James Clayton Welch's Blog, page 2
March 20, 2017
The KGB: Russian Secret Intelligence
If you turn on the television today, no doubt you will be assailed with stranger-than-fiction news centering on the reality TV celebrity-cum-president Donald Trump and his less than presidential antics that have caught the attention of the media. But there is one bit of news that he and his administration have been surprisingly quiet about, and that is his link to Russia and their involvement in his 2016 US presidential election victory—specifically to Vladimir Putin and their online propaganda machine.
Yes, propaganda—the tool of governments to undermine and discredit the authority of their enemies and used since the Persian Empire all the way to the present. Propaganda indeed has been utilized especially during the Cold War between the United States of America and the Soviet Union. The smearing of the Soviet Union was very successful in the US, and people feared the spread of the red tide and the invasion led by the mysterious KGB.
So who or what is this ominous presence looming over and threatening American democracy? We’ll tackle that in this week’s post.
The Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti or the Committee for State Security was the post WW2 equivalent of the CIA but was dissolved in 1991 after the Soviet Union disbanded. That’s right; the KGB doesn’t exist anymore except in Cold War spy novels. It was replaced with the FSB or the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation in 1995. However, the functions of the FSB today are eerily similar to the KGB, and to understand the present, we must delve into the past.
In 1983, the KGB was considered by Time magazine to be the world’s most effective information-gathering organization, but with this comes their illegal form of espionage together with their legal espionage. They employed people in their embassy or consulate as spies, and they claimed diplomatic immunity if they got caught. The illegals were unprotected, but they worked independently and were far valued over their legal counterparts. The KGB then engaged in political, economic, military-strategic, and disinformation, counter-intelligence and security, and scientific-technological types of espionage. They classified their spies as agents and their handlers as controllers, and the former would live a double life under an elaborately constructed identity using a live double who participated in the fabrications or a dead double which is an identity tailored to the agent. Then they are sent to live in a foreign country to legitimize their story or “legend” and then sent into the United States through the Soviet Embassy in Canada. These agents would steal and photograph documents, code names, contacts, targets through dead letter boxes. They would also infiltrate organizations or groups to sow chaos, influence decisions, and arrange kidnappings and assassinations.
When the KGB was dissolved in 1991, nobody would expect these activities to continue, but with how the FSB is operating, we can only presume that that is the case. In fact, the current president Putin used to be a member of the KGB.
The cloak-and-dagger game apparently didn’t die with the Cold War but instead evolved into something more sinister and disturbing. Besides paying trolls online to sow dissent on online forums, who knows what else Russia has in store for the United States. Only time will tell.
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March 9, 2017
An Overview of the Central Intelligence Agency
“We’re looking for a diversity of people for the important job of keeping America safe.”
The above quote is from the Careers and Internships page of the CIA’s website.
“Safe from who?” you might ask.
I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.
In the mainstream media, the Central Intelligence Agency (or CIA for short) is always related to every international mystery, espionage activity, assassination plot, and several high security operation that take place in different locations all over the world. We see TV shows and movies like Homeland, Alias, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico as well as books like The Bourne Identity, Hunt for Red October, and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy that highlight (and exaggerate) the missions and operations that the men and women of this government agency do on a day-to-day basis. But who or what exactly is the CIA? Why does it lend such a sinister and foreboding feel when injected in political discussions about South American, Middle Eastern, or former Soviet and communist governments? Why do some people wear tin foil hats and blame them for the death of John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Che Guevarra? Let us take a quick look into its origin and current function in order to find out.
According to the CIA’s About page, it was created in 1947 when then President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act. But why was the National Security Act written in the first place? Some say it was prompted into action by the attack on Pearl Harbor. Some say that there was a need to create a group to coordinate government intelligence efforts. However, it was even before the way that the United States, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was planning on creating an intelligence agency that coordinated the intelligence from the State Department and the War Department. With that in mind, he asked a particular colonel called William “Wild Bill” Donovan to create an intelligence service modeled on the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). Wild Bill then came up with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) but was dissolved by President Truman after the end of WWII in favor of a reorganization that explored a proper relationship between clandestine intelligence collection and covert action like paramilitary and psychological operations. The National Security Act of 1947 was a major restructuring of departments, and from this emerged the CIA whose function was to serve as a peacetime intelligence agency—a first in the United States. It is important to know that this act, as well as the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan were part of the Truman administration’s Cold War strategy, which is why the CIA figures into several events during that period and was a great looming character in many works of fiction.
