The recently concluded operation of the Algerian military against a terrorist attack on one of its gas fields demonstrate that Algeria has no patience, and definitely no minutiae of respect for any form of terrorism. The Islamist rebels that have wrecked havoc in Mali have met their match in a government determined to exert its sovereignty and defend its interests against any and all threats by refusing to negotiate with the rebels. As of date, all the rebels have been killed, although some reports indicate that four of the terrorists were captured alive. It is worthy to note however, that many of the hostages were also killed in the operation.
In a way, the strong armed, no nonsense approach of the Algerian government shows that it has no patience for any talks with any terrorist threat. Its response is unequivocal in its message: do not mess with us. This will send a very, very strong message to would be terrorists or terrorist misadventures that they will be met with force, and force alone. Future terrorists, and in no uncertain terms, especially Islamic terrorists, will undoubtedly get the message that to mess with Algeria is to sentence themselves to death.
Personally, I support the strong handed response of the Algerian government. Without doubt, terrorists speak in the language of violence, and only by and through violence can one truly communicate with them. Harsh may this seem, this is unfortunately the reality of modern Islamic terrorism. As these are no ordinary political movements, extraordinary means have to be used. To negotiate with Islamic terrorists is to recognize their power, and recognition of their power, however subtle and sublime, gives them the impression and the bravado to commit ever more brutal and violent escapades.
However, such no-negotiation tactics will also send the message to terrorists that only the murder of hostages will show their solid determination to mean what they demand, whatever that may be. Their is a possibility that should another hostage event happen again, the first thing that terrorists would do would be to liquidate a good number of hostages to send a message that if no negotiations take place and no demands are met, the brutal possibility that all hostages will have to die becomes the overriding policy.
The Algerian government therefore has to step up operations within its border regions to clamp down on the unhindered movement of the terrorists, this has allowed the terrorists to take the gas field in question in the first place. By concerted and heightened patrol of the border regions, the Algerian government can significantly paralyze the operations of the Islamic terrorists that have taken over northern Mali.
Coupled with the operations of the French military inside Mali itself, with the assistance of some African troops, the global community can prevent another cancerous Islamic terrorist lump from growing in West Africa, and potentially save the lives of hundreds of people the world over.
Lunes, Enero 21, 2013
Linggo, Enero 20, 2013
MOVIE REVIEW: Les Miserables (2012 Film)
For a classic story, the movie presented itself in more ways than one a universal, timeless tale of passion, love, patriotism, commitment, struggle, heartache, camaraderie, hope, salvation, justice, mercy, compassion and the search for meaning.
True to its christened title, in no uncertain terms is suffering and pain unequivocally depicted in such depressing and relatable manner. Hugh Jackman's Jean Valjean was dreary masterfully played to convey that universal human longing for a better life. Russel Crowe's Javert was as passionate in his unrelenting quest to capture a past escapee as he is in searching for his life's meaning. Anne Hathaway's Fatine was the epitome of a mother - dying for her child's future in the murky underbelly of prostitution. Amanda Seyfried's Cosette and Eddie Redmayne's Marius Pontmercy captures love longing for each other amidst pain and the pinchin vicissitudes of life. Samantha Barks's Eponine shows that perpetual irony of love - dying for it.
It is surprising that for a secular humanist such as myself, the best line of the movie I would say is: To love someone is to see the face of God. Indeed, to see the face of God is to see the essence of man and to discover the endless possibilities that is man himself.
True to its christened title, in no uncertain terms is suffering and pain unequivocally depicted in such depressing and relatable manner. Hugh Jackman's Jean Valjean was dreary masterfully played to convey that universal human longing for a better life. Russel Crowe's Javert was as passionate in his unrelenting quest to capture a past escapee as he is in searching for his life's meaning. Anne Hathaway's Fatine was the epitome of a mother - dying for her child's future in the murky underbelly of prostitution. Amanda Seyfried's Cosette and Eddie Redmayne's Marius Pontmercy captures love longing for each other amidst pain and the pinchin vicissitudes of life. Samantha Barks's Eponine shows that perpetual irony of love - dying for it.
