Greetings from the end of the world! Or at least, you can see it from here. We’re facing economic ruin, a pandemic the likes of which hasn’t been seen in a century, and our planet is quickly becoming uninhabitable. It’s as if the universe played multiple choice and cheated its ass off. Putting the Cheese Hitler in charge was just cruel, though
What’s an old liberal like me to do? Hoard like one bunch of fools, or run around in public, like the other group of fools? I could just sit home and worry about everything, but I did that before the apocalypse. Also, if it is the apocalypse, how will we know? I’m sure no one at Pompeii saw that coming.
I’m going to do something incredibly stupid, according to my reptile section of the brain, and be hopeful. That’s right, I said it. I’m hopeful. I’m not pie in the sky, navel gazing hopeful, though. It’s a levelheaded, seeing the best in people during this time kind of thing. And it all starts with ends and beginnings, hence the title of this post. And once again, points for you if you can name where I stole the title from. Let’s begin!
Beginning: Respect and the realization that we need all parts of society to be treated well and fairly. IF you’d told most people that Walmart stockers and truck drivers were going to be the most important people during a collapse of society, they’d have laughed at you. Not anymore. At this point, they’re one of the few things holding the whole thing together. If we don’t get them a decent wage, decent health care, and decent treatment, we’ve missed the point of this whole experience.
Ending: Bailing out giant corporations and the stock market. People in big business like to talk about free markets, and how only the strong should survive. But when the crap hits the fan, they suddenly become socialists. One and a half trillion dollars they took from you and me and blew it in fifteen minutes. Even Charlie Sheen on coke can’t spend like that. That was enough to end student debt, or fund Medicare for All in perpetuity. The Fortune 500 took Trump’s tax break last year and spent on themselves like a Kardashian after their first show check. Time to let them follow their own rules, and not bail out their house of cards.
Beginning: Americans are finally starting to acknowledge we have different social classes, and they’re not liking it. Most Americans, even when poor, act like temporarily inconvenienced billionaires. If the money spent on Wall Street didn’t wake people up, then the imbalance in COVID-19 testing rollouts sure did.
Ending: The idea of for-profit medicine in America. If you’re watching the USA’s readiness for COVID and cringing, you’re paying attention. Ever since Nixon unfettered hospitals from non-profits in 1972, we’ve slipped down in health care quality. When Saudi Arabia is regarded as a better place to get sick, we have fucked up.
Beginning: The cracks in the Trump Administration and the GOP. If delaying aid, outright lies, and thousands dying due to federal incompetence, malfeasance and greed aren’t enough to boot them out of control, it’s time for armed revolt.
Ending: The ridicule of Medicare for All and UBI as ridiculous ideas. The Trump Administration is planning to spend 30 trillion to shore up the banks in this country. After that, we have no excuse for homelessness, crushing debt or anyone dying of starvation or homelessness. We’re going to come through this as more caring, more aware people, or we’re going to die in masse. There is no excuse anymore. No decision about us, without us, period.