The National Security Act also created the position of Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) to serve as the head of the United States intelligence community, act as the principal adviser to the president for intelligence matters related to national security, and serve as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency. But due to the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 circa President George W. Bush and post 9/11, the DCI now reports to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The DNI serves to lessen the load by assuming some of the roles formerly fulfilled by the DCI.
The CIA lists its (very vaguely worded) functions on its site, but its main function is to assist the DCI. To do this, the CIA “engages in research, development, and deployment of high-leverage technology for intelligence purposes.” For what purpose, we cannot begin to fathom, but going back to its recruitment tagline, it is presumably to keep America safe—even from itself (at least, that’s according to many conspiracy theorists). It is a separate agency that serves as an independent source of analysis on topics of concern while working with other intelligence organizations to give Washington or any other person of power involved the best intelligence possible. Perhaps information would be a more appropriate word, as some people who are at the receiving end of the data make unintelligent decisions.
I have scoured their website, and it is so difficult to find a straightforward answer. I’m pretty sure that whoever wrote this is a master spy/agent/spin doctor. However, we can only wonder about their goals and activities, but one thing I’m definitely sure of is that these musings and speculations about their cloak-and-dagger activities make for really great fiction.
Visit my blog next week to find out more about the functions of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Reference
Central Intelligence Agency. 2017. “About CIA.” Last modified April 9, 2013. Accessed on March 7, 2017. https://www.cia.gov/about-cia.
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March 2, 2017
Ancient Empires of Central Asia
A land of extreme geographies, Central Asia has deserts, permafrost, and vast sweeping vistas as far as the eye can see. A landscape that inspired terror and romance, it is easy to imagine horses thundering across the plain whilst war drums beat on as incessantly as the hot sun. This is the heartland of the Asian continent, a place shaped by the opposing but complementary push and pull of civilization and barbarism. This is the place where legendary ancient empires, religions, and enduring cultures began sometime in 1200 BC.
According to UNESCO, the region is defined by geography and climate, and so Central Asia encompasses Mongolia, Tibet, Northern Iran, Central-East Russia, large parts of China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. However, before the creation of UNESCO or even before the creation of states, these grasslands with an arid environment that did not allow for agriculture gave rise to nomadic horse people of the steppe that would one day become the most feared hordes in the history of mankind. Sounds like the Dothraki people in the HBO TV series Game of Thrones, and you would be right because the author, George R. R. Martin, based these book characters on the people of the Central Asian steppe.
Of course, not everyone in the region was nomadic. Sometimes, nomadic conquerors settled down in agricultural lands of the southern area of Central Asia and formed sedentary civilizations. Thus there were always conflicts between these permanent settlers and the nomadic people whose lifestyle was perfectly suited to warfare. These nomadic “states” were dependent upon their leaders’ skill, so without a strong leadership, these empires rose and fell constantly, sometimes even within a single generation. It is with these strong leaders that made these nomadic people a force to be reckoned with—unmatched warriors and horsemen whose prowess could not be stopped until the emergence and use of firearms.
These empires ruled until a stronger one came along to conquer it, as all empires are wont to do, but it makes for a very interesting read. Here is a list with a short summary of those empires:
Median Empire
The first Iranian Dynasty, the people of this ancient empire were called Medes and were the ancestors of modern Iranians. They spoke a language that was closely related to Aryan. They practiced Zoroastrianism as a polytheistic religion, and had a priestly caste called the Magi.
Achaemenid Empire
Also called the First Persian Empire, it was based in Western Asia and ranged from the Balkans and Eastern Europe to the Indus Valley. It was one of the largest empires and was notable for a centralized, bureaucratic administration, building of infrastructure such as road systems and postal systems, the use of an official language across territories, and the development of civil services, as well as a large professional army. It failed due to a gradual economic decline as well as a failure to create a national identity that affected the efficiency of its military.
Xiongnu Empire
A confederation of nomadic peoples, this empire inhabited the eastern Asian steppe which was later known as Mongolia. They were active in areas now known as Siberia, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, and Xinjiang.
