Health Care and the "Take Care of Our Own" Reach-Around Rhetoric.

The topic of health care, somehow or another, rarely comes up when I speak of issues that keep common Americans down. I try my best to do this unwillingly, but the overall necessity to identify the inherent hypocrisy laden in the counter-arguments needs addressed now more than ever. In recent discussions with both right- and left-wing friends of mine, the general consensus behind the vehement objections stems from two faulty issues that quite literally cancel each other out: paying for the health care with taxes and the age-old political pat-on-the-back that we as Americans give ourselves when discussion foreign policy, "help our own and then help others." Aside from the rhetorical red, white, and blue nonsense that takes the form of united help on any front, the importance within this article, albeit short and to the point, aims at identifying the impossibility strung in America's dehumanizing rhetoric that further exposes the inconsistencies within the counter-arguments that one would expect when discussing, say, the genocide in Darfur, and not the well-being of the citizens on "our soil."

I often find trouble even considering one's country as "their soil," since, for the most part, anything that waves an American flag around in the remembering winds of our forefathers usually accompanies imperialism, genocide (the hush-hush kind), and, at the very least, colonialism. But, to prevent further digression, the topic at hand, "helping our own and then helping others," seems to, in one way or another, have lost its muster through the recent proposal of a universal health care system in the United States. If, by chance, the arduous process of helping "our own" comes in any better form than an all-expenses-paid hospital visit, I challenge someone to tell me what that process may be. Some may lean in the general direction of "faith," or, as I like to call it, the realm of make believe, but even that institution receives billions upon billions of dollars in charitable donations per year all on account of an invisible being that "morally guides our lives" and the respectable "member" of the Catholic priest into the the alter boy's "holy ground." I speak on behalf of the Catholics as a recovered addict from the world of make believe, but I also believe the same aforementioned sodomy reference could be made across the spectrum of religion--Catholics just make it that much easier. So, to wrap that point up tighter than a prophylactic on a bishop's staff, if billions of dollars continually pour into a system of nonsensical oppression, why not put that money into a cause that actually shuns the sodomizing of little boys and, who knows, truly cares for people through medicinal purposes to potentially lead a healthy and fulfilling life? I can only pray to God that this will happen one day, but then I remember how useless my two dollars and speaking to the sky is. God always did have a soft spot for the morally bankrupt but fiscally and humanistically stingy. I bet God's health care plan is bitchin'.

You see? I'm still able to continue on with this article even after denouncing the patriarchy that is organized religion. Could I say the same if I were bleeding out internally with no insurance at the free clinic? Possibly, since they more than likely have a decent WiFi connection, but as free clinics usually remain understaffed and poorly funded due to the private sector's need to separate classes based on affordability of insurance, waiting for that dial-up connection may well be the last act I do on this Earth. Maybe that's what it is after all! Maybe Americans don't want to pay for health care for each and every citizen, regardless of social class, ethnicity, sexual preference, or age, because they know that they won't be able to update their Twitter status every thirteen seconds with Harry the Happy-Because-He-Has-Health care Hobo and Herbert the HIV-Positive-And-Still-Happy-To-Be-Homosexual Homosexual eating up their free WiFi connection and Jello cups! I knew the underlying mystery would present itself sooner or later, and to think that we, as the greatest nation in the world, didn't have to call in Scooby and the Gang makes me proud to be an American. I may not know that I'm free, but at least I know that my free WiFi connection that comes with my enormous hospital bill comes Hobo and Homo risk free. God, you really did bless America with stupidity, didn't you?

To end this rant without too many more offensive and nostalgic references--Scooby Doo, not the sodomy--I implore each person to look beyond the elitist rhetoric that keeps the poor uninsured and the rich on Twitter in their cozy hospital suites. Look past the rhetoric of the morons that promote "helping our own first" and see that these poor souls, more than likely at church praying right now, come from a corrupted system that cares little for anyone outside of the top 1% club that we all will never receive invitations to. You pay to have you streets patrolled by police, your fires put out by fireman, and your sick and dying hauled off by the EMTs in cases of dire emergency--until they get to the hospital, of course, where they become escorted off the premises by either the police force you pay for or, with a bit of luck, on a gurney in a body bag. So, therefore, for the love of the two or more dollars you spend per week to speak to God or Papa Smurf, start caring for each and every human on this planet. I can jump on board with the traditional rhetoric of "help our own and then help others," but in order to do so, we need to be damn-well-sure that "our own" can actively function to make a difference in the world. Be a human being and not a mindless machine. Smash it all. And, yes, God is a capitalist.

The Actions of the Americano: How Stupidity Became the New Black.

