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The Smoking Gun |
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The Smoking GunCigarettes and Significant Regrets.
The Tobacco industry and all the innuendo associated with it is really typical of human nature and how human behavior will always gravitate in a similar direction under such conditions. Therefore we should not be too surprised when we see such scandals unfold. In fact, it may be possible to prevent them if we are only capable of accepting the reality of human behavior and hence be able to head off future catastrophes "at the pass", as it were. The saddest thing, really, is that the tobacco companies missed the prize. Tobacco and other related plants that can be grown in places like North Carolina have a nearly infinite variety of very complex organic molecules that could produce a treasure trove of medicines and pharmaceuticals that might actually be of far greater value than the present cigar and cigarette industry. However, there may even be huge health benefits from nicotine itself, as well as other elements of tobacco at the present harmfully taken in as smoke but may be of vast benefit if taken safely by other means. The question is, have the big companies ever bothered to take a look at that? There may have been safe, non-addicting ways of taking in special derivatives of tobacco that may have a sedating effect on hyper tension and stress, or maybe a natural aspect somehow that relieves depression. But, you see, we may not be able to ascertain that, due to the necessity of large industrial bodies for secrecy. Nevertheless, tobacco is a treasure trove of medicinal elements as are many other plants of it's type or genre. The industry went off on the deep end and the dark side and tried to benefit from the tendency of humanity to abuse substance, as the vernacular goes, being willing to do anything for the pleasant effects, regardless of any potential consequence down the road. The industry really missed the boat, here. They could have been manager of the plant. But you see, this is endemic in human nature and is the dilemma of the common man: the unwillingness to find out; the laziness and reluctance to do the science; the contentment to remain in ignorance, only pretending to be knowledgeable, becoming a society of busybodies; an unwillingness by the masses and each individual therein to use their minds and to engage to any reasonable degree in the activity of thinking. The problems really begin when these dregs get into the upper levels of corporate business or local or national government. We must remember the admonishment of Socrates. He admitted that he knew nothing, and in so doing reminded each of us that we are in the same boat. Before you slam the cigarette manufacturers, look at yourself. Are you one of those who condemns a thing before finding out if you yourself may be quite wrong as well, but in a different way? Why do you think so many people over several centuries at least have resorted to the tobacco habit? There may be something to the substance that is more than merely a harmful addiction. I mean, has anybody ever done the research on this? The harmful effects of smoking could be argued for other types of destructive distillation. The tars and other viscosities are elements that can be prevalent in certain similarities when any plant or organic material is subjected to destructive distillation or the production of smoke. It was discovered that such phenomena happened during the barbecuing of meat on a grill, for example. Really, after all is, as it were, said and done, we really know nothing. So get off your high horse and do the science or else your opinion is worth very little if not actually worthless. It doesn't mean, however, that you should feign enlightenment, declare that all is forgiven, and walk into the nearest room of carcinogenic second-hand tobacco smoke. In my own limited research in the matter my conclusions thus far are that the effect of smoking on the individual, barring the harmful effect to lungs and the carcinogenic effects of the smoke was that it did seem to have a calming effect on the smoker. The subjects became more affable, had a tendency toward generosity, had the characteristic of being less arbitrarily contentious (less "self righteous", as the term is sometimes used). The effect of smoking did, however, render all subjects less able to concentrate and therefore more easily distracted. As I said, this research is preliminary and not extensive enough to reach any formal conclusion. But enough was done with observations of hundreds of smokers to arrive at some shocking questions, such as the possibility that the tobacco plant can actually be in some way good for human beings somehow. But now, you have to work at it and do the research before you completely write something off and shelve it simply because some manufacturers tried to cash in on something they didn't really even begin to understand.
--Fine art, digital art, music, several voice introductions by me about my work, articles about my artwork and other topics such as sociology, the cosmos, economics, education, medicine, poetry, humor, something I call premonitions, and a series about covered bridges, all by yours truly, the webmaster, Paul A.L. Hall. There are feedback, a website search engine, and exhaustive contents pages. Plus my weblogs are on site, an art school and classes. Tobacco plants
and others could produce a treasure trove of medicines and pharmaceuticals. |