“A lie told once remains a lie, but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth.” – A truism attributed to Dr Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment.

“I saw thousands who could’ve overcome the darkness, but for the love of a lousy buck I watched them die.” – Bob Dylan

Myth # 1:

“The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) tests all new psychiatric drugs”

False. Actually, the FDA only reviews studies that were designed, administered, secretly performed and paid for by profit-driven, multinational pharmaceutical companies or farmed out by those companies to private research firms, in whose interest it is to find positive results for their employers. Unsurprisingly, such collaborations virtually guarantee fraudulent results.

Myth # 2:

“FDA approval means that a psychotropic drug is effective long-term”

It is said in China, that a popular curse is to tell a person “may you live in interesting times.” Given the history of the world for roughly the past few centuries, mankind appears to be, not merely cursed, but damned. And in our present, things have become even more “interesting.”

Particularly in the years since 1945, the world has been almost literally burning, even given the end of the Second World War. The Cold War and its insane nuclear arms race, the proxy wars of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s and, most especially, the quagmire that most people refer to simply as the Middle East. It is this last subject that I will address here.

As an American Jew born in the early 1950s, I have watched the progress of things Middle Eastern, with interest and, often, horror. It wasn’t until recently, however, that I really explored, considered and, finally understood, how things got to be as bad as they are.          

AUGUST 6, 2018—On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, followed three days later by an attack on Nagasaki. Tens of thousands perished within seconds. For some who died, the only evidence they existed was a radiation shadow found on a concrete wall. The stated justification for this horrific crime was the need to hasten the end of World War II. But not only was Japan already attempting to surrender, it made the final decision to do so because the Soviet Union declared war—Hiroshima and Nagasaki did not need to be bombed.

“Freedom is indivisible,” John Kennedy once remarked. “When one man is enslaved, none are free. In Columbus, I had the opportunity to interview four men who have been directly affected by a system of slavery and brutal racism in the West African country of Mauritania. Three are either seeking or have received asylum because of slavery.  The fourth is an abolitionist, who is running for president of Mauritania, Biram Abeid. Ahmed Tidiane raises money to support ex-slaves. Omar Wagne risked his freedom and even his life to register those recently freed from bondage, so they could vote and send their children to school.  Hassan Fall fought to save his aunt from the punishing bonds of slavery. Ahmed, Omar and Hassan have sought asylum in the U. S. Together, these four men have risked their lives to tell a story that highlights the repressive and brutal system now operating against Black Africans in Mauritania, but they also tell a story of hope for a tribe of slaves and ex-slaves.

Monday, Aug 6, 6:30-8:30pm
Northside branch Columbus library, 1423 N. High St.
Columbus DSA welcomes you to our ABC's of Socialism Reading Group!

In our first session, we will discuss the following chapters:
- Wouldn’t a more democratic world just mean a bigger economic crisis?
- Are socialists pacifists? Aren’t some wars justified?

There are additional articles linked within the chapters; we may touch on those as well.

Our fourth session will be held on Monday, August 6, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Northside Branch, in Meeting Room 2.

If you do not have a copy of the book, you can get a PDF here: https://s3.jacobinmag.com/issues/jacobin-abcs.pdf.