Scythian Empire
The Scythians were a large group of Iranian and Eurasian nomads and were among the earliest civilizations to develop and master mounted warfare. Their territory reached to the Carpathian Mountains to Central China down to Siberia in the east and was considered to be the first Central Asian nomadic empire.
Seleucid Empire
This was a Hellenistic state that was ruled by the Seleucid Dynasty after the division of the Macedonian Empire. It occupied the land area that is now Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan and Turkmenistan. They were conquered by the Parthians, invaded by Armenians, until finally being overthrown by the Romans under General Pompey.
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
This empire was in the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world that is centered on present- day Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Kushan Empire
Encompassing much of Afghanistan and the northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent, this empire has diplomatic contacts with the Roman Empire, Sasanian Persia, Aksumite Empire, Han China. Philosophy, art, and science flourished. It fell to the Sassanid Empire.
Sassanid Empire
The last imperial dynasty in Persia before the rise of Islam, this empire succeeded the Parthian Empire and was recognized to be a world power for a period of more than four hundred years. The empire spanned Iran, Iraq, Eastern Arabia, the Levant, Armenia, the Caucasus, Egypt, large parts of turkey, and much of Central Asia, Yemen, and Pakistan. It fell abruptly in a period of five years and was then absorbed into the Islamic caliphate.
Parthian Empire
Also known as the Arsacid Empire, it was a major political and cultural power in ancient Iran and Iraq. It spanned central-eastern Turkey to eastern Iran, and was located on the Silk Road trade route and became a center of trade and commerce. The stability of the empire was threatened and eventually destroyed by frequent civil war until conquered by the Muslims of the seventh century AD.
Reference
Wikipedia. 2017. “History of Central Asia.” Last modified February 19, 2017. Accessed on March 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Central_Asia#Ancient_era.
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February 23, 2017
Who Are the Hmong People?
Life among the Hmong and their struggles in search for peace
Hmong means “free people,” and rightly so as these fiercely independent and peace-loving people have resisted being subjugated for thousands of years to the point of becoming guerrilla fighters and then, eventually, refugees. As the Hmong have constantly been displaced, their great diaspora has taken them to the USA, Australia, Europe, and South America. A majority are now currently settled in the USA in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and California, specifically Northern California, where the climate resembles that of their former home in the mountains of Laos. Now over ten thousand Hmong people thrive in Northern California, but despite their current good fortune, they will never forget the struggles of their recent and ancient past, which has been wrought with violence and warfare.
But how they got to America in the first place was a journey full of difficulty and tragedy and is worth reading and understanding in honor of these hardy and proud people.
The Hmong’s origins are unknown, but it is said that they hail from somewhere in the Mesopotamia region and then eventually migrated to northern China. They lived there five thousand years ago with the Han Chinese and were led by a legendary warrior known as Chief Chiyou. The Hmong fought with the Han and lost, and thus began the trials of the Hmong people, when their leader was cut into three pieces and buried in three separate mounds so that his people would never be reunited.
A thousand years later, not to be beaten, they formed a new kingdom called San Miao, which means “three Hmong.” Their land was invaded again by the Han Chinese and the people nearly exterminated. The people then dispersed and migrated to the lower region of the Hunan Province and created a new kingdom for themselves. After a war that lasted two hundred years, they once again lost to the Chinese, and their culture was attacked through the burning of their books and the punishment by death for anyone who spoke the Hmong language. Thankfully, the history was preserved on quilts that had woven pictures. The Hmong then migrated again to Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar in search of peace.
During the Vietnam War, the CIA trained the Hmong people in guerilla warfare to fight against the communist army. They were to block the main supply route of the Northern Vietnamese, fight the communists, rescue Americans, and defend US radar stations. But when Vietnam and Cambodia fell, the Northern Vietnamese communists overthrew the government of Laos. The main leaders of the Hmong warriors were flown to safety but abandoned the rest of their people to fend for themselves. The Hmong people were then targeted for genocide, and many were killed. The rest ran to the mountains but were killed by bombs. They fled and tried to cross the Mekong River, wearing only the clothes on their backs, and those lucky enough to survive were put into refugee camps and were eventually resettled.
Despite this, they continue to preserve their culture, language, and customs and are thriving. They have taken the opportunity to live like everyone else does. Truly from a magnificent and hardy culture, these people are truly Hmong.
