The great revolutionary thinker, Karl Marx called religion, the opium of the people. He may have been right back in 1848, but not today. Today, opioids are definitely the opiate of the people.
Overdose Mortality Reached Record Levels in First Half of 2021
Overdose deaths spiked immediately after the emergence of COVID-19 in 2020 before tapering later in the year. Researchers pointed to increased drug use, riskier use conditions such as isolation amid social distancing restrictions, and a drug supply that has become far more lethal because of synthetic opioids. Data from 2020 showed the highest overdose death rates were among people ages 25 to 54, Black people, and American Indian/Alaska Native people. — Commonwealth Fund
WEEKEND QUOTABLES
Ukraine’s president said in a video address to the Ukrainian people late on Sunday that in talks due to take place in Istanbul his government would prioritize the "territorial integrity" of Ukraine. But in comments made to Russian journalists earlier in the day, Zelenskiy adopted a different tone, saying Ukraine was willing to assume neutral status and compromise over the status of the eastern Donbas region as part of a peace deal.
President Zelenskiy
"Security guarantees and neutrality, non-nuclear status of our state. We are ready to go for it," he added, speaking in Russian. — Reuters
President Biden gives it away
Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power”
The president’s remark seemed to suggest support for regime change — something the Biden administration has taken pains to avoid. The White House quickly walked it back. — Speech in Warsaw
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
“And you know what? Pete Buttigieg can take his electric vehicles and his bicycles and he and his husband can stay out of our girls’ bathrooms.” — at Trump’s Save America Rally in Commerce, Georgia
Noam Chomsky
It is not encouraging that over a third of Americans favor “taking military action [in Ukraine] even if it risks a nuclear conflict with Russia,” perhaps inspired by commentators and political leaders who should think twice before doing their Winston Churchill impersonations. — Truthout