Pizzaonian National Flag, courtesy of the Pizzaonian Art Institute, Abe Straction, curator - C(2013)
Conjectures of a recovering dilettante
Our hope in the future is always placed into the hands of the young. That feeling lasts until the young become the old, and we begin the process again.
Today, most of what we read is propaganda. When we read something that appears to be factual, it is simply created by writers who are better at propaganda then the rest.
Have you noticed that the powerful, which are the least regulated by government, spend millions convincing the rest of us that they are the most regulated?
The flaw in the American Constitution in what was intended to be its strength: The U.S. House of Representatives can bring the government to a standstill by controlling the few districts necessary to give it a majority. The result: You now suffer from the tyranny of the minority – a potentially terminal disease.
An economy that depends on constant growth cannot have contented people. To create perpetual need for more and more material things, you must create dissatisfaction with what you have. This is an endless cycle with obvious consequences.
It is also essential to have boom and bust cycles. Note that the powerful always profit from both – even if they have to change the laws to do so.
In many societies driven by material consumption, Christianity is always considered a virtue. This works as long as Christians don’t take themselves too seriously.
Do you think that when Jesus said, “the poor will always be with you” he really meant the poor will always be with you?
In order for the toys of the rich to be successful they must convince the not rich, paying customer that they are all part of the family. Nowhere is this more obvious than in professional sports.
It is very difficult in a pluralistic society to convince the intolerant that their intolerance must be masked by pseudo tolerance if they intend to be successful.
Nothing is more destructive than sin disguised as virtue.
American culture has always had its wonderful satirists to give us insights into the events of our time. However, I don’t recall a time when the satirists were considered by the majority to be their source for the news of the day. Cannot help wonder what Edward R. Murrow might say. How about “I told you so!”
A passing thought: It is said that a democracy’s vigor can be measured by the willingness of its citizens to sacrifice. If so, where would you say the political health of the United States is today?
“The person who loves the least controls the relationship.” Unknown
Innovation is essential for a culture to survive. However, when to innovate becomes the sole purpose of innovation, a very self-destructive force is set loose.
Finally: Is it possible for the United States to govern itself with today’s religious and political fanaticism gaining more respectability as “keepers of the flame?” Have you become an enlightened people gone astray? Or - perhaps you were never that enlightened to begin with.
For those of us who still believe that from its inception, the United States remains the most enlightened experiment in human freedom ever created – perhaps a serious dose of cynicism is in order to get your bearings.
Brother Franco and Brother Giovanni commenting from Pizzaonia for "The Pizzaonian"
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