So Young, So Wrong

I had just about given up hope of sighting the rare bird, the Politicus Derangus", when, in a moment, he swooped into my sights (binocular, not rifle - what kind of a girl do you think I am?):

We were force-fed the ideology that there is no alternative to the existing model of neoliberalism and corporate- controlled globalization. If we tried to suggest that we could play a role in molding our own destinies, we were laughed at. What's best for business is what's best for the world, we were told, and if you disagree with the bosses, too bad, because no one's going to listen.

All you can do is face this cold reality, get a good job, and try to keep as warm as possible within the confines of your isolated, insulated home.

Idealism died in this country because the doctrine of "There Is No Alternative" killed it. We don't dream of utopia anymore. So it's no wonder that our parents, not us, are showing up to protest the war in Iraq. They believe in the power of social movements because they saw the civil rights movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement shape history before their very eyes.

I grew up with the belief that the only people who had real power were CEOs. When you grow up in an age of tax cuts for corporate bosses and slashed social programs, this is what happens.

R-i-i-i-i-g-h-t. The Edulefties that hold the public schools by the short hairs weren't able to overcome the dreaded Right-Wing Propaganda Machine's heavy hands.

But, hey, Sam Graham-Felsen isn't a humorless, self-sacrificing drudge. He has a hedonistic side:

I own a $400, 15-gigabyte iPod. This sounds bad enough, but worse yet, I purchased it after owning a five-gigabyte iPod for only six months. I am, admittedly, a gadget addict. I am one of those guys who actually reads the Circuit City ads in the Sunday paper before getting to the op-eds. If you look at my Internet history, you’ll see endless links to amazon.com, where I look daily to see if the price of the Canon GL2 digital video camera has gone down yet. It’s pathetic, but I can’t help it.

At this point, you might be questioning my apologist tone. After all, plenty of people own iPods, and plenty of people love gadgets. Well, I’m apologizing because I am a leftist, because I believe in redistribution of wealth, because I am philosophically opposed to hedonism at the expense of those who are hungry. And yet, I still buy gadgets, I still have a cool, small cell phone and I still eat at Darwin’s and High Rise for lunch. Everyone who knows me thinks I am a hypocrite. And I most certainly am. In fact, every leftist—with the possible exception of Ralph Nader (who doesn’t even own a car)—is, on some level, a hypocrite.

No, Goodcitizen Nader doesn't own a car, but he isn't a modern-day Ghandi. He has an extimated net worth of nearly $4 million, according to Enter Stage Right, who found Nader's financial worth thanks to a Public Financial Disclosure Report under the Ethics in Government Act with the Federal Election Commission.

Back to Mr. Graham-Nelsen. He is a graduate of Harvard, and a few years ago, even embraced the capitalist ideal, and opened his own business - tutoring the children of the evil capitalist class. At least, I think they were capitalists - Sam charged $85/hour for his services.



Look at that face - is that someone who would overthrow the system, or what?

Tags = Stupid People