Reference
Mong Bros Pictures. “A Brief History of the Hmong People.” Filmed in October 2014. 7:04 minutes. Posted October 26, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dti6qB0r7Ok.
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February 15, 2017
Tibetan Buddhism
A Glimpse into the Secret World of Tibetan Buddhists
Colorful flags and written sutras flutter in the air as the cold wind blows through the mountains. The sound of a longhorn blares in the distance, and deep-throated chanting slowly cuts through the silence. You follow the sound and find yourself entering a dim chamber flanked by two smooth wooden pillars. The smell of incense fills your nose while the chanting becomes louder, and you find yourself in a sea of red robes and shaved heads in the sutra hall of the monks. You are now in the Sertar Larung Gar Buddhist Institute in Sertar, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, located in Sichuan, China.
As the largest Tibetan Buddhist center in the work, around twenty thousand monks and nuns live here to be able spend their days fully immersed in the study of Buddhism and its ascetic practices.
“In the Buddha, Sharma and Supreme Sangha, I take refuge until I am enlightened. By the merit gained through my teaching, may I become a Buddha to benefit sentient beings.”
Chanted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the Full Moon Day of the Tibetan First Month, it is customary for him to give attendees a lecture on the previous lives of the Lord Buddha.
A religion in exile, the followers of Tibetan Buddhism had to flee after Tibet was conquered by the Chinese in 1959. Nowadays, the Dalai Lama gives lectures on Tibetan Buddhism in India.
Tibetan Buddhism or Lamaism is different from other kinds of Buddhism because of the preoccupation with the relationship of life or death. With Lamas as enlightened guides or teachers that are still on the quest for the ultimate truth, they lead the study of the endless cycle of rebirth in which the actions of this life will impact on the next. The goal of Tibetan Buddhism is to escape from the earthy cycle of pain and suffering by achieving a state of freedom called enlightenment.
Here in this special school, monks and nuns live a spartan life studying nineteen to twenty hours subjects such as Buddhist scriptures, history, astronomy, ethics, and Sanskrit, spending six years for formal study and another thirteen for the advanced study, but most stay on to spend the rest of their lives trying to reach enlightenment. Tibetan Buddhists believe a monk in the family brings honor so they usually send the second son to live as a monk for the rest of his life. They live in simplicity and do not seek to possess money or material possession but live their lives focusing completely on spiritual enlightenment.
One of the most famous Tibetan Buddhist texts is the Bardo Thodol, popularly known as the Tibetan Book of the Dead, which roughly translates to “liberation through hearing in the intermediate state.” Describing the experiences of the soul in the interval between death and rebirth called bardo, this funerary text is recited by Lamas over a dying or recently deceased person.
Like other schools of Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism includes the many Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and Dharma protectors, although the difference is that they have shamanistic influences including performing rituals to gain merit. Offerings such as food and flowers, filling of water bowls, spinning of prayer wheels, and religious pilgrimages are some of these, as well as the well-known lighting of butter lamps at the local temple. Meditation also plays an important part that uses hand gestures called mudras while chanting mantras.
More advanced practitioners study or construct special cosmic diagrams known as mandalas to assist inner spiritual development. These are drawn using sand and are ritualistically dismantled once it has been completed to symbolize the transitory nature of material life.
There are so many aspects of Tibetan Buddhism to discuss, but this is merely a small glimpse. To be able to truly understand the mysteries may take many rebirths, and those who seek freedom have a long way to journey to travel to attain enlightenment.
Reference
Boudism. “Tibetan Buddhism in China.” Filmed [July 2014]. YouTube Video, 48:59. Posted [October 2014]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY0v3QejaWU.
Wikipedia. 2017. “Tibetan Buddhism.” Last Modified December 16, 2016. Accessed on February 7, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhism.
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February 9, 2017
Life after Death in Tao
The Concept of Death in the Philosophy of Tao
It is raining. You stand in front of a pyre, the heat from the flames blow in waves upon your skin as stray droplets splash upon your cheeks. There is a resounding sound of gongs and eerie indecipherable chanting fills the air. You are now witnessing a Tao funeral.
“Those who die without being forgotten get longevity.”—Tao Te Ching, chapter 33
In the previous post, we discussed some aspects of Tao and what followers should do in order to begin the journey on their personal path. Tao is not an easy subject to discuss because it covers a broad spectrum of subjects from dealing with one’s own life and how one reacts to the surroundings. However, there is one topic that is very important in Tao and is also significant in many other religions—the idea of death.
