Shock and Awe

If we can figure out a way to kill everyone on the planet, why can’t we figure out a way to feed everyone? Is it cost? Logistics? Simply not shocking and awesome enough? I’ll admit feeding and educating everyone wouldn’t be as interesting to watch as blowing everyone up, but has it come to the point where everything we do is dictated by whether or not it makes for good TV.
I think it’s simple as Have vs Have Not. You can paint that matchup with whatever label, religion or –ism you want, in the end, though, the whole game is about people who have stuff trying to keep it or get more of it, and people without stuff trying to get stuff. There are groups of people that provide an exception to this rule by talking a lot about how they are happy with the small amount of stuff they have because of other things (what they believe, how they love, etc…) and a lot of those people try to convince other people that they could be happy too, if they thought/believed/loved like they do. Most of the people doing this convincing have already received/reached a level of having stuff that makes life bearable. Let’s face it, are you going to listen to someone tell you how to be happy if they have to beg for food, clothes and housing, let alone healthcare.
All of today’s big religions take good care of their employees. There’s no mystery as to why. The question puzzling me is why people let themselves be fooled into believing they should be happy with what they’ve got. The promise of happiness in an afterlife seems like big chunk of baloney to swallow just so you can rationalize living in misery. And the feeling of moral superiority must fade when you and your loved ones are hungry.
Moral and intellectual superiority only go so far. I know lots of smart, devout people that are comfortable living simple lives knowing full well that people less smart and less “good” are making tons more dough. I’m not talking about them. They are capable of caring for themselves. Maybe they won’t be able to take the Jag to the club, but they aren’t going to foment revolution about it. So, why is education so expensive in America? Why is it a luxury? Again, if we have the capacity to pay for an arsenal that can eliminate every human (and just about every animal and insect [cockroach legend?]) why can’t we teach them to read and write?

Words
Birds
Whey and kurds
What we need is action
A money making faction
Not continuous distraction
But it’s never been my forte
This capitalism sport
Always ready with a quick retort
I rationalize my ineptitude
As artistic attitude
A temporary interlude
Before real earning begins
Doing penance for past sins
Yet who keeps track of losses and wins
Where does the official scorer sit
Judging what’s an error, what’s a hit
Frankly, I don’t care that much
All I want is your loving touch

Worried about failure
And a southern exposure
You take pills
And pay the bills
I watch the boy
And try to employ
Marketable skills
To cure our ills
Producing these words
And feeding the birds
Certain it will go our way
“How?” and “why?” you say
To which I reply
I don’t know why.
I just feel we’re here to stay
We’re so far away
From family and friends
How this all ends
Simply depends
On us and a fair bit of luck.
Your look, awestruck,
“I don’t give a…care
whether here or there
our future depends on jobs.
Superstitious slobs
With millionaire aunts
Can joke and count on chance
Their main concern
Is not what they earn
But having money to burn.
Our situation’s
Like most of the nation’s
Getting enough to get by.”
“I get it,” I sigh
I’ll just have to try
To step from this void
To the world of employed
So we can avoid
Moving further afield
Emotions steeled
Work should yield
A dramatic change
Feeling strange
The dog has mange
And incredible range
Hits the high notes
Herds the goats
Digs moats
Eats groats
Floats
Adrift in the sound
Won’t run aground
Or sleep around
Bones are found
Where others drowned
What a hound!

Obnoxious Man is going to the dogs.