It is surprising that for a secular humanist such as myself, the best line of the movie I would say is: To love someone is to see the face of God. Indeed, to see the face of God is to see the essence of man and to discover the endless possibilities that is man himself.
Sabado, Enero 19, 2013
The War in Syria and its Human Tragedy
The war in Syria will be almost two years now and there is no sign
that it is going to get any better. The rebels are gaining more ground
but the government of Bashar al-Assad is holding its own. The spectre
for an even greater humanitarian tragedy than it already is is getting
ever more real by the day. And upon all these suffering, it is the women
and children, the sick and the disabled, the weak and the poor that are
and will continue to suffer.
Bashar al-Assad will definitely fight on as long as he can, for as long as he can to a possibly very long stalemante. He will never abandon Damascus until all cards have been played and until his government can no longer defend and sustain the fighting. I believe he knows that he will never be able to rule Syria as before, so he will fight rather to keep the interests of the Alawite community to which he, his family and most senior members of his government and military belong.
The Syrian Civil War will range on through 2013 and will only be predictable, concerning its end, when Russia and China publicly withdraws its support for al-Assad's government. In as much as the rebels are determined to fight on, the government is equally determined to hold them at bay. The Alawites know very well that the collapse of the al-Assad dynasty will bring social, economic and religious marginalization at its best and reprisals at its worst.
If and when the rebels finally gain a foothold in Damascus, the Alawites will barricade themselves in their heartland - the eastern coast of Syria and the Alawite mountains bordering Lebanon. The new government will have to wrestle the Alawites to submission, which could prolong the war again for many years at best. I am sure that once the rebels win, the Islamists will most likely grab power and impose a religious rule over Syria. The Christian minority will most likely ally themselves with the Alawites, and in an Islamist dominated rebel government, they will be persecuted. The scale of human tragedy will definitely not end with the fall of the al-Assads.
The future is bleak for Syria at it is now. Social reintegration will not be taking place for the forceable future, regardless who eventually ends up in power in Damascus.
The Arab Spring will have finally brought forth the downfall of four Arab governments and the potential to unseat the Hashemites of Jordan. When it does, the scale of human cost will once again rise.
The question is, will Saudi Arabia be next?
Bashar al-Assad will definitely fight on as long as he can, for as long as he can to a possibly very long stalemante. He will never abandon Damascus until all cards have been played and until his government can no longer defend and sustain the fighting. I believe he knows that he will never be able to rule Syria as before, so he will fight rather to keep the interests of the Alawite community to which he, his family and most senior members of his government and military belong.
The Syrian Civil War will range on through 2013 and will only be predictable, concerning its end, when Russia and China publicly withdraws its support for al-Assad's government. In as much as the rebels are determined to fight on, the government is equally determined to hold them at bay. The Alawites know very well that the collapse of the al-Assad dynasty will bring social, economic and religious marginalization at its best and reprisals at its worst.
If and when the rebels finally gain a foothold in Damascus, the Alawites will barricade themselves in their heartland - the eastern coast of Syria and the Alawite mountains bordering Lebanon. The new government will have to wrestle the Alawites to submission, which could prolong the war again for many years at best. I am sure that once the rebels win, the Islamists will most likely grab power and impose a religious rule over Syria. The Christian minority will most likely ally themselves with the Alawites, and in an Islamist dominated rebel government, they will be persecuted. The scale of human tragedy will definitely not end with the fall of the al-Assads.
The future is bleak for Syria at it is now. Social reintegration will not be taking place for the forceable future, regardless who eventually ends up in power in Damascus.
The Arab Spring will have finally brought forth the downfall of four Arab governments and the potential to unseat the Hashemites of Jordan. When it does, the scale of human cost will once again rise.