While clicking through the channels the other night, some faster than others, namely Fox News, I stumbled upon the new craze that inevitably all Perez Hilton and American Idol fans flock to on MTV: Jersey Shore. At first glance, albeit quick, the show mimics much of what used to compromise the enjoyable elements of the now ancient reality television: real-life situations, drama, a bit of Disney-rated sex, and a metaphorical boat load--unless of course you consider the "Real World: Semester at Sea," in which case the boat load compromised a cruise ship with real-life complete morons--of spoiled kids that more than likely bought their way on to the Vizio television that Wal-Mart jammed down our throats for a reasonable and exploitative price. As the issue currently stands, Jersey Shore officially qualifies itself as a reality television show by default, but this reality show, differing slightly from the mainstream programming that bombards even the Food Network anymore, endorses stereotypes, misogynistic actions, and what continues to plummet the American public into a sea of eternal pain, stupidity.

The argument against this assertion already rings out on a daily basis in attempts to condone the actions on television and promote a further appreciation for the stupidity before the American public. This statement does not come from a personal hatred for reality television in general, for the entertainment value of these shows, if viewed properly, drastically outweighs a cold winter evening at home with Angela Lansbury in Murder She Wrote; however, the argument fails to hold any validity when the stupidity on screen transposes itself into daily actions via fist pumps and labeling oneself with a cheesy nickname that a computer generates in attempts to mainstream an already mind-numbing stupidity. Therefore, with these factual presentations of a transposed ignorance accessible to the masses on their friend's Facebook pictures and "originally crafted names," the argument against the content within these programs deserves attention and serious action to help prevent a nation of orange club-goers that look like a recreation of Mel Stuart's vision of Oompa Loompas.

Before the first privilege on that piece of parchment that dictates the rights and liberties of those stuck in this nation comes into question, understand that the freedom of expression and speech remains a top priority when both briefly watching the stupidity of Jersey Shore and writing this very entry. That being said, the problems arise when, as previously stated, the imitation of said idiocy becomes a normal practice of everyday life. Unfortunately, much to the unknowing dismay of the American public, the limitations of these moronic acts do not wholly confine themselves to television. On a much grander scale, those that praise and worship the Book of Stories--the Bible, to some--and take its message to heart, broadcasting the inherent stupidity within those pages to a not-so-interested audience fall victim of enacting a stupidity that needs to remain silent and embedded in the deadened parts of the brain. Connecting these two ideas--religion and Jersey Shore--appears to make little to no sense upon first read, but the similarities remain present and expose themselves in a fashionable trend that demeans the very intelligence of an entire nation. To limit the production and reproduction of this stupidity known as the replication of stupid actions to just television and the Book of Stories offers a slew of problems, mostly due to the fact that other forms of stupidity continually pop up on a daily basis. The identification of the problem initiates the necessity to change, but how does one go about doing so?

In sum, stop being a moron and doing everything done on a newly spun-off show on MTV. That being the tip of the iceberg, think about the actions portrayed: do these actions transpire as acts that impact one's intelligence? Surely there will be one individual out there with an IQ of 200 that fist pumps their way into the club each and every night. Even still, with an IQ of 200, that person remains a moron. The same can be said about an over-zealous Christian, Muslim, Jew, or any religious moron that believes each and every word written in texts that merely outline a civil and morally just way of life. One could even identify the example of the beauty queen that starves herself in an attempt to make it down to a size zero to help better her image and make herself marketable in the Americano culture. Yes, without much delay, this person, too, comes off as a moron.

The main reason this article attacks all forms of replicated stupidity across the board--aside from the evident fun in doing so--stems from a current distaste for Americano culture in general. Something as simple as a television show, though harmless to most, drastically impacts how our society functions as a whole. Again, the necessity of these shows remains just as important--if not more so--than the current "news" fed to the public on a daily basis--in this day and age one could not survive without the other. Instead, these shows should be taken at face value and appreciated for their entertainment and not their ridiculous actions that people take to heart and reenact. Just as the Book of Stories can make a person better through guidance and example, so can watching a mind-numbing show and appreciating its entertainment value. Over the course of the past ten years, American television dropped off the deep end in terms of intellectual stimulation. Not far from this notion, the news that the public reads--this is when one uses their eyes to read and interpret words on a page or screen--has been taken down multiple notches to around a sixth-grade reading level. That, in and of itself, defies the very notion that this nation remains the most literate and intelligent in the world. If, by chance, the literacy rate of the nation bases itself off of the ignorance that transfers from screen to everyday action, then this nation, in its current state, rates among the top intellectuals in the history of the world. Love it, leave it, or accept it and become a moron--you decide.

