२४ ऑक्टोबर, २०२३

"Killers of the Flower Moon" provides an occasion for a Slate writer named Rebecca Onion to decry "the white man’s food."

If the idea is to stir up interest in a big new movie when a strike is depriving the press of access to actors, this is not the way to do it. I'd consider going out to see "Killers of the Flower Moon" just because it's a Martin Scorsese movie that reviewers have praised. I'm hesitant though, because I know the thing is 3 hours and 26 minutes long, so I need to believe it's not boring. And then I see this:

 

First, it's "Killers of the Flower Moon" not "Killers of the Flowers Moon."

But is this a movie about diabetes? Diabetes is a very important disease. I wish we'd heard a lot more about it during the pandemic, and I hope I'm not being disrespectful to the millions of people who suffer from diabetes, but I can't imagine going to go out to see a long drama about the problem of a lousy diet and the disease that ensues.

"The Real History Behind Diabetes’ Pivotal Role in Killers of the Flowers Moon What the disease has to do with colonialism, reservations, and 'the white man’s food'" — I already know what the pivotal role is. I have the book on Kindle and it's easy to search it for a distinctive word like "diabetes." Knowing that it's a murder mystery, you can probably easily guess.

But — as the botching of the movie's title suggests — this article is not an effort to convince us to go out and see the movie. In fact, the movie is only an occasion for discussing the problem of diabetes among Native Americans, a problem blamed on "the white man."

Onion interviews the anthropologist Margaret Pollak:

ONION: In the movie, there’s a throwaway line: Oh, a lot of Osage have it because of the “white man’s food.” What are the theories, and is any one of them provably true?

POLLAK: We don’t actually know precisely what causes diabetes.... But I think, looking at the research, you could very strongly argue that colonialism is to blame for the current diabetes epidemic faced by Indigenous Americans.... If you think of the Indigenous communities that were relocated through the reservation system, they oftentimes struggled in their new location. The environment that they moved to would not have been the same environment that their ancestors had traditionally worked in and lived in. We see, in the history of Indigenous communities who relocated to reservations, that there were struggles with securing adequate food. This led to the United States federal government opening a food rationing program at the turn of the 20th century, that later shifted to a commodity food program by the 1950s. The foods that came in through both the food rationing program and the commodity food programs included things that were high in refined carbohydrates—things like white sugar, white flour, fruits that were canned in syrup, foods that were also high in fat, lard, and shortening.... Certainly, I had a number of people in interviews say it was a white man’s disease. I had this really great statement from an Apache-Sioux woman who described diabetes as being caused by the white flour, the white sugar, and all of these white things that she then associated with white folks coming in...

४३ टिप्पण्या:

Rusty म्हणाले...

Aw, crap.

n.n म्हणाले...

A handmade tale of diverse carbohydrates consumed in liberal and progressive excess.

rehajm म्हणाले...

Confusing correlation with causation is quite trendy at the moment, particularly amongst the medical community.

gilbar म्हणाले...

Currently, the Biden government has at war against two of the largest oil producers on earth..
russia, and iran

Once you realize that their goal is to eliminate 'the white man's food' it ALL Makes Sense

gilbar म्हणाले...

the white mans food is OIL... It's ALL about oil

Lucien म्हणाले...

Sounds like a good topic to include in a “Whiteness Studies” class. If only there were a final solution to the Whiteness problem.

Howard म्हणाले...

It doesn't seem outside the realm of reasonable possibility that like the European diseases that were responsible for killing so many of the indigenous people of the new world that also their susceptibility to diabetes because they had not evolved to eat a European diet. Anyone who has had American Indian friends know that the stereotype of firewater is actually true. I have no doubt that it is directly related to their preferential susceptibility to diabetes from eating white bread style carbohydrates and sugar instead of wild game Jerusalem artichokes, tubers and wild honey.

The same thing can be said for the epidemic of diabetes in China right now as they have adopted a Western European diet. It's silly to assume that these are Grand conspiracies. It's just representative of how messy the universe operates.