The question is, will Saudi Arabia be next?
Biyernes, Enero 18, 2013
The Tyranny of Catholicism
It is ironic that for a church founded on compassion, love, charity and the so-called "preferential option for the poor," the Catholic Church, and especially the Catholic Church in the Philippines, has been anything but. Looking back at the history of the Catholic Church and how it practically exploited and raped its way (literally and figuratively) into the consciousness of the Filipino psyche is appalling to say the least. During the Spanish period, the Church, for all intents and purposes, was the Spanish authority. Indeed, secular Spanish authorities were only found in the large cities of Manila and Cebu, if at all. And even then, they always, always, deferred to the whims and caprices to the men in the frock. In all Christian Philippines of the Castilian period, the authority, secular and ecclesiastical, was the Church as personified by its priests and religious.
The Church was so powerful it controlled vast tracts of land, effectively enriching itself and essentially pauperizing the Filipino masses which it has always, always looked upon with disdain. Why else would they not, after more than 350 years of occupation, not teach Spanish to the Indios? It was simply because of that hateful disdain and contempt to the Filipino masses. It is ironic that all these brutal realities are now forgotten. What has changed? Whereas in the Spanish period abuse was incarnated in the Castilian import, now, we have our own homegrown Filipino clergy who has taken on the mantle of continued spiritual and moral exploitation of the Filipino.
There were many abuses committed by the Church, for one, they executed Jose Rizal. For what? Essentially for fighting for the human rights of the Filipino people. For fighting to have the Filipino be treated with respect, compassion and humanity it rightly deserves.
During the height of the cantakerous fight for the Reproductive Health Bill, the Church again reared its ugly dark malicious side. It wanted Filipinos deprived of the right to plan their families, to have access to contraceptives that will eventually have a profound impact on the health, well-being and future of the mother but most of all, the future all members of the family, the children most of all. The Church opposed it because it was in its view immoral. In fact, it preferred that women continue to bear children they can never even care for, let alone provide a decent life and future, as long as the dogma it chose to enshrine is maintained. Regardless of what its practical and real world implications were. For the church, dogma comes first and foremost, the rest will have to follow. It does not care for the Filipino, it only cares that its dogma be at all costs be maintained. Control is what it has always wanted. Control over the lives of the Filipino people.
That is why a Filipino patriot and nationalist can never be a man of faith. He can only be a Filipino patriot and nationalist if he frees himself from the blind, unreasonable and immoral constructs of organized religion. Only through his belief in rationality, science and society can a Filipino serve the Filipino and the country that badly needs heroes.
I would like to end with an article by Valerie Tarico, who more than enough captures the perennial tyranny that is Catholicism.
The Church was so powerful it controlled vast tracts of land, effectively enriching itself and essentially pauperizing the Filipino masses which it has always, always looked upon with disdain. Why else would they not, after more than 350 years of occupation, not teach Spanish to the Indios? It was simply because of that hateful disdain and contempt to the Filipino masses. It is ironic that all these brutal realities are now forgotten. What has changed? Whereas in the Spanish period abuse was incarnated in the Castilian import, now, we have our own homegrown Filipino clergy who has taken on the mantle of continued spiritual and moral exploitation of the Filipino.
There were many abuses committed by the Church, for one, they executed Jose Rizal. For what? Essentially for fighting for the human rights of the Filipino people. For fighting to have the Filipino be treated with respect, compassion and humanity it rightly deserves.
During the height of the cantakerous fight for the Reproductive Health Bill, the Church again reared its ugly dark malicious side. It wanted Filipinos deprived of the right to plan their families, to have access to contraceptives that will eventually have a profound impact on the health, well-being and future of the mother but most of all, the future all members of the family, the children most of all. The Church opposed it because it was in its view immoral. In fact, it preferred that women continue to bear children they can never even care for, let alone provide a decent life and future, as long as the dogma it chose to enshrine is maintained. Regardless of what its practical and real world implications were. For the church, dogma comes first and foremost, the rest will have to follow. It does not care for the Filipino, it only cares that its dogma be at all costs be maintained. Control is what it has always wanted. Control over the lives of the Filipino people.