So, in sum, the proposition and call to action resides before the Americano populace: stop the idiocy. In no way does this article endorse the abolishment of the television; instead, like most activities that require moderation, use common sense when discerning between the "reality" in reality television and the reality that remains real life. This separation, if done correctly, could eliminate a large portion of the moronic comments and actions that occupy each and every aspect of one's daily life. From fake tans to tribal and Chinese tattoos, the American public has officially hopped on the bus of broadcasted unintelligence. When others view the United States from around the world, in its current state, they become bombarded with the stupidity that comes from our mainstream culture. Soon enough, and this is presupposing at the very best, the American public will revert to phoning in their presidential nomination to Ryan Seacrest while he fist pumps on stage to Lil' Wayne and holds a pimp chalice filled with Cognac. As the "superpower" of the world, America, is this what you wanted? Turn your brains on and start to think--I know you're all not that stupid. Separate the realities before you separate your mind from thinking in general. Smash it all.

Education or Domination? The American Nightmare.

While reading a past entry of Denis Rancourt's titled "Education for more Anarchy," I began to think of all the situations in which the education system fails those being "educated." Before identifying the contributing factors that lead to the inevitable indoctrination of the student body in the K-16 system, more specifically the collegiate system, one must first come to terms with the ever-present issue that constantly remains overlooked when speaking on the topic of education: class.

In a true Marxist fashion, the society that we live in today can successfully be divided up into two classes that I like to term the working class and the non-working class, or as Marx would state, the proletariat and the bourgeoisie.
The latter, in my example, as most would assume on first read, consist of those individuals that, quite literally, do none of the work. Be it manual labor, white-collar jobs, executive positions, or even the dishwasher at Red Lobster, these individuals do literally none of the work. Surely this explanation provides fuel to the ever-present stereotypical fire of the average, run-of-the-mill homeless individual, but the reality of the situation places that very notion on its head.

Instead, in the current system we reside in, the non-working-class individuals, those that do none of the work and feed off of the system are all but unemployed. These individuals, or, more or less, this unified body of the wealthy, control and dominate the United States of America. Regardless of where one looks, be it on Wall Street or in the cheap pornographic magazines at 7-11, this collective entity of the wealthy controls each and every aspect of our everyday lives. That may be a bit hard to swallow at first, and, trust me, it does burn like Windex after a failed prom evening, but I assure you that the facts tell the tale more than quirky metaphors and drawn out analogies.

In his book, Land of Idols, Michael Parenti, much like Karl Marx, identifies what has already been established previously concerning the work distribution in a capitalistic system. Though his book is almost ten years old, the facts he presents in 1992 still shines a prominent light on the non-working class' overall domination of the working class. He states, "As of 1992, the rich in America had a net worth of $6.14 trillion. The richest one percent controlled more than 60 percent of the national wealth--and that includes only assets declared" (55). Again, the distance in years may well provide a different argument in terms of how much the top one percent actually owns. But, due to the recent bailouts of corporate bullies, the supposition leans toward an even greater gap than the United States observed in 1992.

As it seems rather odd to identify such an enormous class separation in an article aimed at exposing the domination present in the educational system, the importance in presenting the larger hierarchy that dominates and subjugates the lives of the average, working-class American provides, at the very least, a sense of relatability across the spectrum of the exploited. To focus the attention back on the present issue at hand, that of the education system, the overall differences present within the educational superstructure run parallel with that of the current social class system in the United States. For all intents and purposes, those attending college often feel relatively safe and sheltered from the capitalistic world squeezing the life out of them, but, as Dave Chapelle's show so gracefully stated, all students come to a moment when "keeping it real goes wrong."

Students in today's America attend state, private, and sometimes, though not always, elite universities in hopes of achieving a well-paying job that elevates their social status. Some people, as few as they may be, do attend college to help better the people around them, which, as beautiful as that truly is, often falls short of the mainstream reasoning for attending college. In sum, the students entering the collegiate world seek the ever-present mythological creature known as the "American Dream," which, looking at the facts, proves to be just as existent as the Lochness monster or the invisible man in the sky. Without digressing too far off the already deviated path, the American Dream captures the hearts of all those individuals that find themselves wondering how to earn more money and become dominant and powerful--a problem that translates itself back to the rudimentary reason for entering college: prestige.

In the world of academia, as well as in the "real world," a well-educated individual usually, though not always, translates to a higher salary and a certain amount of respect in a culture that values American Idol and Larry the Cable Guy. Americans are by no mean stupid, rather, I feel that Americans fail to see the larger picture that continually paints itself in front of their very eyes. This picture, as Marx predicted, labels the elite on top of us all with a whip in one hand and our dollar bills in the other--an image that most Americans accept, tolerate, and even idolize in various ways.

