In the many video essays of this website and in his soon-to-be-released book, “The Ailing Nation,” Dr. Nate Link introduces the essential principles of modern-day Medicine – the Just Culture and Evidence-Based decision-making – to the political world of national leadership. The impetus to do so is best captured in the video essay: Evidence-Based Politics – a Democratic Imperative.
The following whimsical poem, Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll, is featured in this video essay as well as The Ailing Nation. In this poem, the Jabberwock is the malevolent creature that terrorizes the enchanted world, and snicker-snack is the swishing sound of triumph in his beheading by the brave knight. In the real world, the Jabberwock represents the dark forces that obscure the truth, the divisive influences that sow discord, and the system defects that confound our democracy. Snicker-snack will be the resonant sound of our victory over these forces in the voting booth.
Jabberwocky
BY LEWIS CARROLL
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
From Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871)