That is why a Filipino patriot and nationalist can never be a man of faith. He can only be a Filipino patriot and nationalist if he frees himself from the blind, unreasonable and immoral constructs of organized religion. Only through his belief in rationality, science and society can a Filipino serve the Filipino and the country that badly needs heroes.
I would like to end with an article by Valerie Tarico, who more than enough captures the perennial tyranny that is Catholicism.
Huwebes, Enero 17, 2013
Most Common Fallacies Used by Creationists
Fallacies:
1. Ad Hominem Argument - issuing an attack on the person making the argument instead of the argument.
2. Appeal to the Majority (ad populum argument) - since many people believe it, it is the truth.
3. Quote Mining - lifting out quotes from various literary sources, usually to support once argument and taken in the wrong context.
3. Man-on-the-street Interview - combination of appeal to majority and quote mining. Getting opinions from anyone randomly on the street.
4. Foundational Bias - admitting bias towards a certain conclusion before making an argument. Based on personal belief and preference.
5. Straw Man Argument - misrepresenting or oversimplification of an opponents argument and destroying it because it is too simplistic. Not responding to the substance of the argument.
6. Hasty Generalization - drawing conclusions from a minor subset of data.
7. Argument from Authority - using an authority on a subject to validate once arguments and exempting such arguments from criticism because they were made by a person in authority.
8. Non sequitur - "Does not follow." Does not follow from a logical train of thought. No relation with what is in reality.
9. Red Herring - a distraction technique. Making an irrelevant point to a point made, although it might be valid.
10. Argument from personal incredulity - because a person does not like or believe something, it is false.
11. Argument from ignorance - a premise is false because it has not been proven true and vice versa. "God of the gaps."
12. Violation of the Philosophy of Science - Science and the scientific method cannot be used to explain the supernatural.
13. Equivocation - misleading use of a word with more than one meaning. "theory" in science is different from theory in the conventional sense of the word.
14. False Dichotomy - two mutually exclusive options are set up as the only possible choices, if one is true the other is false. Fallacy: they might not be mutually exclusive.
15. Begging the Question - "Circular Reasoning." Conclusion is explicitly or implicitly assumed in the premise.
16. Tautology - premise and conclusion of an argument are identical. Does not prove anything.
17. False Premise - the conclusion of an argument is invalidated by an incorrect assumption in one of the premises.
18. Ad Hoc Reasoning - "For this purpose." Salvages an argument that rests upon a shaky foundation.
19. Slippery Slope - accepting a certain argument will lead to an undesirable outcome so the argument is false.
20. Correlation Implies Causation - because two events are correlated, they have a cause and effect
relationship.
21. Creative Math - odds of something happening without a given argument (e.g. Creationism) is small.
22. Moving the Goalposts - rules to obtain a satisfactory completion of a goal is changed just as it is being accomplished.
23. Plain Nonsense - massive disconnect from reality.
24. Outright Lie
Source
1. Ad Hominem Argument - issuing an attack on the person making the argument instead of the argument.
2. Appeal to the Majority (ad populum argument) - since many people believe it, it is the truth.
3. Quote Mining - lifting out quotes from various literary sources, usually to support once argument and taken in the wrong context.
3. Man-on-the-street Interview - combination of appeal to majority and quote mining. Getting opinions from anyone randomly on the street.
4. Foundational Bias - admitting bias towards a certain conclusion before making an argument. Based on personal belief and preference.
5. Straw Man Argument - misrepresenting or oversimplification of an opponents argument and destroying it because it is too simplistic. Not responding to the substance of the argument.
