How about a little fire?

[Richter]

Present day United States of America society as a whole has degraded too far.  It's an easy opinion to have.  Decades of success and superpower has made us complacent and smug, self assured at the top.  Comfortable as a nation we took the laurels from our grandparent's brows, and placed them squarely beneath our fundaments.  We coasted our way to the moon, and stopped.  Pride and security in doing things for ourselves is lost.  We rely on the goods and economies of other nations, and they're coming to realize that America isn't just a power to reckon; it's a cow to be milked.  Like Romans, we're still sitting unaware with our bread at the circus, in front of a plasma TV with a "Budweiser" (now foreign owned!), while the looters approach the city gates.  Honestly, it looks grim.

There are among modern USA folks, those who do NOT fit the stereotypes listed above.  They ignore the zeitgeist's tendencies, and work with ideals that certainly serve them well.  Frugality, ingenuity, self sufficiency, and working hard to productive ends will still occur here and there.  It is easy to be jaded and live the easy "throw away", handout life, and there may be no "greater good".  However, unless people act like they want to live and thrive, likely they will not.  Sadly, the group that does realize these things is a minority, but it's a minority which may do well in the down turning times to come.

In regards to the USA as a whole, it may be time for it all to come down.  Things have been too fat for too long, and there's no other good way to sort out the useable bits from the flammable chaff.  Burn it.  Slow or fast, but let it all feel the fire for the sake of letting whatever is left work its way back up without all the bloat.  Or if nothing worthwhile is there, then the ashes will be nothing worth crying over.  One can never really appreciate food, heat and security until you've been hungry and cold with the wolves closing in. 

Those who have a mind to prevent this might, if enough time is left, and the sentiment spreads far enough.  Even if it's too late, those who would embrace better principles will only ensure that they or their descendants will be the ones left to make "American" a term worth a damn once more. 

Author's note:
That's the rantish part.  I'm not advocating sitting down and waiting for the collapse or hording canned goods and firearms (thought it never hurts in moderation).  This is more about living constructive, pragmatic ideas, acting smart where possible, and trying to get others to do so.

[Contessa_Ugolino]

Much to like, here.
* Title: A riff on the Wicked Witch? "How about a little fire, Scarecrow?"
* Whole first paragraph strikes me as win, esp. the bit about Budweiser. That bit might really sink in to a more resistant brain.
* "One can never really appreciate food, heat and security until you've been hungry and cold with the wolves closing in."
* Last sentence is powerful.

In the spirit of constructive criticism, I observe that the first sentence of the second paragraph seems weaker than the surrounding rantiness.

Very nice.

[Cramulus]

This reminds me a lot of Klaus Nomi's "After the fall"

Well I told you about the total eclipse now
but still it caught you unaware
But I'm telling you hold on, hold on
Tomorrow we'll be there
And even though you went to church upon Sunday
you thought you didn't even have a prayer
But I'm telling you hold on, hold on
Tomorrow we'll be there

After the fall we'll be born, born, born again
after it all blows away
after the fall, after the fall
after it all blows away

We'll take a million years of civilization
We're gonna give it the electric chair
But I'm telling you hold on, hold on
Tomorrow we'll be there

I see a hundred million lonely mutants
they are glowing in their dark despair
But I'm telling you hold on, hold on
Tomorrow we'll be there

Well the freak shall inherit the earth now
No matter how well done or rare
But I'm telling you hold on, hold on
Tomorrow we'll be there
We'll build our radioactive castles
out in the radioactive air
And I'm telling you hold on, hold on
Tomorrow we'll be there

are you with me, you hundred million lonely mutants?

fuck yeah!



But see, there's nothing to wait for. It's already happening. It's the Strange Times, and each of us get to make our very own country to live in, nestled snugly in the middle of something big and chaotic and dynamic. And every man is an island, but every island is pleasure island or Riker's island or fireball island or whatever you want. ...Sorta.

[BADGE OF HONOR]

I think about the downfall of civilization a lot.  I know that every generation thinks it's witnessing the death of society, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that the End is Nigh.  All I have to do is watch a 16 year old driving her brand new Hummer.

Seriously, it's just around the corner.

[East Coast Hustle]

I think about the downfall of civilization a lot.  I know that every generation thinks it's witnessing the death of society, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that the End is Nigh.  All I have to do is watch a 16 year old giving Uncle BadTouch a Hummer.

Seriously, it's just around the corner.

I took the liberty of fixing that for you.

[Richter]

Thanks all!

In the spirit of constructive criticism, I observe that the first sentence of the second paragraph seems weaker than the surrounding rantiness.

Very nice.

Good point about Par. 2, Sen. 1.  I tend to jump around as far as levels of rantiness in conversation too, playing off the contrast.  No idea if this is effective in print form, but I'll know to try playing with / without it now!

Also, yes, Wicked Witch of the West quote , and indirect nod to "Straw Men". 

