Saturday, March 02, 2013

Civilization: In Praise of the West

I recently needed some hospital treatment and marvelled at the cooperative, coordinated nature of Western culture that brings us modern healthcare. Ben Stein offers a similar sentiment here:
I really cannot get over that I can just open the fridge, take out a bag, get a fresh, delicious bagel, put it in a little shiny box and a minute later it comes out all toasty and brown. Then I can open the fridge again, get out perfectly fresh butter, apply it to the bagel, and enjoy it.
When I think of the work that the farmer has to do to get the wheat, that the utility has to do to get the electricity, that the coal company has to do to get the fuel to run the generators—it’s all a miracle.
This analysis does not even include where the steel comes from, where the eggs come from, where the tile on the counter comes from—or where I come from.
You think you're a rugged, independent, stand-alone Western individual? Better put down that bagel.

And that's the way the Ball bounces.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear you're OK, but did you get the "pray the demons out" healthcare, or the "antibiotics developed through evolutionary DNA analysis" healthcare?
SDC
:-)

Anonymous said...

Are you saying,like Obama means, that you didn't make that bagel? Well of course we are all standing on the shoulders of inventors and entrepreneurs and tradespeople. That's what capitalism is all about. The Obama nonsense of owing it all to roadbuilders and teachers, blah, blah, blah, is another kettle of fish.

Moved to Ontario and the bagels here don't hold a candle to a real Montreal bage.

BallBounces said...

"Are you saying,like Obama means, that you didn't make that bagel?"

No.

"Moved to Ontario and the bagels here don't hold a candle to a real Montreal bage."

No argument there. Have made a St. Viateur's detour on more than one occasion. Here in Phoenix there's Einstein's bagels which are good; you can get a dozen at Costco for $6. Still, not Montreal-style!

"... nothing intellectually compelling or challenging.. bald assertions coupled to superstition... woefully pathetic"