Are We There Yet? -OR- Crossing The Rubicon

To oblivion and beyond!

We coulda had it all. We coulda been a contender. We coulda been that shining city on that hill. We coulda asked not what our country could do for you. We could skrimp and save and invest and put a little aside, on account, away for rainy days. We actually did these things; and more; for a while. Then Oprah RWR started giving out our favorite things. No big deal, we were hoarders anyway and had lotsa things. We weren't taking very good care of our things anyway. We entrusted care to caretakers. We selected these caretakers through a process we called elections. Every coupla years in a frenzy of hyperbole, begging and shallow sincerity, the electorate decided who would be elected in the elections. No big deal. We still had lotsa stuff that needed caretaking and who better? We didn't notice. Not at first. Then a funny thing happened. The hyperbole, begging and shallow sincerity folks started telling us that we really should care. They also thought they had the bona fides to direct our caring to the things about which they said we should care. While that was funny, it wasn't THE funny thing that happened. Nope, the funny thing was that the things we'd always thought were ours, that were being carefully cared for by our caretakers had be taken. Not all of them, mind you, but enough that the situation really alarmed the alarmists.

The caretakers were quick to say, "That's okay, there's bigger things to consider. There's perfidy afoot! Besides which, we still have most, some, enough a little bit of the hoard. See all the warehouses, full of crates and boxes and rows and shelves. That's all yours! And LOOK! We still have the keys!

Presto Change-oh! Transporters energizing. Welcome to Opposite World. We no longer care. We're your takers. Those other guys babbling about fairness and peace are the enemy."

Are we there yet? Oh yeah, we're way past there. From makers to takers to fakers. Right before your very eyes. Let's have a big round of applause for the steal of the century!



"How much money do I have to get? To get me set where the jet-set jets? Like up on the hill where they do do the boogie. I wonder what they're doing when they do do the boogie and I wonder what I'm doin' here?" -John Hartford