Thursday, May 15, 2014

"feudal America"

Fiery and lackadaisical as some creationist Bible-thumper, I find myself stuck with the post-it label "Feudal America."

It's not something I have the energy or willingness to investigate or question or prove: It is true because I feel it is true and since what I feel is true, so too must it be true. Amen, brother! Amen!

The rule of law dribbling away ....

The rule of wealth gaining ever more sway ....

The slick and self-serving use of the "terrorism" label....

Drones....

The growing acceptance of yet another war ....

Collateral damage....


And there are other tendrils that wisp and wave in my mind. But in the end, I am too tired to yowl and dissect: Like a man with malaria, the truth is the truth is the truth. Even if I wanted to escape, attempts to escape would be futile.

"Feudal America."

And, although there are many consequences to this assured-but-amorphous, post-it foundation stone, perhaps the horror that is most etched is a sense that as wealth claims the day, imagination and innovation dissolve.

Wealth is never imbued with much imagination outside imagining more wealth.

When was the last time America created something unifying and nourishing for the nation? The Health Care law may turn out to be a good thing, but even that cannot hold a candle to the health care systems in other smaller, less wealthy nations. Gay rights has a soupçon of breadth. But the soaring hearts of a few is not the soaring heart of the many.

Creativity is whittled away and whittled away. Even the creative need to eat and when eating is the first priority, creativity can go suck an egg. Who can dream or think or soar when the increasingly-constricting dream is of survival?

The Brits have had practice in feudalism and the colonists are mesmerized by the steady and stately pace of "Downton Abbey," a world wondrously well-appointed, genteel, circumscribed and clueless. The barons and baronesses of America have less practice ... maybe a TV show will provide some hints... shed some light on the comme-il-faut of wealth and privilege. Once the wealth is accumulated ... well, what will you do with it all; how will you act and what act will assure that appearances will be kept up and the servants will remain below stairs?

Oh well. There's the social whine and I am not immune. But the loss of thought and imagination somehow feels the worst. It "feels" ... and remember, it's true because what I feel is true and therefore it must be true.

"Feudal America" feels right.

Pass me my Bible.


1 comment:

  1. Can't fight progress, but i try to enjoy aggravating it.

    ReplyDelete