It's happening. Supersized, gluttonous, wasteful, mindless America is suddenly on a crash diet. Actually it's more like chemotherapy. Every day another company closes its doors, thousands of people are laid off. The news every day these days is harsh.
People who are paying attention are scared. I'm scared, definitely. I knew this had to happen, that we could not continue sucking up the world's resources for our comfort and pleasure, filling up the oceans with our discarded plastic packaging. I knew that all those people with storage lockers in which they stow all the extra stuff they will never need would have to, at some point, deal with their shopping addictions. I knew it because what goes up, must come down. Always! The reality of living through our free fall, though, is incredibly unnerving.
Meanwhile, the folks in first class continue their usual lifestyle, as if nothing had happened, paying themselves billions of dollars in bonuses, buying corporate jets, spending a million dollars redecorating their offices. Though it's natural for their conscious functions to scan for what they expect, I'm offended. Wake up, dudes and smell the coffee, please!
33 comments:
A time for the usa to rebel finally against excess payments to those not really doing "most of the work" is again overdue. ; (
Here's hoping!
and they can't smell the coffee through all the champagne they must be drinking ; (
Amen.
People thought we were crazy in the early nineties. We hung in old beach houses, did our college homework while smoking dirty mexican herb and talked about the overconsumption of the masses. We scoffed at the Beamers in the school parking lot while we pushed my '67 V-dub out of it's spot because it had no reverse. Everyone thought we were crazy for questioning the bajillion water bottles that became so trendy to tote.
Now they know what we were worried about. Now, it's plain as day. Now,
they HAVE to listen.
And the worst part is the fact that people still are wondering what others did wrong.
"Why did I get fired? I didn't do a thing!"
That's all they think while they kick back in front of their 50 inch plasma.
If these ideals could be forced upon the closed mind of America's peoples, then maybe we could have a chance to save it.
We are very scared and are feeling the effects of this crisis in more ways than one.
I'm grateful in so many ways that the guy at the helm has a steady hand and a clear mind. Thank God for our president. God help the rest of us.
And yet there are still underpaid and underemployed people here who say, "A poor man never gave me a job." The educational system has got to be overhauled. Instead of turning out drones to do the bidding of the local economy, how about teaching children how to become discerning adults?
Well, sitting here on a Saturday motning, sipping on a iced Coca-Cola, laptop in front of me, warm house around me, birthday gift for me niece right here ready for today's party, I must admit to not being scared. Really. What will be will be. I lived through the Carter years - this is nothing.
Sorry. That would be MY niece, not ME niece.
:)
DANG! And that would be MORNING, not moTning. Perhaps I need something for breakfast.
Tut - Hello! Yes please.
Hey Smith K.J. - Glad you're not scared. Happy birthday to your niece, a fellow Aquarian.
I too lived through the Carter years, the Reagan years, too. This feels a lot worse to me. Hope I'm wrong.
Reya - I think the media is so bombarding us with negativity, and the politicians - both sides - are so invested in making the other side "wronger" than they are, that it's hard NOT to feel this is worse. But numbers don't lie, and if you check the numbers - unemployment, inflation, etc., etc. - it's easy to see how much worse we were under Carter. And so, when Keith Olbermann begins to scream, I just roll my eyes.
:) Debi
I agree with tut-tut about teaching our children to be discerning adults. From what I see on college campuses, high school, even middle school, we're in for even bigger problems to come.
Debi - I LOVE Keith Olbermann, and was also a fan of Jimmy Carter as pres. What my consciousness tells me is that Reaganomics was incredibly destructive and that we are just now beginning to pay up for all he put in place.
I know others consider him a great president. I respect everyone's opinion. Yours, too, of course.
Dear Reya,
Its incredible but i perceived you in the wind, reading you makes me feel deeply connected to my soulmate whom i lost due to my fault.
I love you and your ideas and i see US,the dreamland of people living here in nepal,through your eyes.
So dear,pls always lead me from darkness to light and from unknown to known.
love,
arya
Although the stakes are higher than usual this time around, I'm afraid this is a very old problem.
Transparency just is, now. As if a tide had receded and it all shows. Partly the internet and partly people paying attention. There is less and less lag time for correction. wouldn't it be nice if these people got fired and competent, conscientious people were put in charge?
Yes, the million dollar offices and multi-million dollar private planes and massive bonuses are particularly grating right now . . .especially for institutions who needed government handouts!
But it is easy to point the finger at the biggest and greediest players. . . and as your post suggests, the problem is endemic and systemic.
You are so right; change is unnerving . . . especially when you know it's going to hurt all over.
Yep, Hammer - same as it ever was!
like many, i've felt for many years that a great fall was coming, and it has. As for all the happy insulated rich out there, let's hope they keep spending their money; they may be the only people doing so.
I've decided it's better to learn to crawl on my hands and knees now, while it's still a choice. That way I won't have so far to fall when things get really bad.
I couldn't agree with you more.
In some ways this wake-up call is wildly over due.
I'm English and like things rather austere and hate over indulgence.
Came to you blog via Bee
I admire your handsome pup.
It is time to clean our own nests first....
and let's not dismiss all corporate highflyers with one foul swoop - some a very generous philanthropists.
I have always lived below my means, but when the tide goes out all boats get stuck on the same sandbar.
Reya~
I just read your post as well as comments to my husband. He (and I) get you. He understands politics and I don't as well. When I read what you wrote & how I understand & agree, he loves my thrist for political knowledge to be satisfied. Winning my husband over is a hard task. Maybe he will finally understand my passion for the whole blogging world.
Thank you mu friend!
Merle? You are as good as gold, truly.
Runnotman - You make a good point, and Jeff? You are hilarious.
And YES some zillionaires are really great humans. I'm not blaming everyone who has money.
Janis? Thank you! Wow.
[Elvis voice on]
Thank you. Thank you very much.
[Elvis voice off]
Your photos take away my anxiety; good art does.
The trees are still talking to us, just stand tall and we will survive, if you bend and give in to the wind you will fall. So just listen to the trees.
Beautiful pics as usual.
well said... and what incredible photos! I'm just loving scrolling through your blog, looking at them all :-)
Beautiful photos !
I wish it wasnt this bad for all of us! I am from India and slthough situation in our country is not that bad as yet we are slowly begining to feel the tremors in the form of salary cuts and increased work hours........
being offended sounds very very mild to me...
Coffee... do they even know what it is? Coffee Messiah is so right... they can only see the bubbly and taste its bitterness.. which they believe is sweet.
They have no idea just how many of the little people are being crushed benieth their Prada spikes. Nor do they care.
Get a grip America! We had all better learn to pull together and stand strong or we will all go down together... and they will.
Reya... I wish to follow your blog... but I'm new at this and could not find where I hook up to that on your blog. I am a friend of redsilkstreams Not that that means I'm OK... but...
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