Our beloved country is, very plainly, in a state of disarray. Disarray is just a fancy word for chaos. And chaos is just a fancy word for we're fucked. Whoever "they" are, they are trying to officially put an end to our ability to band together and bargain for a fair slice of the pie that we probably baked in the first place. "They" are against that because their agenda involves us having none of the pie. By the way, we also grew and harvested the fruit as well. It might be helpful to offer a few definitions here. When I refer to "us" or "we" I'm referring to those of us ranked in the bottom 90% when it comes to assessing ownership of this great nation's vast wealth. When I talk about "they" or "them" I'm referring to the top 10%, more specifically the top 1% who, incidentally, own more of this nation's wealth than the bottom 90% combined. (In case you're wondering, the top 1% own around 38% of the wealth while the bottom 90% control about 19% collectively). As I generally do, I'm not citing my source, hoping that you might go find out for yourself and begin a path of self discovery that will lead you to other pertinent information that I've never even seen.
So let's do that math. There are just over 300 million people in the U.S. That means the top 1% is about 3 million while the bottom 90% amounts to 270 million people. If my understandings of physics and 3rd grade playground dynamics are as sound as I think they are, in a tug of war 270 million people should always be able to beat 3 million. Especially when the 3 million are fat, white people with soft hands and the 270 million are the ones who have driven the rivets that hold up bridges and buildings, fight the wars that they get us in, put out the fires that ravage homes in the night, raise and educate the children, and generally create the wealth that the top 1% claim for themselves.
Throughout history, when the rich oppress the poor, the poor rise up and and attempt to strike down the rich, sometimes successfully. Sometimes not. But while "they" may be greedy, "they" aren't stupid. "They" don't want us to revolt. Over the years they have refined their system of controlling us. They have thinly veiled their actions through a network of politicians and corporations. And they have blessed us with ample forms of entertainment and distraction in order to prevent us from ever taking a good look at what is actually going on. In short, they have created a nation where thinking for oneself is so uncomfortable that most of us simply forego that activity. And even if someone does think for themselves its unlikely they'll ever be able to find common cause with another human being. Ignorance is bliss. And TV helps. God I love Jersey Shore. Learning that Snookie can't handle the size of Vinnie's d*** (this is an actual topic covered on the show) is far more important than putting together certain details about major political movements in this country. If it happens in Wisconsin, it can happen anywhere. What details, you ask, wondering what Snookie's parents must think of her. Important details. Like the fact that they're trying to end collective bargaining in Wisconsin to make up for the state deficit. And the fact that the deficit in question is almost exactly the same amount as a tax cut that the mega-rich received when this new governor took office. Coincidence? Probably. Yeah. That seems like total coincidence (I really hope you can hear the sarcasm in my keystrokes). But who cares. Because the boys left "The Situation" at the house because he was taking too long to get dressed. Oh snap! Draaaaammmaaaaa.
So here we are. We live in a modern serfdom. Except instead of starving to death, we have too much to eat. We pay way too much money for government subsidized (a term for a massive corporate backed decision) corn that has been reshaped, repackaged, and rechemicaled to appeal to some anthropological desire of ours for fat and sugar. These are substances which, several hundred years ago were scarce in the human diet and rightfully so. Because they're essentially addictive. And we take the bait. We eat food that provides no nourishment for our mind, body, or soul. And it makes us dumb. And it takes from us our sense of self reliance. Then they give us each a car so we can buy oil and a little plot of land on which to grow grass which also nourishes nothing and serves no purpose except to give the HOA a reason to fine us if we happen to be such good farmers that our grass grows too well. And we think we're happy. Because we think if we work hard enough, we can become one of them. It baffles me, this impulse to cannibalize our brothers and sisters so that we might have a few more dollars in our pocket, a bigger TV perhaps, with higher resolution. You know, so you can see the cellulite and the complexion that results from 365 days a year of smoking, drinking, tanning beds and sexual folly. It's especially baffling when you allow relationships to disintegrate, ignore your community, and generally miss out on the true joys of life chasing something you are literally never allowed to achieve, but that always seems to be just within an inch of your grasp.
I relate to my world through analogies. And I'm a big fan of my family and how we all stick together even though individually we're nuts and get on each other's nerves to a degree that probably can't be conveyed with a number that has a name. So here's my family analogy. They refer to the rich white men who initially developed this nation as forefathers. Regardless of their individual character flaws, they had ridiculously accurate foresight (most of which we've collectively ignored) and laid the foundation upon which a great nation could be built. They did actual work. They actually fought in the wars they perpetuated. And they didn't perpetuate war under false pretenses. These forefathers are the antecedents of modern politicians. But it seems that all the politicians of today were thalidomide babies. Something clearly went wrong somewhere. They're supposed to be the leaders, the benevolent patriarchs, our heroes. But instead they've decided to be greedy assholes and shills for the people pulling the strings. And they're not only greedy, but they're fat and lazy. That's why, in a roundabout way, I always liked Putin. Even though I'm sure he sucks, he seems like he could at least kick my ass if I challenged him. He swims in freezing waters and probably wrestles bears. I digress.
The analogy: Whenever our family was in trouble, dad (the father, the patriarch) worked harder to right the ship. Fingers to the bone. And not only did dad work harder, but he also tightened his belt because he didn't want mom and the kids to feel a single hunger pang. But in this country, the patriarchs are not only refusing to work harder, they're eating the fucking children. And if dad tries to eat the kids, then mom and the kids have two options. Mom and the kids can either run away, or they can kick the shit out of dad because they really like the house and don't feel like leaving.
I think "we" should put on our boots. Not the walking kind. The shit kicking kind.
1 comment:
Colten, where is the blog with the title, "Happy Birthday Betsy!" ???
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