Death as a concept in the West seems taboo. Many do not wish to speak of it for fear of beckoning it closer, but the mistake in there is that they fear it, instead of understanding that at some point, everything has a beginning and an end. It is an inevitable conclusion to the life of man and must be accepted as the destiny of all those who are born.
In Tao, it is described as shijie or the release from the corpse, but it is more of ascension into heaven or transformation or, in other scholarly works, is seen as true immortality. Death is merely another phase in life that is something everyone must accept.
Many Taoists believe in eternal life, but to achieve that state of immortality is difficult because of the many tasks that must be done in order to qualify for such a transformation. This involves external alchemy (mastering special breathing techniques and exercises that rid the body of impurities, as well as leading a righteous life) and internal alchemy (visualization, special dieting, and meditation for purification). Many of those who want to attain this pure state spend a significant amount of time meditating.
As death is merely another aspect of reality, dying is seen as a transformation from being to nonbeing. Like the river that flows into the ocean, death is merely a movement from yang to yin. In this regard, death is neither to be feared nor desired. The relative nature of Tao urges the follower not to worry for all beings are one.
An important thing to note about the study of Tao is that it does not focus on death but instead places a great value of living a quality life. It focuses on the present and improving health and longevity but maintaining inner peace through a life of simplicity.
To witness a Tao funeral is quite a sight. It can be quite lavish and elaborate for it is in the belief that the rituals performed by the monks of Tao will guide the dead onto the correct path to paradise. A procession may go on for three to five days, even as excessive as seven days, especially if the deceased is of a high social standing. The family burns paper money or joss paper and papier-mâché items of luxury items as offering to the deceased to give them comfort in the afterlife. Then the body is either buried or cremated. But this does not matter, however, for the spirit has been released, and through remembrance, allowing the soul to live forever in Tao.
Reference
Wikipedia. 2017. “Taoism and Death.” Last modified on October 20, 2016. Accessed on February 2, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism_and_death#Immortality.
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February 2, 2017
The Tao Philosophy
An Introduction to the Way of Tao
Following Tao means following a living path, says Tao scholar Deng Ming-Dao. It is a way of life that sustains, guides, and leads us to innumerable rich experiences. We go through life confused and worried about external concerns that afflict us with stress, but it is when one discovers the path of Tao that we begin to become one with the earth and within ourselves. It is a great reality that is within nature, and through this, it urges us to understand where we stand in the world and to accept ourselves while we work on who we really are to make our journey through that path joyous and radiant.
Tao is not a religion, but a way of life or a philosophy. We can live our lives to the fullest studying Tao.
Those who follow this philosophy strive to achieve certain special qualities that set them apart from those who do not. Though seemingly easy, following these ideals of Tao require great perseverance and a conscious effort on the individual.
Simplicity
When following Tao, simplicity is the key. The students of Tao strive to keep their lives simple, conserving their energy for maintaining their center instead of chasing ambitious goals.
Sensitivity
The followers of Tao practice being observant of their surroundings, avoid loud and aggressive people and places, and help those who are in need. They spend time reveling in the beauty of nature, and once in the wilderness, strive to study and learn from the seasons, animals, as well as absorbing the teachings of nature’s creativity. Nature is a part of Tao, thus to be immersed within it is a perfect way to get a glimpse of the living path.
Flexibility
Those who follow Tao believe that everything in this world is relative and there are no absolutes. These followers believe in seeing all possibilities because choices should depend upon circumstance rather than preconceived ideas. Believers of other philosophies have a hard time accepting this quality, for they are rigid in the following of their beliefs, but the followers of Tao observe the river and, like the water, will go around or above any obstacle they see.
Independent
Followers of Tao rarely care about what society dictates to be the norm. They do not care about fads, trends, political movements, and mainstream morality. They believe that these ideas are limited and imperfect and often too petty. They are not immoral, but instead, act upon a more profound level of spirit. Followers of Tao are often accused of being rebellious anarchists that pose a danger to religion and society. However, it is the affirmation of wisdom and experience over anything conventional.
