As far as possible I have
avoided the smoking versus non smoking debate.
There are times, however, when despite the evidence on health and
effects the anti-smoking case seems to lose the plot, literally in this case.
Perhaps, given the nature
of the story below, if not shooting then at least stabbing yourself in the
foot.
This sorry tale of stupidity comes from Western Australia where one can only assume that
either the heat got to them or someone was bitten by a rabid dingo. Are they even half aware of the story line?
The lead character, a
promiscuous and dangerous person at the end is brutally stabbed to death by the
former lover she left. He in turn is
destined for the firing squad because he deserted from the Army to chase after
her.
This occurs at a stadium
which is for bull fighting, where cruelty to animals goes along with the risk
of dreadful death for the men taunting the bull. All this is enmeshed with the tobacco
industry as she and her fellow girls work in cigar or cigarette factory.
They in turn are loose
living and are associated with a group of thieves, murderers and smugglers of
forbidden substances. It may look like
fun on stage but it is evident that they are in for a short life and to a great
extent a hard one. Treachery and deceit
are their life.
In a sense this is
history. The original story on which the
opera is based is said to have been, if loosely, factual. It is not far removed from what did and could
happen in the Spain of that period. Life
was often nasty, brutish and short.
In the meantime, the old
Gallagher factory at Ballymena in County Antrim is to close, with over 800 jobs
lost, a blow to the local economy. The
news item said this was the last British tobacco factory.
This was once a substantial
industry. Now it is imported at some
cost but the taxes on tobacco are still an item in the Treasury revenues,
despite the scale of the bootleg traffic along the M20 and M2.
For generations smoking
was a norm and even seen as a social necessity.
It may be that the age of smoking is ending and will soon be gone and
perhaps the difficult issues with it.
But a problem now is that
we have replaced it with worse ones.
Where does one start - drugs, obesity, aids ......
ReplyDeleteI knew a great many people who lived long lives, who still smoked a little, but were never without whisky. Whisky has to be good in moderation. The many elderly I came across in the course of my work thrived on just a little of a good single malt each day.