Un-Pleasantville

America is a nation of laws. America loves laws, almost as much as its God loves commandments. America likes laws so much that it can’t build new prisons fast enough to keep up with its new laws and the mathematical odds of getting through a normal life span without violating one of them is virtually impossible. In fact it has now become a feasible idea that, starting at adolescence, we should all be required to do periodic voluntary prison time on weekends or during our spare time so we could build up an account to draw from when we commit our eventual, inevitable crime. It could be a kind of civic duty like the peace corp. We could call it the ‘crime corp’. You could get tax credits for it. We’re going to need something like that now that America has leapt at the limitless opportunities that exist in limitless terrorism for more limitless laws. We’re going end up with one big Sack’s Fifth Ave. shoplifting satellite camera looking down on all of us, watchfully monitoring for misdeeds.

America is an optimist, it is always looking on the bright side of things in astonishing indifference to any appearance of distress--'Katrina who? America likes ‘limitless.’ Like all adolescents America possess an enthusiastic and optimistic belief in limitless possibilities while at the same time being blissfully unaware (also like adolescents) of limitless poverty, hunger, uninsured illness, and limitless homeless camps, all of which are an undeniable by-product of our brand of ‘Democracy in action.’ Any attempt to direct attention to this is met with the limitless anesthetic of indifference. America is something of a ‘cruel eyed optimist,’ a country resisting all efforts, indeed prides itself on ignoring any real concern or interest in the welfare and well being, the health, food or shelter of the people who make up the ‘family’ and ‘community’ that the country sanctifies. It is a country whose chief source of self esteem is the orgy of self love reflected in the recurring ‘narcissus’ chant of its obsessive anthem: ‘mirror, mirror, on the wall who is the greatest nation of them all.’

Such a country is not really a ‘homeland’ at all, it is actually just another land mass in which those without stock options or adequate income are trying to survive, a homeland where the homeless are viewed as having failed the self reliance test in their inability to take advantage of the limitless equal opportunity. To call such a place a homeland is really a very skillful reinvention of the meaning of propaganda. It doesn’t matter what flag you wave or what anthem you sing, if the needs of the people don’t come first the Country’s needs should come last. Such a Country is not worth a backward glance. Not to ask ‘what your country does for you but only what can you do for it’ is an idiot’s quiz.

‘Love is blind’ is tied tightly to the ties that bind, a subtle secret in the success of abuse since it is in the nature of attachment not to criticize but to attach, just as an unsheltered, poorly fed, neglected dog, suffering from malnutrition and open untreated wounds will wait patiently with blind and tragic loyalty in front of any closed door his master has long ago disappeared behind. If the dog could be taught how to wave a flag- he would. At least a dog would have the good taste not to turn it into a political equivalent of the hula-hoop.