People love to ascribe Free Will, intentional motivation and Grand conspiracies of Rube Goldberg complexity for all of the ills of the world when it is more accurately explained by a combination of randomness and determinism.

Neuroscience has concluded that people who believe other people lack free will have a lot of empathy. People who do not have empathy suffer more from their own internal sources of pain and stress which in turn drives them into the arms of grand conspiracy ideation.

This isn't a political issue it is a human condition that affects everybody.

Cappy म्हणाले...

Anyone up for pizza?

Quayle म्हणाले...

I once asked by very wise MD uncle if we were poising ourselves with all these chemicals in our food and drinks. He said, "Our life expectancy is longer than it has ever been. How much longer do you want to live?" I said, "yeah, but what about all the cancer we see around." He answered, "You now have the luxury of dying of cancer. Used to be you would die of a lung infection caused by a cold or flu, or of an infection caused by getting cut."

I think it highly possible that some of the foods introduced by external parties to the indigenous peoples have caused issues. But the drugs introduced have also brought great benefits. Or put differently, when we engage in prideful ordering of people in a good/bad hierarchy, and because we want to maintain and justify our elected ordering of that hierarchy, we diminish the positive and helpful things that the "bad" people did (bad, meaning the people we have elected to place below others in the hierarchy), and we overlook the destructive or not helpful things the "good" people do.

Our social binary thinking is failing us. If we're going to decry the bad that a group brought, let's also look for and acknowledge the good they brought.

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

Ann:

I saw it on Friday night. I gave it 4 stars. And, of course, it is not anywhere near as good as my "Frankenstein, Part II."

Long and boring. The real problem is that there is no tension in any scene.

I think Marty, Leo and Bob are all getting a pass based upon past works and the woke aspect of the movie. The woke part is, "Evil White Devils Kill and Steal from Natives."

It could have been much, much better.

And there are two glaring legal mistakes that really wrecked the movie. One was completely unbelievable and it involved a federal judge.

West TX Intermediate Crude म्हणाले...

No matter how bad life is on the rez, what with Food Stamps, Indian Health Service, Social Security Payments, Disability payments, AFDC/TANF, scholarships, and Affirmative Action, I suspect very few Amerindians would trade today's lifestyle for the much beloved but harsh life on the prairie of the 19th century.
The typical Amerindian is a third world person with first world problems.

robother म्हणाले...

Nary a word about white man's fire water? I grew up around two reservations, Crow and Northern Cheyenne, and from what I could tell in the 50s and 60s that was far more devastating to Indian health. But I guess there are prohibitions from talking about it in woke/anthropological circles.

Ignorance is Bliss म्हणाले...

First, it's "Killers of the Flower Moon" not "Killers of the Flowers Moon."

Maybe it's "Killers of the Flour Moon."

Joe Bar म्हणाले...

White man's food. White man's fire water. White man's burden. It's all the same. Blame Whitey.
https://youtu.be/3nzoPopQ7V0?si=AxKgDcT0LpL6bvQ0

Iowan2 म्हणाले...

Wow.

Conflating correlation with causation is a leap. But claiming a correlation the does not exist, is plowing new ground.

Ice Nine म्हणाले...

So the evil White men wouldn't take the time to make buffalo meat strips, hang them up in the sun, then take that fly bait and mix it up with fat to make high cholesterol pemican for them to eat rather than flour, etc? The damn brutes! -- they couldn't be bothered to even look at the medical research!

The Crack Emcee म्हणाले...

This is like what I was telling you about how the world sees America. White people went for centuries, pumping themselves up in front of everybody. And now, they'll probably have to go for centuries, listening to everybody tear the color "white" down to size (White walls - they're EVERYWHERE!) The human condition sucks, Man. Whites can say they wanna move on, but, honestly - in practice - the damage is done. That's reality. But, rather than get pissed about it - and if you're sure you're not the bad guy - better to be like Bill Burr, Louis CK, or Eminem, who accept it, so their displays of excellence are embraced by blacks with the same grace being extended. That's being a peace with everybody. God damn:

I'm fuckin' Nelson Crackdela for that one.

