When I was 19 I read Fear and loathing in Las Vegas. For me, Hunter S. Thompson existed in a place I wanted to see for myself. But it took over a decade for me to hear the Songs of the Doomed for myself. Since Fear and Loathing was published, America's elite have thrived. The income gap between the top one percent and the doomed have grown to proportions that haven't been seen since the French Revolution. Why don't we care?
Because it is our fault, right? We can pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, right?
I'm a scientist, by trade. I have a Graduate Degree. I believe in statistics, and according to recent research that simply is no longer the case. The best I can hope for is to simply get by. I will never achieve the standard of living I enjoyed growing up. My father was a hard worker, and with less education he was able to achieve a standard of living I can't match. He was a Union Member. I'm lucky though. Because of his gumption I was able to get an education. Many here in the US won't get that chance.
Perhaps in the not too distant future unions will enjoy a resurgence. Hopefully those who try to unionize won't be branded terrorists by the Government.
But, with the help of Wal-Mart, Prozac, Hollywood and the myth of the American Dream we as a people will live in poverty quietly and without incident.
If there is a revolution, I hope they don't mind if I wear my Hawaiian shirt.
I have a feeling it is going to be gruesome. I'm going to need a bit of color to stay peppy.
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