To help combat this idolization of the rich, many American families find themselves taking out second mortgages to help fund their child's education to, with hope, propel their offspring into same limelight as the elite--an issue both heartfelt and problematic. Though the blame cannot be placed upon these individuals for seeking a higher form of education, the idea behind sending students to school in attempts to make more money seems awfully absurd when considering the facts mentioned previously. Respect often accompanies the prestige of becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but how separated are these individuals from the true working-class individuals that build the very infrastructure most of us take for granted daily? If, by chance, the impressionable dollar amount that fills their bank account acts as a tool of separation rather than a tool of inequality, the American people will remain in the dark about the current class warfare that keeps them just above the poverty line and just below the happiness line. This class warfare, as mentioned previously by Marx and Parenti, is none other than the non-working class versus the working class, and we are not winning.

So, sure, the presence of a college education yields fantastic results when thinking in terms of educating the populace. But what of the very education that the educators are educating us with? Could it be, by chance, that the institutions that promise higher salaries, luxurious benefits, and a security in knowing that we, the American populace, will continually have a job no matter how many bailouts and recessions we go through know that they are creating workers to occupy the jobs that keep the machine of capitalism running smoothly? The amount of business students entering college has skyrocketed over the past decade, which in and of itself provides another hierarchical structure that places one human being above others in an attempt to sustain order and keep things running smoothly (see aforementioned painting regarding the whip and dollar bills--I believe it was done by Van Gogh). If these are the individuals entering college, and I need not place all the blame on the business majors of tomorrow, then what are we to do but sit and accept our timely fate as just another number that passes by multi-million dollar mansions with our faces pressed against the window of our '96 Neon hoping that one day we'll rise through the rankings enough to become one of the elite that control our country? Seeing as to though the probability of working our way into a family inheritance seems virtually impossible, we, as the American working class, can do only what the institutions we find ourselves being educated in will allow: become educated.

Understanding the impossibility of rising through the enormous working class and into the lavishes of the elite needs to be brought to people's attention. The current education system imposes capitalistic domination that further separates the working class from the non-working class. Surely there will be hundreds of thousands of people that will inevitably accept their fate as a worker and not an owner, but why do those two ideas need to be mutually exclusive? While we sit and bicker over a dying health care bill that ensures, at the very least, decent health coverage of millions of Americans, those that control the wealth in the nation--those in possession of the $6.14+ trillion dollars--sit idly and watch the working class fight in attempts to separate our status. The current state of the American Dream, at least as we know it today, leads the populace to a land of illusion where hard work, an education, and dedication to one's job still pays off in terms of pay increase and status upgrades. Instead, we as a united body, those of us reading this that are still stuck in the working class, need to realize that the American Dream is no longer a dream; much to the dismay of those in college that share high hopes of succeeding with the best, the American Dream has inevitably become the American Nightmare.

The college students of our generation need to understand the elements of exploitation that keep the working class at bay. Universities contribute to the cause but can also be used to our advantage in bringing at the very least a sound awareness across the nation. In order to act and produce results that we all can respect and benefit from, we, as working-class human beings, need to unite and revolutionize the domination taking place in universities--the factory, product, and dominatrix of the capitalist system. No longer do we need to sit and listen to lectures that supplement the capitalist ideology that reinforces the individual importance in a society of collective poverty. No longer do we need to pay for an education that literally places us back into the machine to work and provide our blood as lubrication to the cogs that grind our minds to mush. No longer do we need to separate ourselves as upper-, middle-, and lower-middle class citizens in an attempt to disengage ourselves from our true roots of working-class citizens. Instead, much to the chagrin of the elite one percent, we need to educate ourselves in a way that stands up to the social class inequalities present in the United States. We need to put aside the material possessions that separate the masses in the working class and take back the money we earned as a collective unit. That being step one, the rest of the money that we do receive from our hard work and dedication should be reinvested in the educational system to help educate each and every individual free of charge. No longer do we need student loan debts to prove our worth in the United States. It's time to take action, and we can start by dismantling the superstructure from the top down. I implore you to continue your education with the hope of one day seeing a student body that challenges each and every oppressive aspect of the Americano culture. But, if all of this seems far too Utopian for you, I leave you with a quote by the late George Carlin. When you cuddle up late tonight with your warm blanket and pointless Snuggie, close your eyes and begin to dream, because if it's the American Dream you're after, you have to be asleep to believe it. Step one: start the education revolution. Step two: smash it all. Step three: take back what we have earned. Bring them to their knees.

Parenti, Michael. Land of Idols: Political Mythology in America. New York: St. Martins Press, 1994. Print.

In no way do I discourage collegiate education. Please, by all means, attend college on the government's dollar and take it all back and then some. Make a change by thinking for yourself!