Ebola. Send in FedEx.

Living not far from Eyam and Wikipedea I’m aware the Black Death killed 45% of the European population in four years. Eyam because there’s a boulder in the middle of a field with holes in it. They were used to put coins in in payment for food and were probably filled with some form of disinfectant, a way to isolate the inhabitants. The current west’s response in contrast is to provide hospital beds to care for the victims. It’s how we do it these days and we’re proud of our medical technology but it’s like chasing the virus rather than starving it of new victims. We do have an advanced logistical mindset and in a sense sending in FedEx might give better results. By creating pre isolating measures rather than post isolation after the virus has had chance to spread we can beat it. As it’s incubation is typically three weeks to death or survival with only the last week as communicable creating a fire wall of pre isolation  whilst still isolating, caring for and where necessary disposing of bodies seems far better than just the latter. For example if each family group is told to stay home and delivered ‘clean’ food for three weeks though some will become ill the virus has nowhere to go. It’s what they did in the Black Death and it makes perfect sense. And we’ve got the logistic capability to do it. Like a local leader said, “we have to break our customary habit of shaking hands.” In this case it might not be medical rocket science. 

Wikitics.

With the rise of corporate money in politics, the spread of trade agreements like TTIP, the attempt to bankrupt the State of Virginia by a corporate land grab it’s clear democratic power is now subservient to corporate power. This power structure equates to the pre-democratic times where Kings, Barons and despots ruled the lives of common serfs. England, France, Russia etc have all had bloody revolutions to remove them. OK this is slightly different in that the suppressing armies are legal teams, tax accountants, managers and shareholders but the effect is the same and no doubt the results will be too. It’s amazing that people queuing up for the guillotine aren’t paying more attention to historical precedents, but then who would when it’s all going so swimmingly. By overpowering the legal systems, democratic governments and tax systems they’ve become free to milk the cow of the world. So how to break the mould before a bloody revolution? In the face of this ubiquitous power a head on approach is likely to fail; a more judo approach is necessary. Firstly our legal system is basically social. It recognises that society exists even if Thatcher didn’t, and many actions of corporate individuals in pursuance of corporate profit are directly harmful to our society as a whole. So can we serve them with ASBOs? If a farmer can be ‘given an ASBO and instructed to keep his geese from damaging his neighbour's property’ surely Monsanto can be ASBOed for threatening the whole farming industry. They may be doing it ‘lawfully’ but can they be challenged on the more fundamental grounds of causing social harm or using the law in an antisocial manner? Alternatively in the American Psychiatric Association’s directory of mental disorders, DSM 5 2013, the clinical definition of ‘antisocial personality disorder’ might well be used to show that may corporate heads and board members are sociopaths needing at least therapy if not sectioning. It’s clear that the legal and psychiatric sectors have become solely focused on the lower classes and studiously avoid the antisocial behaviour and personality disorders of the wealthy and powerful. If companies such as Coca-Cola or McDonalds can be proven to provide food that promotes wide spread obesity can they, irrespective of their legal position, be deemed antisocial? Can their key personnel, in pursuing that direction, be deemed to be acting antisocially and prohibited from taking an active part in running the company? Can information on Donald Trump be gathered to prove he has acute antisocial personality disorder and be deemed unsuitable to hold a position of authority? From the recent cases of sexual abuse it’s clear it was known about for years with nothing said because the abusers were powerful but in the end they were prosecuted. So how can we apply the law to the top end of the market? Oh I never got on to politics, which is what Wiki(poli)tics was about.