THE PIZZAONIAN

The era of “Barnum and Bailey” returns

 

Webster defines hype this way: “to stimulate, to enliven” These are the daunting tasks advertisers and politicians are faced with – to stimulate where there is no-interest – to enliven where there is no- life. This leads inevitably to exaggeration and overstatement. This has become so common we don’t notice it anymore and consider the static and overstatement of advertising normal.  

Now how does this affect our politics? Exactly like any other product and this is why we are where we are today. Selling the product has become more important than the product being sold. The message is more important than what the message is about. In the political arena this translates to “knowing how to get elected" being more important than knowing how to govern.”  

This creates a world for the “Barnum and Bailey” huckster.  Knowing how to grab the limelight and be the constant center of attention becomes a valuable commodity in a culture where the average person’s attention span is no more that fifteen minutes.

This allows the demagogues to “mine the gold.” They are instinctively aware of where all the “hot buttons are.”  Unfortunately, this is all they know.  Now this is fine when selling soap, but what happens when you are selling something more important?

Well, many of us are about to find out. Will we be lucky enough to have all “persons rise to the occasion” or not? Only time will tell.   

Brother Giovanni

Follow us on Twitter

We also recommend: GiovanniandFranco.com

Will there be future jobs available for those that need them?

Things we should be worried about

 

The fundamental human right to work with dignity – nothing is more important than honest work that allows each of us to meet our obligations with dignity and respect.

Virtually, every creed, religious or humanistic, proclaims the basic concept of each person’s right to work.  It cannot be said more eloquently than the statement expressed by the Catholic Church's seven themes on Social Justice.

"Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. Work, to use an image, 'anoints' us with dignity, fills us with dignity, makes us similar to God, who has worked and still works, who always acts..."
- Pope Francis, Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and World Labor Day, 5/1/13

"I address a strong appeal from my heart that the dignity and safety of the worker always be protected."
- Pope Francis, Regina Caeli, 4/28/13

Most everyone would agree with these statements.  Yet, we now face a future where automation is eliminating jobs by the thousands.  Will there be future jobs available for those that need them? 

We hear that the jobs of the future will be there.  The issue is the training and education these positions require.  The other question that is not answered is even with training and education will there still be enough work for everyone that needs a job? 

And, why are not governments addressing this future crisis that now seems inevitable?   This is a pending social crisis of enormous proportions that if not addressed now will change the social fabric of all societies.

Think about it.

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching.cfm 

Events of the day……

It seems every President defines their legacy by the way they handle the inevitable political roadblocks and various created obstructions to their policies that occur during their administration.  President Obama spent eight years working at doing just that.  Only time will tell if he succeeded.  The problem is for the American people to resolve as well.  After all, they are the ones most hurt when their political system is allowed to fail them. And now we begin again............

Think about it……..

Until next time,

Brother Giovanni

opd 216

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

We aslo recommend: "GIOVANNIANDFRANCO.COM

Reality versus intent - Dogma - in a constantly changing world

Religious faith, tolerance or intolerance? - this question seems to be with us forever.

The normalization of Absurdity - an American phenomena - a Pizzaonian observation

(C)2012

Pizzaonian National Flag, courtesy of Pizzaonian Art Institute, curator, Abe Straction

 

At what point did we stop trying to figure out whether anything makes sense anymore - probably, at the point when everything became absurd, and being absurd became the new normal. 

What is strange about this is that you get the impression no one but you has noticed. It is very hard to buck the trend when you are the only sane person left. Of course, since you are sane, you immediately wonder if you are insane since you seem to be the only one who has noticed the difference- this is what any sane person would think. 

So, you see our unfortunate dilemma, when absurdity becomes the norm, we all suffer from collective insanity.  Therefore, it is perfectly logical to wage war for peace, teach poor people a lesson about life by making sure they stay poor, and credit any good that has come to you as being a product of your superior intelligence and hard work. 

You can add to this a democracy where knowing how to get elected is valued and knowing how to govern doesn’t seem to matter very much – and so on and so on ……….. (Election 2016?)

An afterthought - In a world of absurdity it is only a question of time in a free economy,  that we will have commission sales agents selling democratic  governments to the highest bidder - in an absurd world a very reasonable concept.  Of course, that could never happen in the United States.

And you wonder why we chose to portalize to Pizzaonia.

 
                                

For "The Pizzaonian"  - Vera V. Veronica,  commenting from Pizzaonia for the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network, Diverti Mento, editor

The Pizzaonian alse recommends:

http://giovanniandfranco.com

opd 1215