Stories below the fold

Harpers has a story of mental health treatment/hospitals in west Africa.
Headsup GetReligion.

I should note that faith healing is not a western imposition, but "baptizing" a local custom, since Bantu culture traditionally would use a ceremony to heal those with mental illnesses or shave spirits.

but you have to put this into context where basic medical care in rural areas is minimal.

Been there, done that.

longer discussion on my Makaipa blog.


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related rant:
Americans have no idea of poverty. My husband used to remind me that one was not poor as long as we had enough rice to eat.

And the only way you survive is via the family (i.e. extended family). Which explains all those "oppressive" laws for women: because the alternative was starvation. Remember Fiddler on the Roof, where Tevye engaged his daughter to an old butcher, knowing he was kind, and knowing she would always have food to eat?

and when Confucius was confronted with the chaos of the warring states period, he started with reform of the family; strict rules on family role models and on filian piety.

without the help of family, pregnant women, children, the sick and the elderly are abandoned: And in the good old days, that mean they died of starvation.

nor have things changed: 30 million Americans are caregivers for their sick/handicapped/elderly relatives.

True, religious organizations often tried to step into the gap, but nowadays, the alternative to family support is big government.

A real bummer for women:
One of my Korean friends noted her mom suffered a lot in their extended family: Not from her husband but from the mother in law.

So when you read or watch "The Handmaid's Tale", it is nonsense: poverty? Nah, just evil christians behind the society.

Ah but religion alone won't keep people in line, and governments that oppress their people will eventually be overthrown by the people, as history shows.

But then Atwood, although she lived in Africa, admitted she based her "poisonwood bible" on the antit colonial/ leftist literature she read, not on her own personal observations. I stopped reading it in disgust at her portrayal of local Africans was so cliche ridden (dare I say racist?). So no, I didn't finish that book, nor have I read the Handmaid's tale.

I am retired, and a speed reader, but don't read a lot of best sellers: I am not too fond of fiction for rich yuppies, and not just political stuff by PC authors but also a lot of romance stuff.

What am I reading? well I just finished the latest Rick Riordan book (Apollo is the hero, so lots of gay subthemes) and am watching the Durrells, a miniseries based on the Corfu Trilogy.

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Remembering the victims of communism.

what's 100 million deaths, when Trumpie boy is the real menace because he talks mean? (/sarcasm)

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Trump fires FBI director.

I'm awaiting the real reason, but he lost credibility when he revealed reopening Hillary's email mess right before the election.

But I suspect the left will demonize Trump.

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It's not just 13 reasons why: Ruby reports that there are sucide game apps for teenagers.

If you lose the game, you are "forced" to kill yourself.

Sick.