Focused
Tao is a person running along a path of their own journey, and so to be a follower, one must know the inner direction of their own lives. Once the followers accept who they are, they then strive to find out and accept the things that make them what they are. They never try to be anyone else but themselves knowing that they were born and will eventually die and understand that between the start and the end is their personal path.
Cultivated
Because the followers of Tao are not burdened with unnecessary things such as ambition and concerns about what others think of them, they seek to cultivate and refine themselves in all aspects to be able to follow their path perfectly.
Disciplined
The followers of Tao are disciplined, but not in a difficult way that is constricting. Instead, they take charge of their actions and act in an orderly and responsible way to achieve their goals. They focus their energies on concentrating on self-improvement and are conscious of their actions. This is what makes them disciplined.
Joyous
While following the path of Tao, there will come a point where the follower will become one with its flow. They become a part of it and it will fill them with a joy that can only be found when becoming connected directly to the source of life. There is no more fear once this point is reached because nothing can destroy their belief in Tao, not even death, for the followers understand that in Tao, there is no death but merely ascension into the Tao.
Reference
Deng, Ming-Dao. Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1996.
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January 26, 2017
Morphine
Pharmaceutical Medicine’s Double-Edged Sword
You’ve heard of morphine. As a popular painkiller, it is used in hospitals all over the world to alleviate pain. On the streets, it is used to alleviate pain of another kind. Addictive and harmful, many people question its mainstream application due to the fact that it leads to dependency and eventually to loss of life. Still, many argue if it is beneficial or if the effects are merely temporary. There is a current debate right now as to its effectiveness and its side effects, both positive and negative. But before we can pass judgment, we first have to ask, what is morphine?
An opioid pain medication, it is sometimes called a narcotic and is found naturally in some plants and animals. It acts on the central nervous system to decrease the feeling of pain and can be used for both acute and chronic conditions. Discovered by German pharmacist Friedrich Sertürner and named it after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams, as it made people sleep. A lot of controversy surrounded this drug when it was discovered to be more addictive than opium and alcohol and resulted in over four hundred thousand addictions in the American Civil War more commonly known as soldier’s disease. In 1914, it became a controlled substance in the United States where possession without prescription is considered a criminal offense. One of the most abused narcotic analgesic in the world, it maintained its status until heroin was synthesized, another narcotic extracted from the opium poppy.
Now, we understand that morphine helps those who are in pain, but addiction can form just after a few uses. This happens because it lifts anxiety and fear and causes a sense of euphoria, and the tolerance builds until the user needs more and more, making them slaves to this narcotic and increasing the chances of a fatal overdose. This addiction is dangerous because it triggers the brain’s pleasure centers and causes the addict to focus all energy and efforts to getting more morphine, leading to dangerous and illegal behavior.
Unfortunately, telling an addict to quit taking morphine is not only difficult; it is also dangerous. The side effects of morphine withdrawal are severe and sometimes fatal. Chills, excessive sweating, severe body aches and pains, shaking, strokes, and heart attacks are just some side effects that morphine addicts experience, fueling their desire to obtain more to avoid these negative feelings.
But as in anything, prevention is better than a cure, so before you allow morphine to be given to you or your relative in the hospital, make sure you know what you are getting into. Choosing morphine alternatives is better for those who have any past addictions or addictive personalities. But the best way, really, is to follow doctor’s orders.
Although hard, addiction to morphine is treatable within a controlled environment, and it must be done with professional help. But it can’t begin until the addict admits they have a problem. But it is possible, and if you or someone has an issue with morphine addiction, there is no shame in asking for help. Remember, there is always hope.
Reference
Wikipedia. 2017. “Morphine.” Date modified January 4. Last accessed January 10, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphine#History.
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January 19, 2017
Cannabis: The International Herb
Al Capone famously said, “Prohibition has made nothing but trouble.”
Although he was referring to alcohol prohibition, the world is currently facing the same problem, but this time, the spotlight is on marijuana.
Utilized by many cultures across the globe, weed has been used for medical, spiritual, and recreational reasons throughout the ages until its recent prohibition. Unearthed evidence painted an entirely different picture than what current prohibitionists claim. Marijuana has been proved to have great curative and pain-relieving qualities. It relaxes the muscles and gives relief to anxiety, which is why it has been legalized in several states for medical purposes, including recreational for some, not to mention the countries that have legalized marijuana totally and began to regulate it through government dispensaries. Truly, there is a bright future growing for this 6.7-billion-dollar industry.
