March of Dimes: Difference between revisions

From The Jolly Contrarian
Jump to navigation Jump to search
m Amwelladmin moved page March of dimes to March of Dimes
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
No edit summary
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
 
Line 9: Line 9:
''Breaking parole —''
''Breaking parole —''
:—David Bowie, '' Ricochet'' (1983)}}
:—David Bowie, '' Ricochet'' (1983)}}
The [[March of Dimes|National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis]], was — and is — a U.S. charity, originally set up at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s prompting, to combat polio.<Ref>Entertainer Eddie Cantor invented the title "The March of Dimes" for the donation campaign in 1938 — it was a play on “The March of Time” newsreels popular at the time. The radio campaign asked listeners to “mail a dime” to Roosevelt, a well known polio sufferer.</ref>
The [[March of Dimes|National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis]], was — and is — a U.S. charity, originally set up at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s prompting, to combat polio.<Ref>Entertainer Eddie Cantor invented the title “The March of Dimes” for the donation campaign in 1938 — it was a play on “The March of Time” newsreels popular at the time. The radio campaign asked listeners to “mail a dime” to Roosevelt, a well known polio sufferer.</ref>


After funding Jonas Salk's polio vaccine, which basically eradicated polio in 1952, the organisation “expanded its focus” — pivoted, as they say — to address the prevention of birth defects and infant mortality generally, rather than for polio specifically, since polio in itself turned out not to be the enduring problem.
After funding Jonas Salk's polio vaccine, which basically eradicated polio in 1952, the organisation “expanded its focus” — pivoted, as they say — to address the prevention of birth defects and infant mortality generally, rather than for polio specifically, since polio in itself turned out not to be the enduring problem.

Latest revision as of 22:41, 11 August 2021

In which the curmudgeonly old sod puts the world to rights.
Index — Click ᐅ to expand:
Tell me more
Sign up for our newsletter — or just get in touch: for ½ a weekly 🍺 you get to consult JC. Ask about it here.

March of flowers
March of dimes
These are the prisons
These are the crimes
Sound of thunder
Sound of gold
Sound of the Devil
Breaking parole —

—David Bowie, Ricochet (1983)

The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, was — and is — a U.S. charity, originally set up at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s prompting, to combat polio.[1]

After funding Jonas Salk's polio vaccine, which basically eradicated polio in 1952, the organisation “expanded its focus” — pivoted, as they say — to address the prevention of birth defects and infant mortality generally, rather than for polio specifically, since polio in itself turned out not to be the enduring problem.

This is all good news, of course — but, as John Gall observes[2] it serves as a prescient and salutary reminder that power structures established for a one purpose, which meet it, do not fold up their tents and go away. Power structures tend to have lives, and survival instincts, that transcend their earthly purpose.

See also

References

  1. Entertainer Eddie Cantor invented the title “The March of Dimes” for the donation campaign in 1938 — it was a play on “The March of Time” newsreels popular at the time. The radio campaign asked listeners to “mail a dime” to Roosevelt, a well known polio sufferer.
  2. Systemantics: The Systems Bible