Although, in an era where the culturally defining myths of fundamentalist Christianity and corporate consumerism mix, merge, and envelope us -- we do hold sacred the following value: We believe that incessant self-promotion and successful salesmanship is close to godliness. Ken Lay died for our sins of self-doubt. He slipped the surly bonds of this earth and his soul rose to paradise where he will spend eternity, close to our father, the cosmic CEO. Kenny boy is now so close to The Lord he can hear The All-Mighty count his money. For God so loved the world: He bought the company.
Here and now: on earth, as it is in heaven, the values of present day conservatism inform us sinners we must, without question, embody a godly consumer's credo: "I am what I buy; ergo, the facade I show to the world is who I am. Perhaps, if I begin to believe this shimmering lie deeply enough - possessed of a saint's abiding conviction -- then it will become an abiding truth."
In addition, in our secular dealings, we must endeavor to become socially and agreeably dumb; this credo -- the ascendant and defining credo of our age is: "The less you know the smarter you are." Let me explain (very slowly for those reading this without moving their lips and who are unable to wrap their big, snobby, reason-bound brains around the concept): Time, in the corporate era, is more valuable than intelligence; so it follows -- anyone who would waste valuable time pursuing mere knowledge is stupid; therefore -- stupid is the new smart. Got it, stupid?
Our values are as precious to us as life itself. Accordingly, one and all can see how precious life is to us by the realities of our present day healthcare system. Also, our values include honest, hard work. Many of us value work to such a profound degree that the ruling class corporatists have allowed us to hold down two or even three, low-wage, zero-benefits jobs so that we can vainly attempt to make ends meet. What sorts of values are these? Who has the time to answer such a frivolous question -- we have to get back to work.
But we the people of The United States know this much: There are people, very bad people, in this world, who want to destroy our values. And there are consequences for this. For example, the people of Iraq are suffering so badly due to the fact that their belief in their false god has made them a callous and cruel people. So much so, that it leaves them indifferent to the suffering of us Americans who feel a deep sense of betrayal due to their cruel rejection of our charitable desire to share our values with them.
Therefore, we're left with little choice but to bring on our faith-based indifference to their suffering. Where would the people of Iraq be without our values?
As an empire grows grotesque, its populace mirrors its ugliness in mind and action. Yet, in this era of authoritarian corporate rule, just below the level of our conscious understandings, we're aware of the sad fact that all this nonsensical palaver about values is simply a desperate gambit to keep reality at bay.
Why is it so difficult to face facts? Perhaps, because, in an age when we've lost any semblance of economic independence and have forsaken so many of our rights and liberties - what do we have left to call our own? What we're left with are our values.
So what exactly are values anyway? Values are what the clergy and the corporatists allow us to keep for ourselves -- after they've made off with all the valuables.
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