03-08-2003 01:24									#1
	Safety Second! Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

Sure, safety is a good idea but enough is enough! Americans are getting way to infatuated with safety and security. Be it crackdowns on civil liberties in the interest of homeland security, police brutality and profiling, frivolous lawsuits, and higher prices for products due to the need to idiotproof them, this blind quest for safety hurts the country's economy and is probably a significant reason why the USA can't get the double-digit growth rates anymore these days.

But we are safe, the people say. Really? The life expectancy is lower in the US than most industrialized nations. Well...

People freak out about food poisoning but don't care about eating so much they get heart attacks.

Cracking down on terrorism makes the USA unpopular and makes it even more of a target.

SUVs are more dangerous for both their occupants (rollover risk) and anyone on the road.

High cost of making buildings up to code mean that new housing isn't built and people live in old unrenovated buildings.

People panic over germs on their doorknob but don't care about toxins in the air.

It goes on and on.

America is a nation built by the adventurous, and liberals, conservatives, and libertarians all extol the adventurous American spirit and the placing of opportunity above security. Extreme sports are popular. Big Business was never a fan of safety. The media promotes violence and risk taking. Music sings of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Politicians are more interested in ego-building accomplishments. So, where is this infatuation coming from?

	03-08-2003 01:28									#2
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

Ban SUVs that fail independent rollover tests
Legalise drugs--under our medical system, who's going to get them!?
Put those "Did not wash hands!" signs over restroom doors, that Far Side comic was hilarious

	04-08-2003 03:49									#3
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

what was that particular Far Side comic about?

	04-08-2003 04:22									#4
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

quote: The life expectancy is lower in the US than most industrialized nations.

Actually, there's very little difference among them. About 2 years, with Japan being an outlyer, IIRC. Considering that my life expectancy is 12 years greater than my father's (30 years between us), 2 years is miniscule...

Of course, this fact tells you a lot in itself.

	04-08-2003 06:07									#5
	Inflate your Upload Space

How accurate are life expectancy figures compared to atual statistics?

	04-08-2003 06:52									#6
	Remove this text

quote: what was that particular Far Side comic about?

A guy's walking out of a restroom and there's this big huge flashing light above him that says "DID NOT WASH HANDS"

	04-08-2003 19:10									#7
	Inflate your Upload Space

heehee.

Speaking of comics on the matter, I once read one in MAD where an employee fails to wash his hands before returning to work and gets yelled at by the manager. The employee then washes his hands and goes back to his work scrubbing toilet bowls.