Antonio Gramsci, was an Italian journalist and political leader who was imprisoned by the fascist regime of Mussolini in 1930. While in jail Gramsci wrote, “The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.” The philosopher Slavoj Zizek rendered the sentence into a more succinct and suggestive phrase: “The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters."
What a great phrase. See it can always be said better. That paragraph was taken from Jeet Heer over at Substack. His newsletter is called ‘The Time of Monsters”.
There are so many monsters in our world these days - I couldn’t possible list them all in a substack post. Jees, it would take the rest of my life.
A few days ago I went to the doctor’s office. The reason for my visit was because my body is getting old and has funky issues. The doctor at the doctor’s office referred me to two other doctors who are specialists in their field. The first specialist, the endocrinologist, couldn’t manage to make an appointment by phone, they wanted to take a message and call me back. Hmm, but I don’t take calls. I turn my phone off so I don’t get called by the spammers and scammers and people who want to buy my house. It freaks me out. I want to say bad things to them. Sometimes I do. Anyways not a convenient situation for me, so instead of leaving my number and waiting for a call, I rode down to the location of said endocrinologist on my bicycle and walked into their office. They were on the phone.
After waiting 5 or 10 minutes a lady came out and said, “Can I help you?”
“I’d like to make an appointment.” I responded.
“Let me get someone to assist you. The regular person is not here today.” she said, and disappeared around a corner, back into the inner sanctum of the doctor’s office where I couldn’t see.
After about 5 minutes another lady came out and we proceeded to make an appointment.
“Do you have your insurance card?”
“Yes I do.” and pulled out my card.
She took the card and disappeared around the corner. A few minutes later she returned and said, “We don’t take this card.” pointing at an obscure code printed at the bottom left corner.
I left. Abruptly. Happy to be out of there, but wounded by the waste of time and the incivility. My healthcare has been turned into a business. It’s not about me or my health, it’s about the healthcare business. I reject that. It’s a monster, if there ever was one, sucking on our bones.
The biggest monster, of course, is the stupid ignorance that has taken over our country. What about it MAGA people? How about it Qanon and all your evil siblings? That kind of psycho-babel comes from and resonates with ignorance. It’s like a resonating bell in here. Social media, my foot. It’s mass brain washing. Here let me erase your common sense and replace it with some hyperinflated conspiracy theories. Feel better now? Feel special now that you know a secret conspiracy theory that no else does? Not like you do. You really know what’s going on behind the scenes, not many people know that. Not like you do.
If Gramsci is right, then all this is just preface to change. What kind of change? Well unfortunately nobody knows that. That’s why it’s worrisome. What if it’s bad change? What if it’s uncomfortable? What if I lose my home and my job and my . . . gees I can’t even imagine what kind of change it could be.
‘Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
Step outa line, the man come and take you away
Better stop children
what’s that sound
everybody look what’s goin down’
And thank you , Slavoj Zizek . More coget synopsis . Monsterocene . And then Trumpobscene .
I have Spectrum answering my calls . Spectrum listens ? for a moment , then hangs up . I don't know Spectrum listens for . Probably for an algorithm . Spell-check assures me that is not algorhythm . If I am here , I answer with the speaker and quickly press Mute . Then I half listen . If it sounds like a doctor's office , I pick up . Otherwise , if someone else is talking , I let them talk to thin air . Spammers will also say your name as though they know you .
As for specialists , if I have to jump too many hurtles , I figure that the specialist would not really care about me anyway .
I ask my PCP to refer me to women doctors . It is a pre-judgement , but I think there is a better chance of getting a " compassionate physician " with a women . Otherwise , I am not a gambler . That women doctors are more compassionate is not always the case . Some women are very manly . And if your woman specialist leaves the practice , she will mostly refer you to the next bull out of the chute . It is procedure . Generally speaking , male physicians are good mechanics . Some know the owner's manual inside and out . Neurologists are generally mechanics . I ask to be referred to an orthopedist . Some DOs also are trained in manipulating the spine , rather than cutting .
Male and female physician generally have also absorbed the ages-old dogmas that someone somewhere along the line , decided to be gospel .
Physicians often also hire cheap office " help " . Those people generally don't know you and don't care about YOU . You can judge who does seem to care . Others may care about procedure and about 5 PM . If I really want to talk to my doctor about an office problem , I send a letter marked " Personal & confidential " , which is something too scary for nosey office help to open .