Why I Can’t

I think that the reason I am so sure that I am on the right path is the number of folks who think I am slightly bent and the vitriol which they pour on my ideas about what constitutes a just society.

The cult of Randism and the market has so thoroughly insinuated itself into our mindsets that I cannot imagine a future version of our society not having to strangle that monster. The sad part about the this future event is that it will leave a shattered and empty husk.  Tens, perhaps hundreds of millions of lives on the North American continent will be in play and the outlooks for most of these folks is, to say the least, not rosy.

Truth be told, capitalism and the rape and misuse of the natural environment and resources are the only way we can keep this current edifice going.  There really isn’t any other way, and this solution has a pretty damn short shelf life.  I can see no way that a gradual transition to a sustainable future can be achieved without major social dislocation and war. 

Those that currently control more than their share of the resources wish to maintain the kingly lifestyles that is seen as a right.  They are working hard to ensure that the riches of the country will wind up in their villa.  By the rules of the game that was played for the past fifty years, the money is rightfully theirs.  But the real question is, do gains that result from a rigged and crooked game rightfully accrue to the erstwhile “winners”.
The Republicans rightfully bring up the terror-words of “Class War” whenever us low-lives speak of needing our share of the pie.  The lower orders are currently merely squawking for their share.  Even at the reduced lifestyles that are becoming the norm, the complaints do not venture into the concrete.  I am curious as to how long this situation can hold.

But we will be soon reaching a point where burning up our seed corn won’t work anymore.  We will have to make a decision about what will be done with the remaining wealth.  The poor, who will be soon be taking a crash course in frugality and austerity will begin to act up and bring a greater meaning to the words “Class Warfare”. 

To me, all of this is pretty obvious.  But mentioning such things among the people that I grew up with and who profited by their subservience to the system merely brings anger.  Usually, there is no concrete disagreements as to the facts of the discussion, there is only a blind anger for pointing out a particularly ugly truth.  What we are looking at is an ongoing set of negotiations about who will have a slice of the pie.  The folks doing the cutting have to be pretty damn careful here, if too many people get left out of the equation, things will go down fast.