EXPLOITATION

TOLSTOY'S ANNA KARENINA HAS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS FIRST SENTENCES IN ALL OF LITERATURE - "ALL HAPPY FAMILIES RESEMBLE EACH OTHER; EACH UNHAPPY FAMILY IS UNHAPPY IN ITS OWN WAY." WHAT HAPPENS, PRAY TELL, WHEN AN ENTIRE ONCE HAPPY FAMILY CALLED THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, MANIFESTS SYMPTOMS OF NEAR TOTAL DYSFUNCTION? YES, "ACCIDENTS WILL OCCUR IN THE BEST REGULATED FAMILIES," AS CHARLES DICKENS OBSERVED IN DAVID COPPERFIELD, BUT IT'S NO ACCIDENT THAT AMERICA WALLOWS IN THE SHALLOWS NOW. SADLY, IT’S A MATTER OF CHOICE.

FOR HALLOWEEN, 2007, STORES CHOOSE TO SELL 'KICKING GHOULIE LEGS', AND 'GARBAGE CAN MAN' WHICH MANUFACTURERS CHOOSE TO PRODUCE AND - I GUESS - CONSUMERS CHOOSE TO BUY FOR $40.00 AND $60.00 RESPECTIVELY. ALSO, SEPTEMBER 2007, STORES CHOOSE TO SELL 'BREAST CANCER AWARENESS CAMERAS,' WHICH MANUFACTURERS CHOOSE TO PRODUCE AND - I PRESUME - CUSTOMERS CHOOSE TO BUY FOR THE 'CAUSE.' USELESS PRODUCTS AND INEFFECTIVE RETAIL PURCHASES, HOWEVER, ARE MERELY EXPLOITATIONS OF AMERICANS’ NARCISSISTIC NATURES AND EMOTIONAL RATIONALIZATIONS. SILLY, SPOILED, SUCKERS - THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE CHOSEN TO BECOME.

I KNOW I AM ONE UNHAPPY CHILD, DESCENDANT, SIBLING, ANCESTOR IN THE AMERICAN FAMILY. WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN HELD TOGETHER WITH A COMMON CULTURE OF SELF-RESPECT, DECENCY AND COMMON SENSE MORALITY. NO MORE. ANYTHING GOES IN OUR DISORGANIZED AND DYSFUNCTIONAL MACROCOSM. DESPITE THE CHRISTIAN EXHORTATION THAT YOU CANNOT SERVE BOTH GOD AND MAMMON, AMERICANS ACT OTHERWISE, AS IF THEY CAN HAVE BOTH.