Another Saturday on hospital duty. This time I’m writing from a room where certain materials and equipment are stored. Nearby, I see a couple of lead aprons used for radiation protection from imaging devices, which are employed during surgeries that require them.
It’s been a while since I last wore one of those aprons. Now that I see them, I can’t help but remember the Chernobyl series. And just as I couldn’t get my country out of my mind while watching that series, I feel the same now. Much of the technology shown there is still present in Cuba today.
All that relational work is the fault of mirror neurons. They are responsible for us putting ourselves in the shoes of someone suffering misfortune, as in movies. I suppose they are also responsible for our ability to develop empathy.
It is hard to be empathetic these days. Every day I encounter people with more or fewer problems who ask me for alms. Sometimes I can give, sometimes I can’t. Sometimes I try to avoid being seen by those who always ask. I have problems too, even though I’m a doctor. I wish I could give more, but it’s impossible.
I understand that so much decay requires empathy among ourselves to endure the situation, but that’s a lie—or at least very hard to believe. We human beings will always play the card of the law of the strongest. Those who call themselves socialists will tell you otherwise. Powerful capitalists will play by that same Darwinian law.
No path is the right one. All politicians, regardless of their class, will want to take advantage of the faith and desperation of their voters. Ultimately, being a politician is an ideal career for living a wealthy life, or at least one above the average citizen.
It doesn’t matter if it’s Chernobyl, Cuba, China, or the USA. Being a politician guarantees you status. If you know how to play your cards, that status will be even higher. Who knows—one day you might be among those who decide everything for the rest of the world. Just make sure you’re always on the winning side. Don’t make a mistake, or you’ll lose your head. And if that happens, no one’s mirror neurons will sympathize with your situation.
English isn my native language. Text translated with DeepL.com