6. Hasty Generalization - drawing conclusions from a minor subset of data.
7. Argument from Authority - using an authority on a subject to validate once arguments and exempting such arguments from criticism because they were made by a person in authority.
8. Non sequitur - "Does not follow." Does not follow from a logical train of thought. No relation with what is in reality.
9. Red Herring - a distraction technique. Making an irrelevant point to a point made, although it might be valid.
10. Argument from personal incredulity - because a person does not like or believe something, it is false.
11. Argument from ignorance - a premise is false because it has not been proven true and vice versa. "God of the gaps."
12. Violation of the Philosophy of Science - Science and the scientific method cannot be used to explain the supernatural.
13. Equivocation - misleading use of a word with more than one meaning. "theory" in science is different from theory in the conventional sense of the word.
14. False Dichotomy - two mutually exclusive options are set up as the only possible choices, if one is true the other is false. Fallacy: they might not be mutually exclusive.
15. Begging the Question - "Circular Reasoning." Conclusion is explicitly or implicitly assumed in the premise.
16. Tautology - premise and conclusion of an argument are identical. Does not prove anything.
17. False Premise - the conclusion of an argument is invalidated by an incorrect assumption in one of the premises.
18. Ad Hoc Reasoning - "For this purpose." Salvages an argument that rests upon a shaky foundation.
19. Slippery Slope - accepting a certain argument will lead to an undesirable outcome so the argument is false.
20. Correlation Implies Causation - because two events are correlated, they have a cause and effect
relationship.
21. Creative Math - odds of something happening without a given argument (e.g. Creationism) is small.
22. Moving the Goalposts - rules to obtain a satisfactory completion of a goal is changed just as it is being accomplished.
23. Plain Nonsense - massive disconnect from reality.
24. Outright Lie
Source
Miyerkules, Enero 16, 2013
Tax Evasion in the Philippines
A January 15, 2013 report in inquirer.net regarding the rampant incidence of tax evasion among professionals in the Philippines was disheartening to note, not the least because these people are supposed to be professionals, and such actions are not only unpatriotic, they are utterly unprofessional and speaks volumes about the professionals' sense of professionalism and personal character. If such professionals are grossly dishonest about their incomes, how can they perform honest to goodness professional work?
The story of Greece and Italy is a warning sign. The collapse of the Greek economy last year has highlighted a very glaring reality in Greece, every year 15 billions euros in tax revenue is lost because of tax evasion. Indeed, tax evasion is a way of life in Greece. That is no surprise that such low tax collection has contributed in the social collapse of the Greek economy. The antipathy towards paying tax is so much a part of Greek culture that one eye doctor is quoted to have said: "Only the stupid pay tax." There are reports that some surgeons in Greece even earn more than 900,000 euros per year yet they don't declare any tax. This is not far away from the Philippines. Indeed, the same inquirer report I earlier quoted said that there are 3 million professionals in the country - 190,000 are doctors and lawyers who earn way significantly higher than the average office worker. These professionals earn the most, in fact, a Filipino surgeon in a far-away province earns at least PHP 300,000 per month. That is already a conservative estimate. As a nurse and as a resident of Leyte, one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines, I can attest to that. Even internists earn more than PHP 200,000.
Across all countries and cultures, doctors and lawyers, especially doctors, always earn more than the average worker. And they deserve that, however, what they do not deserve is to shy away from a social responsibility that they themselves benefit from such as roads, schools and other social services. It is sad that these professionals have a contempt for social responsibility. Of all people, they are the most educated, most revered, yet they are the ones who consistently hide from what they should lawfully contribute for the betterment of society.
Another rich European country with a history of poor tax collection is Italy. As the third largest economy in the Eurozone, Italy has a lot of potential government revenue, yet that has remained just that, a potential. Italians dislike paying taxes and most professionals do not declare tax. For a rich country, it has been reported that less than 1,000 persons declared an income greater than 1 million euros. As a result, Italy, like Greece, has been bogged by financial troubles throughout 2012.
