Story by Emmjay

Patrons of the Pig’s Arms, I’d like to think that it takes a lot to shock and disturb me, but the videos shot by “Soft White Underbelly” are probably the most disturbing I’ve ever witnessed since the birth of the Internet.

I read “Empire of Pain” the story of the Sackler family – the the owners of Purdue Pharma – so-called inventors of Oxycodone / Oxycontin. They subverted the US Food and Drug Administration and got them to approve Oxycodone for pain control by dodging up some fictitious trials that found not surprisingly that Oxycodone was (unlike all the other opioids) not addictive.

Of course it IS addictive and a giant global shitstorm and international opioid addiction epidemic has ensued. Especially in countries like the US – who allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise prescription-only drugs to the general public. This epidemic has brought with it untold misery, death, destruction and some massive lawsuits. But clever corporate structures have kept the Sacklers out of gaol. Some of the corrupt governmental officials were not so clever.

Oxycodone or Oxycontin was/is a prescription drug – and it was marketed heavily and aggressively to doctors – AND on TV and other media. It has made its presence felt in Australia too.

In the US, Oxycontin is cheaper and far more available than heroin and is marginally less dangerous than Fentany. It has been a massive hit amongst people for whom America is still not great. People for whom even basic health care is not even a distant dream. Trump voters – so dumb that they voted against their own best interests.

Oxycodone or Oxycontin acquired the moniker of “Hillbilly Heroin” , reflecting the foundation market.

And in following up on the Epidemic of Pain, I chanced upon some some truly horrendous videos on YouTube – interviews of people at the sharp end of the failed American dream – prostitutes, addicts of every stripe, failed criminals, barking mad people – literally barking- and people living in Appalachia – Southern and Mid East Coast American dying coal mining states – the Duelling Banjos backwaters where the gene pool is too shallow to sustain life as we know it.

I have to say that I could not believe what I was seeing. It is horrendous. And the calm, nonchalant interviewer makes the documentaries otherworldly and chilling. These are the people who are manipulated into voting for Trump. Wanting desperately for America to be great again – the greatness that they and generations of ancestors have never known.

So for the brave – here are the Whittakers.

Sorry, you need to watch it on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4aAIF-iW9U