But see, there's nothing to wait for. It's already happening. It's the Strange Times, and each of us get to make our very own country to live in, nestled snugly in the middle of something big and chaotic and dynamic. And every man is an island, but every island is pleasure island or Riker's island or fireball island or whatever you want. ...Sorta.

I need to go listen to more K.N. now...
Also, a response to your "Strange Times" will eventually be it's own bit, but this clarifies a good bit about it.  As I'll likely say again, I'm finding myself growing more in favor of making life into 3 Miles Island for the sake of pushing things forward.  Treating yourself (not others) to a horror or two for greater diversity and perspective in the long view, so to speak.

I think about the downfall of civilization a lot.  I know that every generation thinks it's witnessing the death of society, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that the End is Nigh.  All I have to do is watch a 16 year old driving her brand new Hummer.

Seriously, it's just around the corner.

That's the kind of shit I'm on about.  It just seems like another senseless opulence.  I won't even go into comparing the military / civilian toybox versions...

[Cainad (dec.)]

I think about the downfall of civilization a lot.  I know that every generation thinks it's witnessing the death of society, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that the End is Nigh.  All I have to do is watch a 16 year old giving Uncle BadTouch a Hummer.

Seriously, it's just around the corner.

I took the liberty of fixing that for you.

:coffeemoniter:

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I think about the downfall of civilization a lot.  I know that every generation thinks it's witnessing the death of society, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that the End is Nigh.  All I have to do is watch a 16 year old driving her brand new Hummer.

Seriously, it's just around the corner.

All I have to do is watch the average shithead snowbird blissfully driving along, unaware that I will hunt, kill, and EAT them the moment it all goes to shit, either through no oil, or by Russia getting all stupid and fucking with Poland.

I will eat them because THEY did this shit, THEY created this situation, when there was still TIME to do something SMART.

[wade]

I think about the downfall of civilization a lot.  I know that every generation thinks it's witnessing the death of society, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that the End is Nigh.  All I have to do is watch a 16 year old driving her brand new Hummer.

Seriously, it's just around the corner.

All I have to do is watch the average shithead snowbird blissfully driving along, unaware that I will hunt, kill, and EAT them the moment it all goes to shit, either through no oil, or by Russia getting all stupid and fucking with Poland.

I will eat them because THEY did this shit, THEY created this situation, when there was still TIME to do something SMART.

Roger, may I be your assistant when the time comes?  IRL I am bearable.

[Requia ☣]

I think about the downfall of civilization a lot.  I know that every generation thinks it's witnessing the death of society, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that the End is Nigh.  All I have to do is watch a 16 year old driving her brand new Hummer.

Seriously, it's just around the corner.

All I have to do is watch the average shithead snowbird blissfully driving along, unaware that I will hunt, kill, and EAT them the moment it all goes to shit, either through no oil, or by Russia getting all stupid and fucking with Poland.

I will eat them because THEY did this shit, THEY created this situation, when there was still TIME to do something SMART.

Roger, may I be your assistant when the time comes?  IRL I am bearable.

Say yes, then eat him first.

[Roo]

I think about the downfall of civilization a lot.  I know that every generation thinks it's witnessing the death of society, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that the End is Nigh.  All I have to do is watch a 16 year old driving her brand new Hummer.

Seriously, it's just around the corner.

All I have to do is watch the average shithead snowbird blissfully driving along, unaware that I will hunt, kill, and EAT them the moment it all goes to shit, either through no oil, or by Russia getting all stupid and fucking with Poland.

I will eat them because THEY did this shit, THEY created this situation, when there was still TIME to do something SMART.

THEY didn't create this situation any more than you did. It's OUR responsibility, it's OUR problem. WE are the ones we've been waiting for. WE are the only ones that can do anything SMART.

But chances are, we'll sit and watch it burn, because we keep thinking that someone else is going to save us. We keep thinking it's THEIR fault, and THEY need to fix it. But THEY won't, because there is no THEY. There is only US, and the sooner we recognize that, the better off WE will be.

[wade]

I think about the downfall of civilization a lot.  I know that every generation thinks it's witnessing the death of society, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that the End is Nigh.  All I have to do is watch a 16 year old driving her brand new Hummer.

Seriously, it's just around the corner.

All I have to do is watch the average shithead snowbird blissfully driving along, unaware that I will hunt, kill, and EAT them the moment it all goes to shit, either through no oil, or by Russia getting all stupid and fucking with Poland.

I will eat them because THEY did this shit, THEY created this situation, when there was still TIME to do something SMART.

Roger, may I be your assistant when the time comes?  IRL I am bearable.

Say yes, then eat him first.

I just wanted to avoid being eaten by him.

[East Coast Hustle]

he's like a human Cthulhu.

even if you're his right hand man, it just means that he'll eat you last.

[Kai]

he's like a human Cthulhu.

even if you're his right hand man, it just means that he'll eat you last.

I thought he wanted to be killed first?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

he's like a human Cthulhu.

even if you're his right hand man, it just means that he'll eat you last.

I thought he wanted to be killed first?

Fuckin' A.