The American Dream is actually a trance,
mesmerizing people with the motion
of a seamless parade of material goods
turning citizens into addict-consumers
as surely as opium.

It works like a charm.  As the carrot moves further,
the consumer becomes mired deeply in debt
and uses his charge cards for necessities
while plastic chains are attached to his neck.

Yet he keeps following that mesmerizing motion
in the trance from which he cannot awake.
In this carnival act that is capitalism,
the consumer's being charmed by the snake.

(Inspired by Visa charge card's ads depicting
uninterrupted, seamless consumption, which
generates uninterrupted, seamless profits.
-  Like that's a good thing.)