Roger Sweeny म्हणाले...

Corn isn't full of simple carbohydrates?

David53 म्हणाले...

Howard said,

“Neuroscience has concluded that people who believe other people lack free will have a lot of empathy. People who do not have empathy suffer more from their own internal sources of pain and stress which in turn drives them into the arms of grand conspiracy ideation.”

I’d like to see that study, would you drop a link please? Or is it settled science?

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

I should clarify. Four out of ten stars. Terrible movie.

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

robother:

Whisky plays a minor role in the movie.

It was all so predictable.

Anthony म्हणाले...

That's been kicking around for a while. Couple of decades at least. Someone mentioned China/Asia in general adopting more Western diets -- and also recent immigrants who adopt the more native diet -- who develop diabetes at rates far higher than their origin country.

I was somewhat surprised a few years ago when I did some minor research on alcohol in pre-contact N and S America: couldn't find very many references to it at all. There were some mentions of chicha in S America and various references to fermented (but not alcoholic) foods in both N and S, but very little overall. It does seem to have been largely absent from the entire New World.

My impression was that the Amerindians weren't all that 'susceptible' to alcoholism, at least not more so than any lower socioeconomic group (see the gin craze in 18th century London for example) but it the idea of Amerindians <==> alcohol was something of an idea that got fixed out in the world of What People Know.

B. म्हणाले...

Commodities? Don’t like the stuff, don’t take the stuff. But then what would happen to fry bread?

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

Are onions white man's food?

They may have diabetes, but they also have highways, internet, surgery, airplanes, and casinos.

What have the Romans ever done for us?

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

The Israelis are all over this. They've been looking for an alternative to bombing the Palestinians because it looks bad.

Phase 1, according to my sources, is Biden's 100 million dollar aid package which will consist of airdropping Twinkies, Snickers, Cap'n Crunch and Mountain Dew into Gaza. It's called Operation Trick or Treat. It's designed to make the Palestinians too fat and logy for terroristing. The hope is they'll put their feet up and enjoy content on their phones like good people should. And if they get diabetes, that's just icing on the cake, so to speak.

Biden himself will keep 10%, natch.

Yancey Ward म्हणाले...

Black pancreas' matter.

Yancey Ward म्हणाले...

"I’d like to see that study, would you drop a link please? Or is it settled science?"

From the University of Howard's Anus.

gilbar म्हणाले...

speaking as a (white) person With diabetes; i DIDN'T get (type 2) diabetes because of food..
i got it through sitting on my ass, and not exercising.

type 1 diabetes is genetic; type 2 diabetes is OVER eating (also, is living long enough to get it)
How much activity do these diabetic 'indian' people get? Are they overweight? you KNOW they all.
You know who DOESN'T become type 2 diabetic? starving people
You know who also DOESN'T becomes type 2 diabetic? dead people
If you're living hand to mouth; on a barely subsistence level.. You're NOT going to become diabetic
You will be dead at age 35 of malnutrition (or by being shot by Crows (or Comanches))

White man's food gets handed out at the agency.. Get it, and go home.. And get diabetes
Actually, Get it, and go to the border town, and buy some whiskey.. And die on the way home.

Want to talk about "white man's food"? Talk about "white man's drinks"
Don't get me started on milk!

Two-eyed Jack म्हणाले...

Gary Taubes covered this in his book "Why We Get Fat." Too bad Scorsese never made that movie.

Oligonicella म्हणाले...

Joe Smith:
What have the Romans ever done for us?

Highways, aquaducts, surgery.

Howard म्हणाले...

David: The Shocking New Science Of How To Manage Your Stress - Dr Robert Sapolsky on Chris Williamson's podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrEP6_l8DpY&pp=ygUPc2Fwb2xza3kgc3RyZXNz

Also check out former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss' YouTube channel for "tactical empathy" to win friends and influence people.

Jim म्हणाले...

Just watch the Jimmy Stewart FBI movie. It covers this story in about 5 minutes.

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

'Highways, aquaducts, surgery.'

Exactly...ancient white people...

The Crack Emcee म्हणाले...

I think anyone who's defending the Zionists should probably skip this movie, because you're just gonna end-up hating the Osage woman when she "unfairly" leaves Leonardo DiCaprio for "no reason".

The Crack Emcee म्हणाले...

Really: if - after 75 years of Zionist murders and theft - you think Hamas launched an "unprovoked attack," this is probably not the movie for you.

It's not even told from the perspective of it's two white stars, but by that of their "victim". When we know THERE ARE NO VICTIMS.

You'll HATE it.

Rusty म्हणाले...

The Amerind was, before we got here, an upper paleolithic hunter gatherer. With the added benefit of having nearly all the tribes believing in warfare as a way of life. The land never really belonged to one tribe or another for very long because as tribes gained strength they dominated favored hunting, fishing and gathering areas. They travelled over great distances to get good hunting or gathering areas. Once we Europeans got here and eventually conquered all the tribes. Warefare as a reason for existing ceased. Migrating to hunt or gather or fish ceased. The men whos job it was to war and hunt and fish were out of a job. It was just easier to accept the dole and get fat.

Louise B म्हणाले...

As a person with Type 1 diabetes, it drives me nuts when supposed journalists can't distinguish between Types 1 and 2. I read that headline as Type 1 is increasing in among the tribes, which would be an interesting science study. How does being near white people increase Type 1 diabetes? But the journalist couldn't put in that she meant Type 2 because that would be accuracy -- she can't have that in her article.

wildswan म्हणाले...

Hispanics in the US are also getting diabetes at higher rates and so are tribal people
outside of reservations so I don't think the problem is "caused" by the reservation system. Moreover, as the number of overweight people is increasing among the whites in step with an increase in diabetes. I think they all come from the tribe of the overweight and the question is why, in this era, are so many of all groups eating fast food and not exercising. It should be related to the number devouring cheap theories and refusing to use their minds, yet that group, the antisemites in academia and the media and Hollywood, is thin and exercises.

Scott Patton म्हणाले...

"Louise B said...
As a person with Type 1 diabetes, it drives me nuts when supposed journalists can't distinguish between Types 1 and 2."
Damn straight.
It's like calling a stubbed toe a "Type 2 broken femur".
I'm type 2 and my dentist always talks to me... "As a diabetic, you have to...". I always interrupt him to explain that by refraining from eating like pig, my blood sugar not an issue. I'm not really "a diabetic".

Scott Patton म्हणाले...
ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.
Stick म्हणाले...

Taylor Swift's Eras concert movie is kicking Martin's ass with absolutely no Hollywood involvement. I don't like that she let to left force her to take a stand, but what she's doing to hollyweird is great.

Harun म्हणाले...

My wife's father just got diabetes.

He's Taiwanese and eats Chinese food.

Guess what?

Chinese food is tons of carbs.

As societies get richer and eat more this disease appears.

rcocean म्हणाले...

Everyone I talked to said the movie was well acted and well photographed by Boring and should have been 2 hours. Personlly, I have no desire to see it. The story sounds boring, its absurd that DeNiro is still acting, and no movie should be more than 3 hours.

As for Roberta onion (is her middle name "fried"?) the anti-white hatred is strong in her. Sugar is not "White man's food" its from the East Indies and is liked by men of all colors. Potatoes, Beans and Corn are "Brown man's Food" and Rice is "Yellow man's Food".

So when did Carbs become "White man's food"? Does Ms. Onion think Indians in old west ate nothng but meat? If Native Americans suffer from diabetes it has less to do with "White mans' Food" and more to do with over-eating and lack of exercise. Things that cause diabetes in white men, yellow men, and black men.