The BIR should pursue relentlessly professional tax evaders and should aggressively prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. This will leave a stern warning to professionals, especially doctors, to step up to their social responsibility of paying the correct amount of taxes. Otherwise, the BIR should probably lump a set of prefixed taxes to certain groups of professionals. For example, for surgeons, the BIR should set a flat rate of PHP 150,000 per year, for internists, PHP 70,000. This will I believe encourage doctors and lawyers to be fortright about their incomes.
I just cannot believe many doctors tax declarations of incomes of only PHP 10,000 per month! That is a stretch of intellectual maneuvering and is simply stupid. Unless the BIR becomes more creative in flushing out tax cheats among the ranks of the professional elite of this country, the government will continue to bleed a lot of tax revenue.
The story of Greece and Italy is a warning sign. The collapse of the Greek economy last year has highlighted a very glaring reality in Greece, every year 15 billions euros in tax revenue is lost because of tax evasion. Indeed, tax evasion is a way of life in Greece. That is no surprise that such low tax collection has contributed in the social collapse of the Greek economy. The antipathy towards paying tax is so much a part of Greek culture that one eye doctor is quoted to have said: "Only the stupid pay tax." There are reports that some surgeons in Greece even earn more than 900,000 euros per year yet they don't declare any tax. This is not far away from the Philippines. Indeed, the same inquirer report I earlier quoted said that there are 3 million professionals in the country - 190,000 are doctors and lawyers who earn way significantly higher than the average office worker. These professionals earn the most, in fact, a Filipino surgeon in a far-away province earns at least PHP 300,000 per month. That is already a conservative estimate. As a nurse and as a resident of Leyte, one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines, I can attest to that. Even internists earn more than PHP 200,000.
Across all countries and cultures, doctors and lawyers, especially doctors, always earn more than the average worker. And they deserve that, however, what they do not deserve is to shy away from a social responsibility that they themselves benefit from such as roads, schools and other social services. It is sad that these professionals have a contempt for social responsibility. Of all people, they are the most educated, most revered, yet they are the ones who consistently hide from what they should lawfully contribute for the betterment of society.
Another rich European country with a history of poor tax collection is Italy. As the third largest economy in the Eurozone, Italy has a lot of potential government revenue, yet that has remained just that, a potential. Italians dislike paying taxes and most professionals do not declare tax. For a rich country, it has been reported that less than 1,000 persons declared an income greater than 1 million euros. As a result, Italy, like Greece, has been bogged by financial troubles throughout 2012.
The BIR should pursue relentlessly professional tax evaders and should aggressively prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. This will leave a stern warning to professionals, especially doctors, to step up to their social responsibility of paying the correct amount of taxes. Otherwise, the BIR should probably lump a set of prefixed taxes to certain groups of professionals. For example, for surgeons, the BIR should set a flat rate of PHP 150,000 per year, for internists, PHP 70,000. This will I believe encourage doctors and lawyers to be fortright about their incomes.
I just cannot believe many doctors tax declarations of incomes of only PHP 10,000 per month! That is a stretch of intellectual maneuvering and is simply stupid. Unless the BIR becomes more creative in flushing out tax cheats among the ranks of the professional elite of this country, the government will continue to bleed a lot of tax revenue.
Martes, Enero 15, 2013
Lance Armstrong and Doping
In a report filed with time.com, Lance Armstrong is said to have finally admitted doping in his interview with celebrity titan Oprah Winfrey. The interview will be aired over OWN, Oprah's television network. This is a sad postscript to a heroic story of cancer survival and winning the Tour de France seven times. In 2012, Lance Armstrong was stripped of all such titles. He also resigned from his post as a chairman of the Livestrong Foundation which he founded.
