Find Your Place Next to Nero

The Gods must think we’re crazy. Why wouldn’t they? Selling our souls by the hour, and for what? Politicians speak eloquently of racial and economic equality as if their livelihoods aren’t dependent on exploitation. And God forbid anyone dares suggest our government is broken or in need of repair. Oh no, that person will be labeled a heretic for sure. The hard truth is this: A person shouldn’t have to choose between a lifesaving drug and feeding their family simply because some ungodly rich executive wants a new yacht. What kind of human being does that? The politicians we’ve elected to defend against such greed are themselves paid off by big pharma. We spend untold trillions on weapons without thought of how they’re being used. But let someone suggest universal healthcare or even affordable health care. Well… it’s just too expensive, isn’t it? But if you are lucky enough to have insurance don’t worry, they’ll use every trick in the book to deny your claim, and they’ll get away with it too. It’s easy. Just throw a little money to our elected officials and bam, problem solved. Many of us, myself included, are just a few missed paychecks away from homelessness, and yet we still cling to the concept of American exceptionalism. But as long as we continue to allow billionaires and politicians to get away with lies and deceit, there can be no “true” exceptionalism. Because the vast majority of us are just trying to keep our heads above the water. The world is crashing down around us, and like Nero, we play our violin and watch it burn.