But to understand the conflicting reasons and its federal prohibition, we have to go back to the early part of the twentieth century.
Sometime in the 1930s, the head of the FBI, Harry J. Anslinger, began his campaign to prohibit the use of marijuana. Claiming marijuana use caused people to commit violent crimes, act irrationally, and become overtly sexual, he was quite successful in planting the seed that would incarcerate so many young people for years to come. Despite what he said, the true reason was that Mr. Anslinger was a known bigot and racist and disliked Mexican immigrants and their habit of smoking cannabis after a long day of hard work. He made up a story that a young marijuana addict killed his entire family in Florida, which might have contributed to the reefer madness idea. It was demonizing the plant to make an excuse to detain and deport Mexican immigrants. The legal history of marijuana is right there, as well as the medical properties, yet it still remains illegal until today.
The Drug Enforcement Agency still classifies marijuana as a schedule-one drug and lumps it together with cocaine and heroin, which is totally absurd. But we have to remember the unfortunate truth that our United States government is run by corporate sponsors. Huge pharmaceutical companies, private prisons, and the tobacco and alcohol industries are lobbying against passing the law for complete state legalization because it would eventually hit their profits.
This is an unfortunate reality we are all facing today. The well-being of the people is compromised by the greed of the few. And to quote Haile Selassie in his 1963 UN speech, “That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained.”
References
Wikipedia. 2015. “Haile Selassie’s address to the United Nations, 1963.” Last modified August 24, 2015. Accessed December 16, 2016. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Haile_....
Wikipedia. 2016. “Legal History of Cannabis in the United States.” Last modified December 6. Accessed December 16, 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_h....
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January 12, 2017
Heroin
Heroin chic was a really big thing in the 90s. It was glamourized by many beautiful celebrities, and despite the fact that everyone knew what kind of special hell heroin addiction is, people were still drawn to this particular drug. In the film Pulp Fiction, Mia Wallace, mistaking some heroin for cocaine, snorts a line of the drug and goes into cardiac arrest. She only survives because Vincent Vega slams pure adrenalin into her heart, then takes her home to her posh mansion where she presumably lives happily ever after.
If you Google “heroin” and read the news articles, there is nothing to see but tragedy. There are so many horrifying accounts on how people are still addicted and how many people have died due to this drug that can take you high up into the sky and bring you crashing down. Like so many opiates, this one gets you hooked as the effects get shorter and shorter and will make you crave for more until you take so much you die of an overdose.
The way heroin is portrayed in the media is confusing to the point of schizophrenia. On one hand, the waif look with the dark circles underneath a disaffected gaze is shown to be sexy, but on the other hand, heroin is demonized in the news, showing ugly pictures of people robbing their loved ones and performing sexual acts just to get their fix. It’s an odd mixed signal that continually confuses people into thinking that it’s bad, but maybe they can stay ahead of the drug—and that’s how people usually fall into its abuse.
First made in 1974 from morphine which was made from opium, heroin was called diamorphine until it was resynthesized twenty-three years later by a chemist working for the pharmaceutical giant Bayer that eventually commercialized it. The word heroin was based on the German word heriosch which means “heroic” or “strong.” Between 1898 through to 1910, heroin was marketed as a non-addictive morphine substitute and cough suppressant.
There is a sad bit of irony here, as history is unfortunately repeating itself. A huge pharmaceutical company has discovered a “wonder cure” to help with simple daily maladies while its long-term effects are debilitating due to the new drug’s addictive nature. People still pop the pills like candy because it is legal. Heroin in the early twentieth century, Oxycodone tomorrow. The thought should be enough to make a person research the effects and studies of any cure that is driven by advertising.
Heroin was legal until it was banned in 1924 and was then made into a schedule 1 substance, which makes it illegal for non-medical use. The world turns, and what you initially thought was good for you might actually be bad. Heroin, in whatever way it is portrayed by the media, is a warning. Don’t take things at face value, study up on what you are prescribed, and think. Because one day that little pill you are taking might just become something that can fuel a billion-dollar drug industry just like heroin.
Reference
Wikipedia. 2016. “Heroin.” Last modified November 21. Accessed November 24, 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin#...
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