99.9% Happiness

I love a good analogy.

This week I am reading "10% Human: How Your Body's Microbes Hold the Key to Health and Happiness." This fascinating book, written by Alanna Collen, is taking me on a compelling and thought-provoking journey from my mouth to my gut to my brain, and to other biological landscapes that provide an entirely new microbial perspective on modern disease and health.

Within this backdrop, I have found a striking similarity to our recent political landscape. If you consider the digestive system, from the mouth (input) to it's delta (output), as (in addition to the skin) an outer layer or surface in the sense that it provides potential entry points into one's body, then we can equate the gut to a border, the body to our nation, the immune system to political policy, the cells to people, inflammation to aggressiveness, life-threatening infectious disease to waves of life-threatening immigrants, autoimmune diseases to counterproductive casualties, and the reactive microbiota to police action.

The quote immediately below is taken directly and exactly from the book; and the one following is the same quote but with the above equivalencies inserted [in brackets].

"This inflammation comes in the form of an overactive immune system, reacting to the illegal immigrants crossing the gut's border into the body... ...Sometimes the body's own cells get caught in the cross-fire, resulting in autoimmune diseases."

This [aggressiveness] comes in the form of an overactive [political] system, reacting to the illegal immigrants crossing the [nation's] border into the [beloved homeland]... ...Sometimes the [homeland's] own [people] get caught in the cross-fire, resulting in [counterproductive casualties].

Her point (as I take it) is, that since we have cleansed the body of many dangerous infectious diseases (such as smallpox, cholera, tuberculosis, diphtheria, polio, and measles) and dethroned infectious disease as the leading cause of death (as it was in 1900), our immune system, utilizing the body's microbiota, has overreacted to less dangerous threats, creating autoimmune diseases.

She suggests that in the body the solution is to introduce a greater diversity of microbes; thereby enabling greater regulation of the excitable immune response, thus lessening the characteristic inflammation that leads to autoimmune disease and other health issues.

I might suggest that in our nation the solution is to introduce a greater diversity of peoples and opinions; thereby enabling greater regulation of extreme political policy, thus reducing aggressive police action and its resulting counterproductive casualties.

Others are suggesting that the cleansing must continue; insisting that the political policy is necessary to ensure safety and security, and warning that a greater diversity will only lead to a breakdown in order and discipline.

When we wage germ warfare, (a personal war against unwanted germs), the purpose is to keep unhealthy or dangerous elements (i.e. foreign bodies in the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi and archaea) outside the sacred confines of one's personal body.

When we wage cultural warfare, the purpose is to keep unhealthy or dangerous elements (i.e. foreign bodies in the form of zealots, subversives, misfits, and intruders) outside the sacred confines of our beloved homeland.

Unfortunately, in both of these instances, there is a portion, (perhaps a large majority), of these banished and unwanted outsiders that are not only "not" unhealthy or dangerous, but if allowed entry would add to the health and well-being of the host body or nation.

But because of our fear we are left with a practice of discriminatory, indiscriminate cleansing.

Because of our fear we exercise power to keep those with power, in power.

Because of our fear we pretend to be in control instead of choosing to recognize, acknowledge, embrace, and learn from our fear.

Because of our fear we abide by prevailing opinion and we do not ask hard questions.

Because of our fear we remain the silent majority; obviously in action and results, if not also in word.

Because of our fear...

...discriminatory, indiscriminate, harmful cleansing.

This entry was posted in Philosophy. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *