Blog #5 : My Mistress the Needle

In the YouTube Video "Truth About Steroids," Bryant Gumble makes a fascinating observation when he says "Americans, when drugs are concerned, rarely choose logic when they can opt for hysteria." That statement is more profound than the average person can appreciate.

In "Truth," researchers and bodybuilders proclaim that not only are there no long term studies into the side effects of steroid abuse, but that those who have been using them for decades have experienced no harm to themselves or the people around them. Unfortunately most people will ignore the strange absence of studies in lieu of believing the hype created around them by the media and Congress rather than absorbing the information and coming to their own conclusions. While it is probable that Gumble and his cronies believe they can capitalize on their pro steroid stance somehow with this report, a simple database search for steroid abuse long term effects turns up very little in the way of support for the anti-steroid position.

I happen to be a Libertarian, and as such I follow the tenets of old school Liberalism, which at its core believes that a person should have the choice to do as they wish to their body as long as those decisions do not directly negatively effect those around them through either physical or mental abuse. That means I support those who want to do steroids as long as they don't harm others. That also means that I support people who want to smoke marijuana, take ecstasy, use cocaine or any other thing so long as they don't steal from their parents to pay for their drug habit or beat their wives.

I support the stance that Gumble and company take in the video. However, the silence on some issues such as mood swings as a side effect, suicidal tendencies, sports injuries caused by overtraining, is disheartening. As someone from central Illinois, the steroid belt, who happens to know dozens of people who take steroids, the side effects can be much more negative than the video portrays. While the jury may be out on long term effects, short term effects should be addressed.

There are several major fallacies that the video uses to try to persuade its audience of the virtues of steroids. For one, their use of false expertise, their consistent interviews with body builders who are both biased and ignorant (as they like steroids cause bias, and their lack of medical degrees from accredited institutions as ignorance) to create false ethos may work on most audiences, but it does not stand up to scrutiny.

The video also noticeably doesn't feature any counterarguments. They have one argument, that steroids are not bad, and no dissenting opinions. That is the type of journalism that one would expect from first year journalism majors making YouTube videos, but not from NBC or Bryant Gumble. It borders on outright propaganda.

So TRUE: steroids are probably OK if you are a healthy adult male who did a little research into them before taking them. TRUE, most drugs or any lifestyle choice probably fit under the same principle. And it is TRUE that people would rather be "hysterical", give into their mania rather than make their own choices, but it is patently FALSE advertising for not being objective when reporting.

EVENTUALLY PEOPLE WILL RUN A 5 SECOND 100

So Texas plans on testing their high school athletes. Apparently they feel like cheating is so rampant in their system that it needs addressing. Either that or they are merely regurgitating the status quo, and stroking the egos of the morons in Congress who think everyone should be tested for everything (to the applause of middle America and the blue collar sycophants who think everyone is out to get them and everything is poisoned).

30% of students would be tested in this program (UIL), which is a huge number. I suppose this program makes sense, as Texas is known for excessive competitiveness in peewee and high school leagues. One could deduce that kids in Texas would do anything to stay competitive or excel in their sports. Plus, with as much money as people are making in professional sports today, there is a huge benefit to cheating to get that professional contract.

In my opinion this is a major violation of personal freedom and privacy, but I have no say (anymore) in Texas politics, so they are on their own. Last time I checked they were executing something like 50 people a year on death row, and they don't believe in evolution, so they are off doing their own thing anyways.

Obviously sports is entertainment. It isn't any more endearing or worthy than movies, theatre, professional wrestling or the circus. It is a spectacle, much like the gladiator fights of ancient Rome. People want to see huge athletes trouncing on each other and blood fall on their environment. We don't want to see things like the dead ball era in baseball, or nitty gritty 3-3 contests in football. We are Americans. We want raw power, we want 24 valve turbo diesel engines, we want double quarter pounders with cheese, we want 82 points in a basketball game from #24, we want 28 rushing touchdowns and 50 passing touchdowns, we want 9.69 World Record 100 meter runs, we want people bitten by alligators and hit by trains, we want constant input in the form of loud music and flashing lights, and we want guys hitting 60 or more home runs a year. We need these sports stars to be entertaining, and the best way they can do that is by injecting copious amounts of liquid strength into their asses twice a week. Maybe it hurts them, but we don't care, not really, which is why it took so long before anyone really noticed, and if it hadn't been for the media pushing some agenda down our throats, Congress and state legislators would have looked the other way.

In the end, we are all just sheep in some pasture being led astray.