JUST ANOTHER AMERICAN OXYMORON

I WONDER IF SOMEONE CAN EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THERE ARE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES AND ELSEWHERE WHO ARE SO STRICT WITH THEIR KIDS, WHO BELIEVE IN A STRONGLY HIERARCHICAL FAMILY MODEL, NORMALLY PATRIARCHAL, PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN RULES AND ORDER AND OBEDIENCE AND A DEFINITE TOPDOWN MODEL OF CONTROL OF OTHER PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR AND EVEN THOUGHT, WHO PRIZE LOYALTY TO GROUP IDEALS ABOVE INDIVIDUAL OPENNESS AND HONESTY AND WHO NEVERTHELESS SCREAM BLOODY MURDER WHEN ANYONE IN OR OUT OF GOVERNMENT SUGGESTS THAT SOME CONTROLS ARE NEEDED TO REIGN IN ANTISOCIAL ACTIONS OF CORPORATIONS, ESPECIALLY WALL STREET, LONDON CITY AND THE WHOLE BLOATED AND PATHOLOGICAL FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTOR OF THE WORLD ECONOMY?  WHAT IS THAT ABOUT?  TELL ME.  I AM EAGER TO LEARN.


FOR MYSELF, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY I THINK THERE IS AN ALMOST PERFECT DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT AMERICANS IN PARTICULAR BELIEVE ABOUT THEIR COUNTRY AND THE FACTS ON THE GROUND  SO EASILY SEEN AND QUANTIFIED BY OTHERS LIVING ELSEWHERE.  AMERICANS FOR THE MOST PART BELIEVE THE OLD STORY, THE GRAND AMERICAN DREAM, THAT IN AMERICA ANYBODY CAN BECOME RICH. PUTTING ASIDE FOR THE MOMENT THE VERY REAL QUESTION OF WHETHER WANTING THIS IS USEFUL OR EVEN ETHICALLY AND PHILOSOPHICALLY CORRECT, THIS DREAM IS SO MANIPULATED BY GENUINELY RICH PEOPLE IN SUCH A PERVASIVE WAY THROUGH THEIR OWNERSHIP OF THE MASS MEDIA AS WELL AS OWNERSHIP IN GENERAL THAT THESE IDEAS ARE NOT EVEN QUESTIONED INSIDE ITS BORDERS.  WHAT OTHER PEOPLE, OBSERVING FROM OUTSIDE THE WALLS, SO EASILY ACQUIRE ARE FACTS THAT CONTRADICT THAT OLD AMERICAN DREAM.  OF THE INDUSTRIALIZED SO-CALLED DEMOCRACIES THE UNITED STATES COMES LAST IN UPWARD MOBILITY, IN THE ABILITY OF SOMEONE NOT BORN OF PRIVILEGE TO ACQUIRE IT.  THEY COME LAST IN DISPARITY OF BOTH INCOME AND  WEALTH.  ANY OF THE COUNTRIES OF EUROPE THAT SO MANY AMERICANS BRAND AS SOCIALIST WOULD BE BETTER COUNTRIES TO GROW UP IN IF ONE WANTED TO MOVE UP IN TERMS OF ANY MEASURE OF PERSONAL FINANCIAL SUCCESS.  THIS POSSIBILITY IS EXACERBATED IN AMERICA BY THE INCREASING COST OF EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE AS WELL AS THE DECLINE OF REAL WAGES AMONG THE MIDDLE CLASS, TO THE POINT THAT MORE THAN FIFTY PERCENT OF AMERICANS NOW FALL BELOW THAT DEFINITION IN TERMS OF BOTH INCOME AND WEALTH.  AND YET SO MANY AMERICANS STILL HARBOR THE DREAM.  THEY ARE LOATHE TO VOTE INCREASES IN TAXATION OR DIMINUTION OF ECONOMIC PRIVILEGE TO THE WEALTHY BECAUSE THEY STILL THINK THAT SOMEDAY, MAYBE SOMEDAY SOON, THE WEALTHY WILL INCLUDE THEM.


SUCH A CRUEL JOKE.  IT WOULD BE FUNNY IN A BLACK SORT OF WAY IF IT WERENT SO DEADLY FOR AMERICA AND INDEED, THE WORLD.