Volume 8 Number 2

Q1 2020 IN MY CORNER OF THE WORLD

Q1 2020 IN MY CORNER OF THE WORLD

I, along with everyone else in the public health community, have been tracking the progression of the COVID-19 epidemic. At the beginning of March 2020 I traveled to Oporto, Portugal to take part in the examination committee of a doctoral thesis. On the very day of my departure my daughter called me from Berlin to ask if I had seen the news of the closing of the Oporto University’s Medical School, where the examination was going to take place. After a quick exchange of emails it was confirmed and so I went.

COVID-19 IS A CONTINUUM

COVID-19 IS A CONTINUUM

I want to hopefully shed some light amid the confusion. There is a continuum of COVID-19 in between “you die” and “you get over it and return to normal.” Today is day 31 for me. I tested negative on day 27. Yesterday out of nowhere, I was hit with crippling fatigue and chills. My cough is almost gone, and I’ve been fever-free for two weeks, but when it comes to COVID-19, testing negative doesn’t mean it’s over.

COVID-19: AM/WAS I INFECTED?

COVID-19: AM/WAS I INFECTED?

It was a long direct flight home on March 13, a Friday; I felt trapped, wondering when it would be over. It was the first time in a long time that I felt sick on a plane. Coincidentally, the last time was during the Ebola scare in 2014.

TWO DAYS IN APRIL

TWO DAYS IN APRIL

It’s worth remembering the beginning, 50 years ago now, the aspiration for a healthier and more sustainable environment, to be stewards – a word utterly lost on the current administration – of the natural wonders that sustain our lives, meaning clean air and water, restoration of contaminated lands, controlling greenhouse gas emissions, and more.

THE EVOLUTION OF SUPREMACY

THE EVOLUTION OF SUPREMACY

It may be tempting to believe that humans have become more just, and that any incidents of supremacy thinking will eventually disappear. Environmental threats like climate change present themselves as new problems that have little to do with our conventional concepts of morality. I argue that the belief in the supremacy of all or some of humanity has set us on a path towards environmental collapse much as it has enabled our accomplishments. Moral philosophy itself has systematically reinforced supremacist preconceptions and has arguably led us to accept unsustainable behavior as normal. Understanding the moral justifications that we have constructed for supremacist thinking and their impact on our biosphere may be central towards preventing environmental decline or collapse.

The Anatomy of Tyranny and the Case of Donald Trump

The Anatomy of Tyranny and the Case of Donald Trump

The Constitution of the United States established a democracy with clear separation of powers between the three branches of government. Nevertheless, achieving a democracy still depends upon the citizens and certain qualities of the elected officials. This essay examines several famous historical leaders identified as tyrants by noted historians, and describes the common strategies all of them used to gain autocratic power in diverse societies. The current president of the United States, Donald Trump, is then shown to have applied the same strategies to gain autocratic power in this country.

Generation Gaps

Generation Gaps

All throughout history the older generation has complained about the younger generation. During ancient Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, the older people were complaining that the younger people were disrespectful, and that morality was in decline. In North America, during the days of the Puritans, older people complained that the youth were headed for disaster. They complained about young people’s slang – they used “good bye” instead of “God bless you,” for example.

Morality, Neutrality, and Religious Liberty—Part I (of II)

Morality, Neutrality, and Religious Liberty—Part I (of II)

An oft-repeated “argument” from religious people, especially American Christians, is that their religion and their religious liberty are at risk by separation of religion and government. Furthermore, some of these same people claim, only by honoring and practicing religiosity can morality be assured. This first effort addresses the morality part (even though the writer isn’t religious)—in the next issue, neutrality is attacked from all sides.

Duchenne Smile

Duchenne Smile

A chalk drawing outside the Art Studio says: ‘What if six feet and a mask made us all closer?” I love this sentiment. There’s a certain kindness these days, more ‘hellos’ and waves. Duchennes smiles for days, which you can see above masks, smiles reaching the eyes.