommended areas of interest and applicable reader ages.  In addition, parents do have to option of contesting the criteria and limiting what is read by their children at home.

Trying to limit ourselves and our children’s exposure to history and past societal attitudes appears to be another means by which we are shielding people from the realities of certain times reflected in past and modern literature.  This behavior in turn leads to more and more censorship based on one’s perceived needs to provide such protection, often to the detriment in the normal development of youth in our society.  While language evolves from one generation to another, it partly does so because of our understanding and appreciation of history itself.  Changing words to reflect current morality and societal values does not change our history.  Indeed, we are doing a disservice to up and coming generations if we continue to attempt to shield them from certain past and current realities.  How otherwise do we get the opportunity to seriously and frankly discuss certain critical issues, both past and current?  This process is what constitutes the very basis of knowledge, regardless of the disciplines involved.  How else can we learn to deal with certain realities, thereby creating a greater chance for future understanding, respect and tolerance?

We may not always like what we read, but in a democracy one has the right to be free to choose what we read.  This is what universal literacy is all about.  The more resources that we can freely access, without censorship, the better!

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Feb 20

Telehealth Raises New Concerns About How Drugs Are Dispensed in North America

by bcurry

Back in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, the Trump administration made it easier to treat patients by telehealth or telemedicine, including remotely prescribing certain controlled substances.  Today, all manner of medical care, from management of chronic diseases like diabetes to substance abuse treatment, have become more accessible and affordable.  While many patients have benefited, the rapid growth of remote prescribing and at-home use of various drugs has outpaced the evidence that doing so is safe and effective.  As the gap between medical treatment and online shopping has narrowed, already-thorny debates over the proper balance between availability and safety have become increasingly urgent.  The introduction of telehealth has created a whole new industry when it comes to providing health care, especially with the provision of drugs used to treat such mental health issues such as depression.

Back in 2017, I read about a new use for the drug ketamine, a long-used anesthetic that was primarily used to sedate patients during surgery but has also been used as a date-rape drug.   Ketamine was undergoing studies by several researchers both in Canada and the U.S. for its ability to rapidly stop suicidal thoughts in a high percentage of patients.  As far back as 2013, one Canadian researcher, Dr. Pierre Blier, director of the mood disorders research unit at the Royal Ottawa Hospital, called ketamine the biggest breakthrough since the introduction of anti-depressants.  For patients resistant to other drug treatments, it is considered an alternative to one of the only remaining treatments — electroconvulsive therapy, which has potential long-lasting side effects and is more invasive and often requires hospitalization.  For anyone suffering from clinical depression, ketamine has been shown to be effective and safe if prescribed and closely monitored by an attending physician.  Needless-to-say, there are known serious side-effects from the use of ketamine, and there is a potential for addiction and abuse.

The access to cheaper sources of ketamine for at-home treatment has been facilitated by the emergence of telehealth.  Marketing to doctors is often done through social media posts and mailers, wherein they extol the benefits of ketamine.  Companies that once served primarily local customers now ship their products across the country.  The ketamine boom has presented an alluring opportunity.  Because ketamine is regulated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Health Canada as a controlled substance, provision of the drug still requires a physician’s prescription.  Previously, while prescribing ketamine for depression was allowed, patients needed to first meet in person with a doctor, and treatment was mostly limited to infusions in clinics.  Now, telehealth providers will accommodate patients by providing online access to a physician.  Patients have the option to schedule live telemedicine visits with their providers at any time for no additional cost.  Needless-to-say, this isn’t an ideal situation when it comes to providing medical follow-up for monitoring purposes.  Some at-home providers simply view ketamine as just another medicine to be taken regularly.

Covid-19 exacerbated the nation’s mental health crisis and underscored the inadequacy of many existing treatments, accelerating a reconsideration of once-stigmatized psychedelics.  The sale of ketamine has reportedly grown ten times what it was in 2019.  People who are using telehealth to acquire the drug are desperate, but may also be prone to addiction and abuse.  Some suffer serious health side-effects but are hesitant to report them for fear of loosing their cheaper access to the drug.  One the one hand, the growth of telehealth is yet one more example of reacting to the lack of availability and affordable access to mental health services in many communities.  On the other hand, there are those that worry that this potentially lifesaving treatment could become inaccessible if more rigorous intervention by regulators is implemented.  In addition, more research on the long-term use of such drugs as ketamine is needed to determine if its continuous medical use might be harmful.  Since many online users are reluctant to provide information about its use, such needed research may be more difficult to undertake.  Like access to other controlled substances, regulators need to take a closer look at the growth of telemedicine in both countries.  After all, if there are profits to be made and drug costs are reduced, one can certainly foresee the continuing growth of this sector.

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Feb 16

We Now Have a Generation of Survivors of School Mass Shootings

by bcurry

Since the Columbine High School attack of 1999, which left 12 students and one teacher dead and reshaped how Americans viewed mass shootings, we now have a generation of young people who have witnessed more than one school shooting.  Most recently, gunshots erupted on the vast Michigan State University campus, killing three students and injuring five others.  Unfortunately, many on campus felt a chilling sense of familiarity.  Today, several college students were just children when the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, killed 26 students, teachers and staff members in 2012.  Nine years later, the Oxford High School shooting in a nearby township outside of Detroit left four teenagers dead.  These were just but a representative few of the recent school mass shootings in the U.S.

