In Israel, the Health Minister somehow is all upset at the name ‘Swine Flu’, so he renamed it the ‘Mexican flu’. See Making swine flu kosher: A symptom of the disease of Israeli politics by Benjamin L. Hartman/ Haaretz.
I found this portion of the article to be most of interest…
‘Such is the system that produces a government where a party representing a community whose media cannot print the word sex, airbrushes women out of photos, and binds them into a strict second-class status, can be put in charge of the Health Ministry, a ministry legally bound to protect the well-being of all Israelis, regardless of gender, race or religion. It also brings up the issue putting a man who can?t say the word “vagina” in charge of a ministry that supervises gynecological issues. How can a man whose usage of the Hebrew language is governed by his own interpretation of Jewish law deal with issues like teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, or post-natal care for women?’
Don’t you just love it when any of these religious fellows takes charge anywhere, whether he be Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu? They all have such a great sense of humor, too!
“Such is the system that produces a government where a party representing a community whose media cannot print the word sex, airbrushes women out of photos, and binds them into a strict second-class status, can be put in charge of the Health Ministry, a ministry legally bound to protect the well-being of all Israelis, regardless of gender, race or religion. It also brings up the issue putting a man who can?t say the word “vagina” in charge of a ministry that supervises gynecological issues. How can a man whose usage of the Hebrew language is governed by his own interpretation of Jewish law deal with issues like teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, or post-natal care for women?”
I’m sure Israelis are touched by your concern for them. Yet, Israeli society is functionally light years ahead of many other countries, especially those in the Middle East, where women are forbidden to drive cars and must sit in the back seat when driven by someone else, where women can be summarily murdered in honor killings and men can divorce their wives merely by telling them or even texting them if speaking to them is beneath them. Israel is a secular country, Orthodox Jews represent a small segment, but, more to the point, if Israelis are content with their system and no laws are broken, who are you to pass judgment? Worry about your own life.
I may never eat pork again after reading the Rolling Stone article. I guess some humans (and their companies) will never rise above common decency. These pig factories have been polluting for years but as long as they line the politicians pockets they can do as they please. Now we have exported their stupidity.
Visit a slaughterhouse, or try to see a video of what happens inside one (I think there’s one on youtube) and you’ll go vegetarian, as I have.