Some 80 years ago a French writer named Jules Romain wrote a much appreciated piece of theater called Knock. Knock is a doctor who takes over a small town medical practice from a tired old man.
At the time he starts with the job, few people ever fall ill and as such the practice is of no medical or financial interest at all. But Dr Knock, armed with his modern knowledge and know-how manages the "tour de force" of putting half the population in bed within a few months.
Knock's device - written with letters of blood and silver on his virtual but nevertheless impressive banner - "A healthy person is a patient who ignores that he's sick" is impressively effective and perfectly represented by the scientific doctor who's personal interest, as well as the interest of the patient, are beaten by a superior interest ruling all: the interest of Medicine itself. The piece is brilliantly written and quite funny and many people often laugh about such large heaps of silly people who believe anything they're told. It's an amazing experience: The audience giggles and whispers and laughs, not aware of the fact that they are villagers.
Knock would have been delighted to witness where his ideas have led us today. He managed to make patients believe in, and pay for, diseases nobody ever even thought of before the precious vulture doctor of medicine entered their lives. Nowadays, through taxes and all sorts of more or less mandatory insurances, the whole population pays for diseases that do not even exist the way they're painted by armies of trustworthy specialists in health care who are known to only recognize one holy and all prevailing interest: the Patient's.
We live in a wonderful world and this particular moment of human history, the very beginning of the twenty-first century, tops is all. For instance, we can read about people giving up all they have to rescue the poor from misery and starvation. Look what I read just minutes ago:
"Irish rock star Bono went on a shopping spree and appeared on the influential Oprah Winfrey TV chat show on Friday to launch his latest campaign to fight FAMINE in Africa."
Saying he was convinced that "this generation can be the generation that says 'no' to extreme poverty" in Africa, the U2 singer and activist urged Americans to buy "Red"-branded clothes, cell phones, shoes and iPods and see a portion of the profits channeled to fund FOOD programs.
Isn't it fantastic? Bono, that fabulous rock star, he could have said: "Hey, I have an idea! Let's stop plundering poor countries and give 'em back what we took from them. Here, I give the example: ten million dollars for Africa from my personal bank account". But how deceiving a deed would that have been. No, Bono is not that kind of a ball-less, soul-less, corporate little bitch. Bono goes much further. Bono teaches us today that we can say "No" to extreme poverty!
Let's all say "No" to extreme poverty. Great feeling, isn't it? Once more, all together: "NO"
Beg your pardon? I made a mistake? Bad quotation? Where? Ah, it's not "fight FAMINE" and "FOOD programs", it's "fight AIDS" and "AIDS programs". Yeah, I know. I made a slight change. You may call it sarcasm if you wish. I personally think that saying "No" to extreme poverty starts with providing food and clothes and shoes and shelter. But I'm getting old and old-fashioned. Today the stretched-out helping hand holds life-saving killer drugs against viruses that don't make sense.
Medicine today is Jules Romain's story infinitely magnified. Taxes and mandatory insurances, it's not enough anymore. The health industry got used to wealth and power. They want more and more and more, we won't get off the hook, ever. They have many simplistic mind blowing arguments they feed to the very ignorant yet very influent. Bono, Oprah, Madonna. What do they know? They swallowed the overwhelming scientific evidence hook, line and sinker. Now they spread the word to the world. Untold millions are listening.
"Some people won't put on marching boots, so we've got to get to people where they are at, and they're in the shopping malls," Bono said in a phone interview. "Now you're buying jeans and T-shirts, and you're paying for 10 women in Africa to get medication for their children with HIV".
You won't go to them? Then they will come to you. Give me your wallet! Your money or your life! . . . In the end they take both.
Jan Spreen is a Dutchman who has lived in France since 1982.
U2 avoids taxes with move
From Bloomberg News
October 17, 2006
Bono, the rock star and campaigner against Third World debt, is asking the Irish government to contribute more to Africa. At the same time, he's reducing tax payments that could help fund that aid.
After Ireland said it would scrap a break that lets musicians and artists avoid paying taxes on royalties, Bono and his U2 bandmates earlier this year moved their music publishing company to the Netherlands.
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The Dublin group, which Forbes estimates earned $110 million in 2005, will pay about 5% tax on their royalties, less than half the Irish rate.
Lead guitarist David Evans, known as the Edge, earlier this month defended the publishing company's move as a sensible decision for a group that makes 90% of its money outside Ireland.
As residents of Ireland, members of U2 remain liable for personal income taxes.
Posted by: Elmo | October 17, 2006 at 11:21 AM