Following the recent shooting at Michigan State University, the New York Times interviewed several students only to find that a number had also experienced a school shooting when they were in elementary and high schools.  One student interviewed on campus, who was at Sandy Hook Elementary on the day of the shooting, was reported to have said that “it was incomprehensible to have lived through two mass shootings in her 21 years.”  University faculty interviewed also noted that a number of their students had experienced a school shooting while in primary or secondary school.  Can one imagine how this latest school shooting must psychologically affect these young people?  I couldn’t imagine their current state of mind!

Those of us who attended college understand that the idea of security on campus is a difficult concept because of the size of a campus, with many buildings and facilities being frequently used by students, teachers and administrators.  Since mass school shootings occurred more frequently, colleges have introduced new security or safety measures in order to protect students and to prevent casualties from such incidents.  These include requiring key cards or photo identification to enter most campus buildings, sports facilities and residences.  Common across the country, campus wide systems were introduced whereby security alerts are sent to cellphones when there is a possible or actual threat on campus.  However, in most cases students must opt into the service, rather than opting out.  Campus police departments as part of their continuous training learn to prepare for and how to respond to threats. In the U.S., they often work closely with Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) campus liaisons to track potential threats from outside the school.  Many colleges also have threat-assessment teams made up of public safety officers, counsellors and student affairs groups, who try to spot troubled students and staff members who might be considering violent acts.  In such cases, school and community support services are made available to students with any issues.  However, this does not help those situations, as in the case of Michigan State, where the perpetrator comes from off-campus and is not affiliated directly with the school.

The ideal is that campuses of colleges and universities are meant to be open in the spirit of higher learning and freedom.  Therefore, at the post-secondary level, the authorities have to undergo a balancing act between allowing freedom of movement and enforcing security on campuses.  In the U.S. in particular, this is not an easy thing to do.  Even in Canada, colleges and universities have introduced more security measures in light of what has happened south of the border.  Fortunately, Canadians have seen far fewer violent incidents on our campuses, especially incidents involving gun violence.  Remembering back to my days in college, it is a shame that young people today go off to campuses under such a cloud of insecurity.  One has to feel for the parents who can only assume that their children are learning and developing in a safe environment.

Students today are being forced to be ever vigilant, recognizing that even college campuses are but another reflection of our societal woes.  Gone it appears are the more carefree and anticipated opportunities for growth that come with college and university experiences.  Increasingly, students are being forced to deal with continuous security and safety issues.  However, perhaps these experiences are meant to prepare young people for what they will experience in later life.  Alas, reality has indeed embraced our campuses.

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Feb 6

Both the U.S. and Canada Have Raised Security Concerns About Chinese Businesses

by bcurry

Relations between the U.S. and Canada regarding China haven’t been this low for years.  The recent shooting down of a Chinese surveillance balloon has simply made matters worst.  We know that the balloon flew over parts of western Canada before moving over American air space.  While Chinese authorities argued that this was simply a weather balloon that had gone off course, officials at North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) claimed that it was a spy balloon.  In the end, President Biden ordered that the balloon be shot down over the ocean within American controlled waters, allowing the military to retrieve the balloon’s remnants for further study.  In protest, Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a planned high-stakes weekend diplomatic trip to China.  In addition, a number of American Congressional members once again turned their attention to Chinese businesses, such as TikTok and Huawei, which have been operating in the U.S. 

With respect to social media platform TikTok, U.S. lawmakers have expressed concerns about TikTok mining users’ private data and passing on the information to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).  China’s Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng insisted that China would “resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.”  There is little doubt that Chinese companies are operating under the auspices of the CCP.  Whether or not these companies represent a national security risk has yet to be fully determined, despite all kinds of allegations by some American and Canadian authorities.

China is making major inroads into a number of countries as a way to extend its influence around the world.  For example, the latest interest by Chinese companies is in Mexico due to the advantages for imports to the U.S. because of the North American trade deal involving the three North American countries.  Chinese firms are establishing factories in Mexico that allow them to label their goods “Made in Mexico,” then trucking their products into the U.S. and Canada duty-free.  They are currently setting up operations inside the North American trading bloc as a way to supply Americans and Canadians with goods, from electronics to clothing to furniture.  This also allows Chinese companies to greatly reduce skyrocketing shipping and transportation costs, while taking advantage of Mexico’s highly skilled workforce, given the presence of its universities that churn out engineering graduates.  The Mexican government is openly welcoming billions of dollars worth of Chinese investments as a means to further develop their industrial sites close to the U.S. border and the potential creation of thousands of new jobs.

As a matter of increasing its influence abroad, China has invested in numerous infrastructure investments around the world, notably in Africa, South America and Asia.  Such investments often target critical sectors such as those in transportation (high speed rail), energy (oil and gas extraction) and mining (nickel deposits).  Many countries and their political elites believe that China is now the relevant superpower and the U.S. is in relative decline, especially after the disastrous foreign policies administered by Donald Trump. 

There is little doubt that American and Canadian politicians, particularly those of the right-wing persuasion, will continue to raise security concerns wherever Chinese businesses are active.  What is ironic is that American and Canadian companies were quick to invest in manufacturing operations in China, hoping to take advantage of cheaper labour costs and weaker environmental and health and safety regulation.  China took full advantage of the resulting opportunities to expand their business and economic interests in North America.  At this time, based on speculating about possible security concerns, I question whether we can prevent these business ties?  This recent balloon episode may have raised such concerns, but it apparently is nothing new since it is reported that three similar balloons actually flew over the U.S. when President Trump was in office.  Strange that no one complained about those incursions at that time?

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