Welcome to Musing Interruptus. Spoiler alert, I’m not in a good mood and I just read that Merriam-Webster’s word of the year is vaccine. If you aren’t in the best mood, join me. I dare you. The rest of you can enjoy your day, I’ll be here next week, maybe bubbly and enthusiastic, maybe pedantic and pontificating, maybe a little less miffed. Meanwhile, and I do say this candidly, if you like what you hear, please like, follow and share. I do appreciate it, almost as much as receiving your comments, answers and questions. I love that. Thank you so much to those listening in Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Turkey, Vietnam, the United States, and Canada. A friend told me this is one of her top four favorite podcasts. What a ray of sunshine. We here at Musing Interruptus are just over the moon about that. Thank you for listening. Well, on with it, before I get in a good mood again. An unimaginative word of the year...
Vaccine is the word of the year. Let me be very clear, all my appreciation to all the scientists and and all the healthcare workers who have made up the force, our front lines of the resistance against Covid-19. Our heroes, whom I suspect will never truly receive the level of recognition they deserve. Vaccine. We are part of the massive group who will go down in history as guinea pigs, scared shitless of getting sick and getting vaccinated, nonetheless capable of carrying out high risk activities, such as Covid parties under the slogan, we only live once. Which is true, it’s the duration of life which comes into question when we partake in risky business. In fact, this behavior is a de facto reduction of our appreciation of healthcare workers who tirelessly have put their lives on the line. Vaccine is the word of the year. Sure, many of us have been vaccinated. There are regions in the world where covid-19 vaccines are just not attractive enough. Some people can’t be bothered to get vaccinated. Which is an incredibly selfish act, as the virus has a greater chance of muting in the unvaccinated, putting us all at risk, but specially, those, would love to get a dose, but don’t have access to them. This is a global issue being tackled on a case by case basis. Sounds like a winning strategy. Of course, what can we expect when strategies to tackle international issues such as the pollution of our environment and organized crime take a back seat to economic and political interests. It’s the production system, you stupid hippie. Money makes the world go round, if you don’t got it, then you are stuck with second and third rate access (or no access at all) to vaccines.
Vaccine is the word of the year. Availability according to region and resources. The kicker, the ripple effects of not having access will continue to generate waves, straining healthcare systems, economies, and most importantly, quality of life and even life itself. 
Forgive me if I am not happy enough about vaccine being the word of the year… It represents hope for some, and for others, it is a reminder of the vast economic development gap, whose effects will ricochet over and over on the very regions that once had imperialistic aspirations, whose  past generations colonized, extracted and pillaged. They, who question and limit migration from the very countries they have benefitted from, those countries to the south. What’s behind the lag? How long before true cooperation will render the results we need for humanity, and not only a few nations?  I am reminded of John Donne’s poem: no man is an island. Pandemics tend to remind us of this. Continue reading: https://bit.ly/3dff74R 


---

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/musingsinterruptus/message