For all the things Lance Armstrong did, conquered and achieved - his unholy associations with the world of sports doping, of which many professional athletes, I am sure, are entwined, has certainly placed a blemish on his legacy. A legacy that is no mean feat indeed. However tragic this story is, I believe that it is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on what it means to succeed - is it just merely the accomplishment of lofty standards or a battle with our human limitations.
It would be easy for some to condemn Armstrong as a cheat. For others, it would just be explained away as a usuality, as one athlete in the Tour de France said, everybody dopes. Is success then to be based on an honest to goodness effort? Is the ideal success story one frought with struggle and hardship like the story of the ancient heroes of myth and legend?
In todays milieu, everyone is pushed towards being a success story. To use any and all means, although not always explicitly said, is nevertheless implied. Employers demand from employees results at all costs, military leaders demand tangible outcomes, politicians seek solid proofs, parents expect stellar grades. It seems to me that today's society places an inordinate amount of value on the crown of success, not the story to success.
The increased competition in all aspects of modern society, from the academia to the corporate boardroom, has imbued in all those who seek to make a mark to achieve results, that is all that matters. How you get there is supposed to be figured out yourself. Do what it takes is the unwritten rule.
This has been proven by the story of Lance Armstrong. I have read in an internet based article, I think it was from cnn.com, that said that those who participated in the Tour de France actually did dope. It was part of the culture of the sport. If you wanted to win, you had to dope. The doping was not and by no means exclusive to Lance Armstrong, nor to any elite athlete of the sport, it was done by most of those who aspired to make an impact in the sport. It was also reported from the same article that the athletes, at least a number of them, engaged in "high-end" (my term), difficult to detect, ultramodern drug regimen to beat out the random drug testing methods.
Unless the culture of greed continues to permeate in all aspects of modern society, that includes the world of professional sports, which is probably the most competitive and most demanding of the spheres of modern life, then doping will continue at its highest levels and at its most scientifically sophisticated levels. The rise and fall of Lance Armstrong is the story of modern man - that is the irony of this all.
For all the things Lance Armstrong did, conquered and achieved - his unholy associations with the world of sports doping, of which many professional athletes, I am sure, are entwined, has certainly placed a blemish on his legacy. A legacy that is no mean feat indeed. However tragic this story is, I believe that it is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on what it means to succeed - is it just merely the accomplishment of lofty standards or a battle with our human limitations.
It would be easy for some to condemn Armstrong as a cheat. For others, it would just be explained away as a usuality, as one athlete in the Tour de France said, everybody dopes. Is success then to be based on an honest to goodness effort? Is the ideal success story one frought with struggle and hardship like the story of the ancient heroes of myth and legend?
In todays milieu, everyone is pushed towards being a success story. To use any and all means, although not always explicitly said, is nevertheless implied. Employers demand from employees results at all costs, military leaders demand tangible outcomes, politicians seek solid proofs, parents expect stellar grades. It seems to me that today's society places an inordinate amount of value on the crown of success, not the story to success.
The increased competition in all aspects of modern society, from the academia to the corporate boardroom, has imbued in all those who seek to make a mark to achieve results, that is all that matters. How you get there is supposed to be figured out yourself. Do what it takes is the unwritten rule.
This has been proven by the story of Lance Armstrong. I have read in an internet based article, I think it was from cnn.com, that said that those who participated in the Tour de France actually did dope. It was part of the culture of the sport. If you wanted to win, you had to dope. The doping was not and by no means exclusive to Lance Armstrong, nor to any elite athlete of the sport, it was done by most of those who aspired to make an impact in the sport. It was also reported from the same article that the athletes, at least a number of them, engaged in "high-end" (my term), difficult to detect, ultramodern drug regimen to beat out the random drug testing methods.
Unless the culture of greed continues to permeate in all aspects of modern society, that includes the world of professional sports, which is probably the most competitive and most demanding of the spheres of modern life, then doping will continue at its highest levels and at its most scientifically sophisticated levels. The rise and fall of Lance Armstrong is the story of modern man - that is the irony of this all.
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