Ethan Dotson > Recent Status Updates

p. 155 - The obvious injustice and unacceptability of denial of treatment or improper treatment because we, as a global society, determine care not to be "cost-effective." This is the point of the book.

I'm eager to be done with this depressing-ass book

P. 131-132 - The business model of the pharmaceutical monopoly or monopsony is that assured profit of the hostage taker demanding ransom. Worse yet, Johnson and Johnson levels an antidote stolen from the public to achieve their gains. Wealth is in fact being redistributed in our "free market," only upwards.

p. 124 - A new sort of colonialism was established by the world bank following post-WWII resistance to outright military domination and hegemony, a form of debt-slavery which kills many constituents. "Compliance" language instantiates the control exerted by this colonialism at the individual level. The language blurs the line of fault that in clear eyes leads back to the profiteer, the racist, and the imperialist.

I get the impression Thomas Wolfe did a lot of beautiful prose and didn't have the heart to cut it out of his book when it didn't serve the story. Too long-winded. The passion and deep rumination isn't yet earned, and is being projected onto rather banal subjects in such a way as to cheapen the strength of the words.

I take issue with the notion of the protagonist's (author's?) that women are all, by their nature, emotionally and rationally different from men. It can be the nature of all partners in love to be jealous and greedy with the other's attention, devotion, and time; to be fanciful in their dreams and desires. Those tendencies are not reserved for any one sex. So, the book plays to sexist stereotypes.

What's wrong with him having coffee and a cigarette? He was in mourning.

On p. 83, unclear whether Camus means to say the jury was afraid of the protagonist or was bored and looking to be entertained by him. Both?

It's very good 😤😤😤