Human Designs: May 2012

The promise of divine providence is, for the faithful, a guarantee that there is purpose in lives and for the events that befall us. However inscrutable their purpose, we are assured they are according to a plan for us and the universe. We each individually have purpose, insofar as our capacity for action—to act upon the world and others—gives us a vital role to play in the fulfillment of providence. Many find this reassuring, and I argue a great deal easier to accept than the cold, nauseating implications of the alternative. The alternative to providence is a chaotic universe in which God does not exist, or at least does not intervene. In such a world, we may find no solace that some greater purpose justifies tragedy, nor may we relish with pride our small victories as affirmations of our virtue.

Rather, the universe is indifferent to our mortal, vain preoccupations. Without pomp or prelation, the events of our lives are merely haphazard draws from a cosmic hat of possible events, some good and some bad. To quell our hankering spirits, we are only permitted to ask whether there is inherent, systematic bias of the world—i.e., whether the distribution of possible events is, on average even, meaning that good or bad things are equally likely to befall. Perhaps, in this question we might take more than a consolation, but find the opportunity to create purpose for ourselves. Does is not stand to reason that if our societies are just and our relationships harmonious that the distribution of events will be skewed in the direction of Goodness? Alternatively, would not injustice and discord foster resentment and ultimately push the distribution toward Badness?

Therefore, to those among us having deep internal struggles to find the solace of purpose in a world without providence, take heed that our actions, deliberate and otherwise, are necessarily reflected to us. For to the degree our actions promote a general beneficence, we push the distribution of events positively, and increase the likelihood of good things in return. At the same time, when our actions decrease the general welfare we contribute to a preponderance of bad events and so render ourselves more likely to experience them. We may call this karma.

For a society prosecuting a 'war against drugs' for the last 30 years, we do an awful lot of drugs. This is true for illegal drugs--highlighting the consummate failure of the drug war by its own standard--but more to the point let's talk about the legal kinds. In one category, we're given all the kinds that tweak our bodies this and that way so we can eke out a few more pitiful years at work by day and in front of the HD whatevers by night. What I'm trying to get it is the role of the drug companies in our lives, in a broad sense. Between their advertisement and kick-back system to the doctors, they have has going to the doctor for trivial problems and come out with a simple and easy solution. One qualifier: it's addictive and you're going to have to take it forever.

So the live-longer drugs are one category, and the other category are those that we take for other reasons. This is where we can really learn something about ourselves. So let's take a look at the drugs we take for reasons other than prolonging the inevitable. You have your illegal kinds and your legal kinds. For today, let's disregard the illegal ones, as they more or less by definition are the ones our society frowns upon and to be involved with them you're essentially "outside" of the mainstream. Let's talk about the he ones the well-behaved people take.

First, there's coffee. Everybody takes that. This drug is sold on every goddamn corner from here to Seattle. Jesus, it's not even that good anymore. Coffee electrified me two or three times when I was 19 and has since been more about getting out of bed. There's alcohol. Alcohol is wonderful because they have a wide selection of varieties, for every price point and socioeconomic circumstance. We love alcohol because it lets us shrug off the oppressive distancing from each other capitalism demands. Isn't it so unnatural that in our offices they put what are essentially blinders around your eyes, ensuring that you are only able to see the work to be done in front of you? You may not talk to one another! You may not make any unnecessary noise! So what if your ancestors for 10s of thousands of years sang songs and socialized while working, they didn't have iPhones! Obviously they were miserable, unlike us. /sarcasm. But if you absolutely insist on speaking to another person, you may only speak to them in certain approved ways, on approved topic. Do not talk about politics! We have to play catch-up, so no more leaving together for lunch, either. Just eat your frozen rations and be quick about it. If you lack vigor, drink coffee! For the love of Ford, it's the only free thing around here for a reason!

Coffee is the gateway drug to the dwindling middle class. It's necessary to work that much harder than the next sucker. Keep it up and you can make middle-management. That's right, you can be the guy with the cheap tie who works Saturday and has Tuesday off. Coffee to get us to work, coffee to work our asses off, coffee to do it some more, and more alcohol to bring us down and help us forget what we did all day.

And these people don't even have health insurance. For the denizens of the working professional class, you get access to much more powerful stuff. With your prescription drug benefits, your doctor can give you all you need to cope with constant anxiety of losing your fragile position over those who die young, failed or failing relationships, egocentrism, and no chance of doing any else because you're the endured servant of the banks who gave you the money to buy the SUVs, the tract homes, the HD whatevers, and the "designer Italian" loafers made by a 14 year old in Vietnam. We'll start you out on Xanax (44 million prescriptions in the US). "This will help you," says the doc. He's got a white smock, so "seems legit." Now the Xanax may make it a bit difficult to get up on the morning, but a simple, habit forming, morning amphetamine-salt (25 million US prescriptions) will take care of that. You're going to need some Valium (14 million US prescriptions) to get to sleep at night, and might as well start you on the Ativan (25 million US prescriptions) to help with that vague sense of panic that sometimes come out when you realize that you don't really remember what happens during the day anymore, but periodically take stock of the home and family crumbling around you. "Is Daughter 15 already? Why does she hate me so much and should she be wearing that? Maybe I should get her some of this, too. I think she has a disorder. Depression "runs in our family." Now I'm on Seroquel (16m) and Effexor (15m) and life is just a blur. Come to think of it, I lost my job 6 months ago and those appear to be foreclosure papers on the table. Oh, hell, I mind as well just take them all.

Meanwhile….