Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Inside meth

The widespread use of meth, goes a long way toward making our countryside a unified whole, with our hollowed out suburbs, and half-abandoned urban cores.  Think of it as a successful sort of multiculturalism - granted of a hellish sort.
 
A professor, foolish or brave, embedded himself into the modern meth culture of Jefferson County, Missouri.
 
He had many interesting items to note, but I thought one unusual, but on target comment was:

I Embedded with a Community of Meth Users
Alice Robb, New Republic, 6 January 2014 (hat tip: MR)
It’s like you or me taking ADHD meds—a sort of legitimated form of speed. Adderall is middle-class meth. It motivates people to produce themselves as the kinds of avid, goal-pursuing, risk-taking and at-the-ready subjects of late capitalism. The stressed, anxious and overworked individuals that animate many segments of the US ‘mainstream’ economy are perhaps the more presentable kin of the emaciated, toothless, pockmarked, wide-eyed and busy meth users I encountered.
It's interesting to see that the original headline appears to have been something like "Meth: Adderall for Construction Workers".  We are indeed a self-medicating society.

4 comments:

PioneerPreppy said...

They are Tweaking. I will say this since I know I have to deal with Meth users fairly regularly, they are easier to deal with than any other users. The alcoholics can go from happy to fist fighting in a minute flat. The pot smokers are just plain lazy and the rich bitch wannabe prescription junkies are just argumentative period and will run your ass over as they text and drive.

The author made one point that I believe is very accurate and does not get brought up usually. The low wage repetitive jobs available to these people almost assures meth use. I saw it all the time when I had my boring warehouse job.

James M Dakin said...

My low wage ( can't get any lower ) repetitive job allows me to free up my mind for more important uses. I like that I'm not selling my mind/soul to the company store for very little more than what I make now. Somehow, I don't feel sorry for these losers. Friggin pussies, too scared to really commit suicide so they go the long slow route. Do us a favor and go commit Suicide By FedGov Official, make your oxygen wasting body contribute to society.

James M Dakin said...

Russell-Sorry for the multiple postings. The computer is really acting up-freezing and then gremlin infected.

russell1200 said...

Pioneer: In the book Methland, the author notes that meth was known as the working mans drug. If it didn't rot your teeth, a lot more people would be doing it.

James: It's easy enough to deal with the multi-posts: no sweat.

Not everyone is as intellectually detached as you are. I could do the same as you, but for some folks, where they are is where they are. I recently ran into issues with a more aggressive member of this group (the aggressively stupid sub-grouping in this case); they are easily dealt with, but sap energy out of the system.