Trust No One (Else)

Capitalism is not evil.

It is not uncommon for the unabashed capitalist to be accused of cold-heartedness, selfishness, or ignorance. Or worse. We are lectured, even in otherwise polite company, and told to spend a minute in someone else’s shoes, try to understand where they are coming from. After some dining companions’ latest clumsy rendition of this belaboured theme, I realised it had been a long time since I dived into progressive ideology. So, I embarked that following morning on an adventure to try to better understand the heart and mind of the obliviously gormless liberal. (Just to be safe, I did this on an empty stomach.) At first, I was a little afraid to read their manifestos and their magazines. Afraid that my cherished values would be rendered illogical or tarnished. What if I stared into the abyss, and the abyss turned me into a social justice warrior or worse - an environmental activist?

“The only way to achieve these ends is government,” Schumer said. “The private sector left on its own cannot.”

Sigh.

In 1976, Milton Friedman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Science. In 2008, the prize was given to Paul Krugman. These are two men so ideologically different each would be listed as the other's antonym in a thesaurus.

The relatives of Thomas Duncan, Ebola vector, have quickly made the most of their “loss”. http://tinyurl.com/prqdqne

I have questions.

To the Duncan Relatives,

Did Thomas Duncan lie to you as well as U.S. immigration authorities about his exposure to Ebola?

To the relatives who were in direct contact: when it was officially determined Duncan did have Ebola, were you afraid for your own life?

Do you truly believe Duncan received inferior treatment because of racism, as some of you have publicly stated?

Do you think some of the proceeds of your settlement should go toward the costs incurred during treatment of the two people infected by Duncan?

It has been mentioned that you would like a book or movie made based on Duncan's life and death. How would you write the part where he committed immigration fraud and knowingly risked the lives of many other people in order to access the U.S. healthcare system?

If you had contracted Ebola from Duncan and survived, would you currently be in discussions with attorneys to sue the beneficiaries of Duncan for your pain, suffering, and medical costs?

Just wondering.

The relatives of Thomas Duncan, Ebola vector, have quickly made the most of their "loss". http://tinyurl.com/prqdqne

I have questions.

To Les Weisbrod, Attorney,

The relatives of the deceased have expressed the hope that the story of Thomas Duncan may be made into a book or movie. As relatives and beneficiaries of the settlement, I imagine they would expect to also profit from any film, TV, or book projects based on the deceased's story.

Thomas Duncan lied about his exposure to Ebola when entering the United States, and therefore committed immigration fraud. Should Duncan's relatives benefit from his crime?

I would also love to know if the proceeds of the settlement will help cover the cost of care of the two nurses infected by Duncan.

If you didn't have a conflict of interest, would you be tempted to represent the nurses who may be eligible for damages from their pain and suffering?