On October 24th, the science section of the New York Times ran an article about AIDS drugs and leprosy. The article states that AZT and other antiretroviral drugs have finally arrived in impoverished countries only to trigger painful facial lesions and loss of blood flow in the fingers and toes. In short, the “cure” for one disease unleashes another. Celia Farber caught flak for writing a cover story for Harper’s last spring that blames AZT and other toxic AIDS treatments for inducing AIDS in thousands of previously asymptomatic HIV positive patients.
My friend Katherine and I were talking on the phone the other day. We were complaining about lots of things. Specifically, we were complaining about how much people like to complain. Humans are a very whiney species. And where does it get us? Not much farther than it gets a dog.
Just because I’m pro-market doesn’t mean I’m not an environmentalist. I like nature. I’d be sad if all the trees were uprooted and the wheat fields flattened so the whole country resembled a giant, hideous strip mall, like L.A. I don’t want all the lions, tigers, and bears shot dead and mounted on David Lynch movie sets. I’m perfectly willing to do my part. I can limit my shower time to three minutes per week. I’m okay with wearing my running shoes until the soles flap against the sidewalk and electric bolts shoot up my shins. I can be persuaded to reuse the same Kleenex three or four times a day, to wash my workout clothes with the dishes, and to sprain my fingers trying to squeeze the last bit of toothpaste from of the tube. But when costs start outweighing the benefits, enough is enough. Especially when it comes to public restrooms.
It’s one thing for the French to hate Americans. There’s a lot to hate. Americans whine when the sun’s too bright, when lines are too long, when subways are crowded and stink of dead pigeons and rotted cantaloupe.
