Just as no one knows the cause of earthquakes, sudden mass culture changes are a matter of great mystery to sociologists. History is rife with instances of these shifts. Communist Russia was seen as heroic, but then all of America changed its mind in 1946. Cigarettes were once the epitome of cool, but now smokers are pariahs huddled outside office buildings as if waiting for the next train to Auschwitz. And of course, there’s Adam Lambert.
So it is that after eleven years, America has suddenly lost its taste for a fiscal policy best described as crack whore gonzo. Reasonable people can differ on what primal forces galvanized the vox populi, but one thing is beyond dispute: Regis Philbin doing the Macarena is currently cooler than deficit spending.
While the situation is understandably vexing to President Obama and his supporters, it needn’t be taken personally. If gasoline was at $2.50 a gallon and unemployment was around five percent, there would likely be little public interest in deficit spending.
But the hard truth was always supply and demand. If allowed to continue on the same curve as seen in the past eleven years, the supply of American debt will probably surpass world demand within five years. The debt must be reduced; the only valid question is how.
It will be heard much in coming months, about ‘balancing budgets on the backs of the poor and the middle class.’ Well, the word ‘backs’ is an inflammatory rhetorical device, but yeah. Balancing the budget will greatly affect the poor and middle class, because they’re the people who’ve been getting all the money for decades.
At least the non-working poor understand where the largesse has been coming from. The middle class though, I’m not so sure.
In a recent survey, 44 percent of Social Security recipients said they don’t get any government assistance. Even ‘rugged individualists’ who sit in Tudor cottages on wooded lots once got Pell grants while attending government sponsored colleges. Convenient self-delusion and wanton ignorance run deep in a culture now faced with the consequences of wanting a mild form of socialism but not wanting to pay for it, for about four decades.
There’s a centuries’ old Arabic saying. “Trust in Allah always, but tie up your own camel.” Obviously it advises not to trust to others the details you should reasonably see to yourself. As the world’s largest economy now lumbers slowly towards austerity, and hopefully through to prosperity, there will be many small government advocates who will learn they haven’t tied up their own camels for a long time.
Hey Bobz, it’s a statistic so it must be true. Though I imagine he heard about it in the news like I did. Here’s a link.
I don’t know about you guys but I’m writing an Adam Lambert story right now. I’d be crazy not to.
Wow! LT, I was jealous that you got so many hits on this topic. Until I saw that 10 of the 14 (including 2 of your own) were about Adam Lambert.
More amazing is your comment that “44% of Social Security recipients [think] they don’t get any government assistance”.
I don’t dare ask where you pulled that thought from. I’m only hoping it wasn’t from Adam Lambert.
You DO have to ask me twice. Sorry, it’s just how I roll. I never join any political organization or cult without being asked twice, and nicely.
you don’t have to ask me twice, L-T. I’m already there…
Yes, I for two get a bit intimidated at times by how freakin’ wonderful I actually am!!!
A better, greater, shinier City on the hillier is available to this nation, even in our darkest hours. All we need do is band together in a spirit of shared sacrifice, obeying me without question.
I for one am delighted that you were able to bring such a serious topic to the American (Idol) mainstream.
That’s a darned good looking Camel though, you must admit?
I’d walk a mile for a camel like that! Be sure to check my next article, where I will offend everybody.
LAME!!!! NAME DROPPING FOR HITS :/
Thanks for the insightful comments on cultural/political change. We must ever beware of “popular” tendencies our government uses to sway things towards the reenforcement of the elitest society that our elected officials have set up for themselves. As you’ve noticed, mentioning the name of Adam Lambert attracts the attention of a whole different cross-section of demographics – a diverse group perhaps more educated and socially/culturally aware than the average followers of pop-culture.
Sure sinc, not a problem. Jonathan Swift is patron Saint of all satirists. Satire is quite different from joke writing, though both are difficult.
My readership leans Liberal; I am a proud Conservative. I had two very serious points to offer in the essay. I can’t get people to read my work if I adopt a Proffesorial tone with them.
So the article is peppered with ‘inside jokes’ to keep the mood light as I offer some very dark truths. That’s why Adam Lambert, Regis Philbin, the Macarena, and other pop culture references were in the essay.
Compelling satire is really a demanding craft, and it’s common to exceed the bounds of good taste at times. For example sinc? Some reader in next few days may take me to task about writing that smokers outside office buildings look like they’re waiting for the next train to Auschwitz.
My comment wasn’t made to defame the memories of Holocaust victims, any more than I mean to defame Adam Lambert. It’s what magicians call ‘stage patter.’ Little diversions from the main theme to hold the reader’s interest without becoming Preachy.
I sincerely hope you will keep reading Glossy News sinc, and I hope you will keep commenting about things you don’t like.
Liberties-Taken–sure we were interested in your article until you threw in the distraction of ALambert–just were trying to figure out the connection. Could you explain and then it would be done. When I read an article I like to understand the entire article and its references so I can appreciate the author’s point of view–sigh….
Well once again, the comments are better than my article.
I’d have thought my saying within 5 years US debt supply will surpass world demand would be taken as controversial.
Turns out though, it was the Adam Lambert bit that was controversial. Sigh…
I can go with this article. It makes good points.
Get off it with the Adam Lambert stuff for God’s sake!
It was just a throw in for humor’s sake.
If that is all you got out of the article go read US Magazine.
I could be wrong, but I think the point hoping to be made is that this is satire and the author would be remiss NOT to mention Adam Lambert in his article.
Still trying to figure out the debt ceiling connection with Adam Lambert–is he being blamed for that now?
Curious…WHY the random and gratuitous mention of Adam Lambert in this article?? Looks like a BLATANT attempt to get more “Hits” and that is NOT serious journalism. Please refrain in the future or make a POINT when you simply throw a celeb’s name out there, OK?