To be an Un-American American

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

[Inks] this place.   We all grow up (us North Americans who don't live in Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean anyway) with this ing narrative.  Land of opportunity, pick up your bootstraps, American Dream... Bunch of ing bullsh**t.  I know what happened, I know why, but I can't help but look at it with some kind of overarching despair that is behind it all and shed a tear now and again. 

Today I woke up at a good friend's house because he was nice enough to grant me a couch to crash on after I went out and got drunk with some friends last night.  The dude has been through the ringer.  Breakups, layoffs, depression, anxiety... You name it.  And what a double edged sword of crap to get this morning.  I go to Wawa and out of the kindness of my heart and buy him a pack of cigs.  Because that gives him a bit of relief in what has been a depressing existence.  And OF COURSE I get a nanny state mofo from my hometown asking me questions.  Upon explaining the sitch, I get another mouthful of right wing American crap about how my friend just has to pick himself up and "make it work".  This friend of mine can't make it work.  He hates it here and he's stuck here.  This failing empire of capitalism where everything goes to those who were granted it all and nothing is left for anyone else.  He just wants to have a nice little plot of land to raise a family and die in peace.  No, you can't even die in peace anymore, because the hospitals will scoop you up and try to extend you for 10 more years and then charge it to those you left behind.  Everything is profit.  Everything.  Human decency does not exist in our country.  Small pockets of kindly religiouses and over-zealous latte liberals do some very nice work.  They at least try.  This is a failing battle.

This place sucks.  I don't want to make this seems like a HockeyDude hearts opebo post; but America is "the Bad Place".  What is there left that is not over-indulgence?  Or profit?  Or exploitation?  At some point in our history, we decided that we should run our country as a whole akin to a group of teenaged girls competing for the hunk on the varsity football team.  Cheat, , screw, and demean everyone else to make your life.  And we will commend the winner despite the despicable path they took to get there.  Because... Ya know... Bootstraps.  And those of us eho try to make it better?  Just the nerds looking in from the outside, knowing the vapid and superficial nature of it all; never a chance but still understanding the system in which we exist makes it the goal. 

I should move to Sweden and get some meatballs.

[/rant]

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Don't move to Sweden.

But -- legitimate question: how are you trying to make it better? I'm not really a bootstraps-picket-fence-American-dream kind-of guy, but I recognize the power of personal choice and responsibility. How are you trying to make things better and being stifled by the structure that exists?

Thank you for your extremely polite response, Jesse.

I am just frustrated.

-I am frustrated with a country where the Indiana "law" is even being discussed
-I am frustrated with the rich getting richer despite a liberal President
-I am frustrated with Calif. installing SPIKES to deter HOMELESS people
-I am frustrated with people saying that atheists are the morally bankrupt people despite what I just said.

I'mfrustrated, bro.  That's all.  I see better things and I want better things.