Seat of Power

A little while, not too long ago, I embarked on a journey to the seat of power of the US government.

Considering the state of the US politics, I would like to take a look where it all happens, and particularly I had on purpose on my mind, in journeying to Washington D.C. and that was to show the US government the finger.

You see, the problem I have with the US government is that they've effectively stalled any chances I have of staying in the country, plus a very convoluted xenophonic system is in place to ensure that I stay out. I have not been able to get a job, particularly because of my visa issue, and I am extremely annoyed by that. I have every reason to be. I don't think I am incapable of doing work, and I am a quick learner. So to be denied every job that I've applied to must be some sort of doing of some extra-dimensional power. Or Capitol Hill.

So I headed out from NYC to Washington D.C. with a bunch of friends in a rented SUV. Now, this is kinda like a roadtrip, except that it didn't contain a single zany scene like in Eurotrip or Roadtrip, typical American movies. But my only advice is that there are two things that are crucial for a roadtrip; 1. a credit card and 2. your own mixed CD.

There are a couple of rules of mixed CDs for roadtrips:

1. No soothing music. This will cause the driver to fall asleep.
2. Must be loud and able to sing along to.
3. Only at most one song from one artist at a time.
4. You will be judged by the content of your CD and everyone else can vote your CD out the car window literally.

So yeah, I guess I failed to bring along my own CD, which would have made the trip better. However, I was forced to listen to an emasculating and castrating mix of Hansons and Brian Adams.

But the trip was short, it involved mostly visiting the musuems around the Mall and looking at the monuments. Obviously the first museum we headed to was the Museum of Natural History. I was fascinated by the exhibitions of the crystals, but I felt really rushed and unable to really appreciate the exhibits. Though I did get a chance to see a 200-carat emerald and the Hope Diamond. Okay, I must admit though, I'm not sure whether I can tell the difference between a real and a fake diamond, and the Hope Diamond did somehow lack some lustre in my eyes, but I could really appreciate this 13-carat diamond, I think it's color was D or C. Which makes it worth a couple of million at least. And when juxtaposed next to other diamonds, it was really clear.

Anyway, that aside, we spent the rest of the time looking around the Mall, and I had the chance to take this photo. I guess it reflects how I feel at this moment. You try being qualified, but unemployed. Just try it. I really don't know why and I'm done blaming myself and now instead I'm blaming Congress.

I think, somehow, this is perhaps a better view. Congress wants to build a fence south of the border, and I think this picture sums it all up. The proverbial fence that keeps immigrants out of America to preserve American jobs. Heh, that's the sort of audacity I can expect. I wonder whether there is such a thing as an American job. Is it such a guarantee that if you're born in America, there is an American job created for you? What the hell is an American job? Is it a job that can be filled by an American only? Or is it the sort of job that America is obliged to give an American?

Somehow, I think that Americans forget that they were all immigrants once, and I guess even that is something easily forgotten.

So is there such a thing as justice for me? I don't think so. Here's a picture of me sitting on the steps of the Supreme Court. At this moment, when this photo was taken, there's a court case in D.C. where a lawyer is suing a laundromat for a sum of $54 million for losing his pants. Now, granted that this case even made it to court is reason to suspect that justice only comes to those who can afford it. This is the illogical sense of 'fairness' that is sweeping the country. Just like the guy who sued the yatch club for $1 million after he slipped and fell onstage and got up again. So wait a minute, I'm pretty sure that discriminating me on the basis of my student visa is in fact illegal as stated clearly in the laws, but somehow I feel that that's a case that will never even make it into court. So where's the justice? It's not to be found on the steps of the Supreme Court, that's for sure.

I spent the next day in the Holocaust Museum, and it's sort of another chilling reminder of what happens when people start getting the idea that there are distinctions between 'us' and 'them'. There's a sort of irony that above those prison camps, they have the phrase, "Work shall set you free" in German. Sometime last week, after returning from D.C. I had a conversation with a friend who wished he could laze around like me, and I said I wish I could work. That's ironic considering he's earning way too much for an internship and I think somehow, being able to work, would make me free, because I wouldn't have so much anxiety.

Somehow, it was a brief trip that involved monuments and museums. Washington D.C. was one of those places that was planned out immaculately. This trip was severely lacking, in time and sights, but I guess it sort of reflects my time here in US; a lot of things to do, but never enough time. I've been tossed out of the country.

What if...

What if we had a registry or a organ donor system where we give priority to a person who is a registered organ donor, over someone who isn't a registered organ donor? This sounds retarded, but wouldn't this somehow be an effective arrangement to encourage more volunteers for organ donation?

Forget fairness or ideas of need, technically it doesn't matter if everyone is a pledged organ donor. It's a question of selfishness. If we were to enact this policy, wouldn't this place a part of the benefits of organ donation from the recipient to the donor?

Think about it, no one wants to be an organ donor because there is no discernible benefit. But by giving this benefit to the donor, as some sort of insurance policy, we'll increase the number of organ donors way more than the needed amount of organs. It's like if everyone contributes 50 cents to a pot, with a promised payout IF something happens, then people would see that they are receiving some benefit. This doesn't change the number of organs needed, but rather, just increases the number of willing donors. It's less altruistic, but perhaps, saving lives is the goal of this policy.

Here's a thought I had a long time ago. I believe governments should nationalise people's kidneys. A person only owns one kidney, the other kidney belongs to the government. It is up to the government to recall this kidney at any time, in the case where someone else needs a transplant. Think about it, right now, in America, there are 300 million fresh kidneys wandering around.

I looked at United Network for Organ Sharing and there are currently 96,874 people waiting for a kidney transplant. With 300 million fresh kidneys lying around, and even worse, going to waste, I think perhaps the benefits from this would be immense. Almost no one would require a dialysis machine anymore because there would be a surplus of kidneys, and there is a guarantee if the kidney which belongs to you fails, the government is obliged to find you a suitable donor immediately. And given the number of people, that is as good as a guarantee will ever be.

So with these two propositions, wouldn't we have more willing donors? Wouldn't we eliminate a lot of stress and strife resulting from dying because of waiting for a suitable donor? It's a radical idea, particularly on the nationalisation of kidneys. Call me an organ communist, but don't get me wrong. If the government taxes your dollars, why can't a government tax your organs? Governments occasionally call on people to do their patriotic duty to give their lives for governments, why not something less like a kidney? Remember, the benefits are immense for the small price of pledging a kidney. With 300 million and only 96,874 kidneys needed, the odds of you being required to donate is one in 3000. Would you bet on those kind of odds? And in return, you'll have the guarantee, that you'll never need to die, while waiting for the kindness of someone else for a donation.