I was shocked and rather amazed by this article. Not for what it’s talking about directly; I mean, I’m rather interested in legal proceedings and what not, but that’s not the most important part of this. The important part is the hints about how much of the industry is based on this concept.

Patenting genes. I mean, I can see how it’s big business. Myriad Genetics patents two breast cancer genes so that they are the only ones who can research it. Brilliant business move, but doesn’t it miss the point? Shouldn’t everyone capable of finding a cure for cancer be working on that holy grail of the medical community? But no, at least as it related to these two potential genes, only one company could work on it.

I can’t wait for the day they move from patents to copyrights. You’ll have to pay the company a dollar every time you exhibit a trait owned by whomever. Really, I should get in on this. I need to find the genes relating to sarcasm, patent them, copyright them, and charge everyone in the world a dollar any time sarcasm is used. I’d be rich.

I’ll preface this by saying that for the first many years of my life to date, I paid no attention to politics whatsoever. I didn’t try to follow one party or the other, or the attempted progress of any of the flailing third-man-in parties that have tried to drum up support over the years. I never really cared to watch the subtle shifts in power, the changes in the climate of control that operates the vital functions of our country. I didn’t care for the split in the people, or in the houses of congress, or the issues driving these two entities further from one another than where they began; this kind of thing simply wasn’t interesting to my youthful mind. I kind of regret it, now, but that’s not something worth stewing on for the time being. The point is, when I was younger, the political situation, the “who”, “what”, and “how” of our system was explained in simple terms at school, and there was little need to be more involved than being able to regurgitate facts for quizzes during class and the like — and although I say I regret not having been more involved, more informed, there’s an even more terrifying change that I think has been taking place recently: these issues are no longer avoidable by the youth of today.

Now, there are two sides to this, of course — such is the way of things. On the one hand, this increased media blast (both from liberal and conservative leaning news organizations), the indulgence of political proselytism by musicians and actors, the heavy-handed nature of the firm beliefs of our forebears that shoves this down the kids’ throats these days leaves us with a generation that, most probably, will be better “informed” than the previous batch of glassy-eyed youngsters looking in on the process from the safety of their school desks; the other end of the spectrum, though, is that since the issues themselves have been marginalized, with partisanship standing in lieu of debate and toeing the party line overshadowing the premise of thinking things out for oneself, we also get a generation with a strong inborn hatred for the “other guys” who are, of course, vile, despicable creatures constantly grabbing at power in the upper echelons of our society.

Even recently hot issues — gay marriage rights, legalization of medical (or even recreational) marijuana, health care — have become backdrops to the ongoing war between Republican steadfastness and Democratic pseudo-socialism. The meat of the debates is cast aside, and we bear down on the most trivial of details: Which side of the fence does any particular issue fall on? Since I’ve started paying attention to politics, I’ve never seen a debate. I’ve seen on-screen blathering by opposing parties, bandying about whatever hotbutton bullsh*t is the topic du jour, but it’s always been a plaster-scene panorama masking the fact that neither individual is willing to stand up and say, in clear terms, what they believe or why they believe it. “It’s the way that God would want it to be” is just as much an argument as “I foresaw this in my tea leaves” or “An expert panel shows…” — meaningless fluff that seeks to puff up the claims of any given person, party, or other entity, constantly refutable by other interpretations of religious text, studies performed by different panels, or the use of a different type of tea that morning. There’s no substance — only a pandering to the sensibilities of right- or left-leaning Americans who rally behind someone who represents whatever cause they’ve elected to wave their banner for.

National tragedies become political platforms, forestalling public sympathy for those who have lost in favor of shuffling funding to and from the military. The wellbeing of the average American citizen becomes a statistic, broken into categories by degree-holding nitwits at the top of so-called ‘research panel’ firms, who can manipulate everything from statistics to targeted demographics to produce a poll that proves any point they want. The jobless rate is just a number, published to keep half-attentive office pundits employed in the business of reporting just how many are knocking at their doors asking for the cast-offs of monolithic corporations. We compartmentalize, drill down into segments of society so that we can alleviate the pain that comes with facing realistically the dilemmas striking the heart of our country.

For once, I’ll say this: I hope we hurt. I wish that every American, every single one, would feel the pain of what’s going on, and take that chance to actually think about things. Use the clarity that only an acute injury can bring to see past the smoke and mirrors act, and really consider the issues that are plaguing this nation. To not gloss things over, to not pretty them up with shiny news-agency animations or statistically-”relevant” graphs and charts — to approach the future with honesty about our weaknesses, pride in our strengths, and the famous ingenuity and endurance of the blue-collar American working man. To share the agony of our countrymen, and give of our own sweet success to ease their burden. To live and breathe; to succeed and fail; to rise and fall, as one nation (whether under God or not), indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I was doing some research yesterday on the recent health care vote, landmark and monumental as it is, so as to add another long overdue post to our fabulous little site. I read many articles on the new bill, what it is, and came to the conclusion that it’s all a bunch of nonsense and nobody has any idea what the outcome of it will actually be. I fought long and hard to come up with something to write about it, and I found nothing.

No great insights into the situation, no prediction of what will happen to the economy following the implementation, no comparison to draw about how similar programs have worked in other countries. I found absolutely nothing I could really use because the situation has been so convoluted by aggrandized rhetoric on both sides that there seems to be none on this earth who can truly say what the fallout of all of this will be.

So I’m afraid I have once again failed to come up with something to write about. Instead, I’m going to try and get a lyric from this song out of my head: “If this is the end, would you die not dancing?”

A while back I brought up the case of Citizen’s United v. Federal Elections Commission. Well, the case has been decided in favor of Citizen’s United. It was decided that since corporations are people, they are entitled to the same rights as people under the constitution. Further, political campaign contributions are considered political speech. Therefore, any law limiting corporate political campaign contributions is unconstitutional.

The Obama administration has called on congress to pass some sort of law fixing this, but I don’t know that it will work. The law may well be considered just as unconstitutional. That remains to be seen. If it isn’t corrected, however, this next presidential election should be absolutely wonderful. Instead of just worrying about commercials during candidate debates, we’ll get them using corporate slogans in exchange for their contributions.

“I’m one with the people, just like you. I’m the every-man candidate. And just like the people, I enjoy the refreshing taste of Coca-Cola on a hot summer day. Always Coca-Cola. Just as refreshing as that wonderful taste will be my approach to politics. Too long Washington has be let loose, has spent with reckless abandon. We need to let them know that we will not stand for this, that government should be fiscally sound, and should deposit all of its reserves in Bank of America investment accounts. So remember, when it comes to election day, vote for me. Just do it.”

Even as a staunch libertarian, I smell the death of democracy.

Just like that, in what was told to be an upset victory, the Massachusetts special election went to a Republican, cutting the Democrats down to 59 seats in the Senate, removing the filibusterer proof majority. The rest of us are set to step back, to watch and wait, to see what this means for the future of the nation.

Certainly, it means partisan politics will come out in more force. The ruling party is no longer able to force what they will upon the minority party. Or is that the minority party is now able to interfere with the will of the majority? I suppose that depends on which side of the isle you sit on but in either case there’s now a stronger requirement for negotiation.

Most likely, this will cause the health care bill as it stands to fail. The democrats couldn’t get all of their own party on board with the program, so it will be even more difficult to convince the republicans to fall in line. Something will have to change, and my money’s on the public option. Could be some other points in there that they focus on instead, though. I can’t say I’ve read the bill in its entirety.

Whatever the case, it’s politics as usual now. My question to you, is that good or bad?